United Transport Systems CEO David Summers was at Space Access 09 this week to announce a new rocket-powered light aircraft that he says will be able to get two people anywhere on the planet in less than an hour.
The small, Chicago-based company has proposed a radical approach to the problem of intercontinental travel. The vehicle’s engines would be fed by a ribbon of fuel towed behind the vehicle – allowing the vehicle to be much lighter.
I didn’t completely understand the technical aspects of the plan; there is more detail on the company’s website.
The company says that the first test flights are expected in 2011. Although the vehicle will be light, it will not be cheap. “These will be very expensive aircraft, and they will be very expensive to fly,” Summers told attendees at the Space Access conference.
Summers said that his small Chicago-based team was composed primarily of business experts. Plans are to outsource as much of the engineering and production of the vehicle as possible.
The company hopes to build spacecraft that can reduce the cost of a ticket to space to $10,000 in 10 years. That will require some luck and also some policy changes in Washington, Summer said in a press release.
Although the company’s initial work is with rocket aircraft, UTS has much higher goals. “Eventually, we’d like to design a spacecraft around our rocket engines,” says Mr. Summers. Aircraft and spacecraft are both regulated by the FAA, but spacecraft face additional limitations due to International Traffic In Arms Regulations (ITAR.) ITAR currently states that any spacecraft is “significant military equipment”, regardless of the planned usage. Mr. Summers estimates, “Ten years after ITAR rules are changed to allow for civilian use of space, an orbital flight will cost less than ten thousand dollars.”
Read the full press release below.
PRESS RELEASE
Universal Transport Systems (UTS) will announce its exciting new rocket aircraft project at the Space Access 2009 Conference. This rocket powered light aircraft will enable flights to any destination on earth in under an hour. The aircraft and engine have been in development since early 2007. First flights are expected as early as 2011.
“This new propulsion technology changes everything,” says David Summers, UTS President. “In the past, most rocket companies focused on making higher performance and lighter engines. That led to the temperamental, fragile rocket engines available today. UTS has focused on eliminating unnecessary weight instead. Our new propulsion technology completely eliminates the weight associated with large fuel tanks, and it greatly reduces the weight of heat shielding equipment required to ensure safe and reliable flights.”
In currently available rocket aircraft, the fuel tanks weigh 10 times as much as the engine. To make rocket aircraft useful for global passenger transport, a higher performance, lighter aircraft is required. By re-examining the entire rocket plane as a system, UTS is improving rocket aircraft safety while overcoming existing design challenges.
Although the company’s initial work is with rocket aircraft, UTS has much higher goals. “Eventually, we’d like to design a spacecraft around our rocket engines,” says Mr. Summers. Aircraft and spacecraft are both regulated by the FAA, but spacecraft face additional limitations due to International Traffic In Arms Regulations (ITAR.) ITAR currently states that any spacecraft is “significant military equipment”, regardless of the planned usage. Mr. Summers estimates, “Ten years after ITAR rules are changed to allow for civilian use of space, an orbital flight will cost less than ten thousand dollars.”
About Universal Transport Systems
Universal Transport Systems was founded in 2007 to develop rocket vehicle technology. Its headquarters are in Chicago, IL. Universal Transport Systems focuses on the business aspects of rocket vehicle development and outsources most engineering and development. Universal Transport Systems is a privately funded company.
Loading ...
