Generation Orbit Launch Services Explained

Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO)
Type:Private
Industry:Aerospace
Products:Hypersonic Flight Testing
Num Employees:30+
Location:Atlanta, Georgia

Generation Orbit Launch Services (GO) is an American aerospace company based in Atlanta, Georgia that is developing the technology for launch services for small payloads.[1] The air-launch approach developed by GO and its partners offers flexible launch capabilities, poised to reduce fixed infrastructure needs, launch costs, and the time from contract signature to launch for government and industry customers alike.

History

GO was founded on April 25, 2011 as a subsidiary company of SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc.[2] [3] In 2013, GO competed in the NewSpace Business Plan Competition (BPC), winning first place and the $100,000 prize.[4] [5] The BPC was administered by the Space Frontier Foundation and held at Stanford University. Following the Business Plan Competition, GO was selected in September 2013 for NASA's Enabling eXploration and Technology (NEXT) contract, with an award of $2.1 million.[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

GOLauncher family

Generation Orbit is developing the GOLauncher family, a series of high-speed flight and space launch systems designed to lower costs, improve responsiveness, and increase overall mission flexibility.

GO-FET is a captive carry test platform for avionics, spacecraft hardware, fluids experiments, CubeSats, nanosats, and pre-release flight maneuver testing. The GO-FET configuration uses a Learjet 35 aircraft platform that was first flown on July 30, 2014.[13]

The X-60A GOLauncher 1 (GO1) is an air-launched single stage suborbital rocket vehicle.

Notes and References

  1. News: Ben Iannotta . . 2016 Could Bring Breakthrough for Small Satellites . 2014 . 2014-04-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141026132342/http://www.aiaa.org/SecondaryTwoColumn.aspx?id=21170 . 2014-10-26 . dead .
  2. News: Stewart Money . . Smallsat Launch Industry Begins to Take Off . 2013-02-20.
  3. News: . Dan Leone . Startup Generation Orbit Launch Service Bets Big on 'Small Space' . https://archive.today/20140407181528/http://www.spacenews.com/article/launch-report/38365startup-generation-orbit-launch-service-bets-big-on-%E2%80%98small-space%E2%80%99 . dead . April 7, 2014 . 2013-11-26.
  4. News: Seradata . David Todd . Generation Orbit GOLauncher wins prize as latest contender for NASA cubesat launch contracts . 2013-11-27 . 2014-04-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303210849/http://seradata.com/SSI/2013/11/generation-orbit-launch-services-wins-prize-latest-contender-nasa-cubesat-launch-contracts/ . 2016-03-03 . dead .
  5. News: Space Digest . Viacheslav Pronskyi . GENERATION ORBIT: BUSINESS PLAN THAT WON NASA-SPONSORED COMPETITION . 2013-11-27 . 2014-04-25 . 2014-08-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140808052657/http://spacedigest.net/en/generation-orbit-business-plan-that-won-nasa-sponsored-competition/ . dead .
  6. News: NASA . George H. Diller . NASA Awards First CubeSat-Class Launch Services Contract . 2013-09-30.
  7. News: Moonandback . Generation Orbit Wins NASA Launch Contract . 2013-10-01 . 2014-04-25 . 2014-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141026132452/http://moonandback.com/2013/10/01/generation-orbit-wins-nasa-launch-contract/ . dead .
  8. News: Parabolic Arc . Doug Messier . Generation Orbit Wins NASA Contract for Dedicated CubeSat Launch . 2013-09-30.
  9. News: . Generation Orbit Awarded NASA Contract for Launch of GOLauncher 2 . 2013-09-30 . 2014-04-25 . 2014-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141026131655/http://www.research.gatech.edu/news/generation-orbit-awarded-nasa-contract-launch-golauncher-2 . dead .
  10. News: . NASA Awards CubeSat-class Launch Contract . 2013-10-08.
  11. News: FedBizOpps.Gov . V--NASA LAUNCH SERVICES ENABLING EXPLORATION AND TECHNOLOGY - NEXT . 2013-09-30.
  12. News: . Nanosats are go! . 2014-06-07.
  13. Web site: 2014-08-06. Generation Orbit Conducts Flight Test for Air-Launch SmallSat Vehicle - Via Satellite -. 2021-07-29. Via Satellite. en.