Tag: Generation Orbit

Generation Orbit Makes 2 New Hires

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Skyler Shuford (Credit: Generation Orbit)
Skyler Shuford (Credit: Generation Orbit)

ATLANTA (GO PR) — Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) is pleased to announce the additions of Mr. Skyler Shuford to its staff as the Lead Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer and E. Glenn Case IV as a Senior Engineer.

Skyler Shuford
Lead Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer

Mr. Shuford will drive design, simulation, and testing of the guidance, navigation, and control system for the GOLauncher family of vehicles. He will also be responsible for the definition, design, development, and verification of flight and ground support software.

Previously, Mr. Shuford was Deputy Lead of Guidance, Navigation, and Control for Lunar Lion, a team competing in the Google Lunar X-Prize during his graduate studies at Penn State. He led control algorithm development while building, programming, and testing a quadcopter to serve as a controller testbed.

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Generation Orbit Awarded USAF SBIR Phase II Contract

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Captive carry flight (Credit: Generation Orbit)
Captive carry flight (Credit: Generation Orbit)

ATLANTA (GO PR) — Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Aerospace Systems Directorate (AFRL/RQ) for continued development of the GOLauncher 1, a single-stage air launched liquid rocket vehicle designed to fly suppressed trajectories for hypersonic flight research applications.

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Generation Orbit Completes Second Flight Test

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Flight Experiments Testbed (Credit: Generation Orbit)
Flight Experiments Testbed (Credit: Generation Orbit)

ATLANTA, Ga., July 16, 2015 (GO PR) — Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) completed a second flight today of its GO-Flight Experiments Testbed (GO-FET). The flight test is a key milestone on the company’s roadmap to develop affordable air-launched rocket systems for access to space and for hypersonic flight research.

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Generation Orbit Hires Structures Lead Engineer

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generation_orbit_logoATLANTA, GA, Aug. 28, 2014 (GO PR) — Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) is pleased to welcome Mr. Zack Rubin to the team as the Lead Engineer of the Engineering Team’s Structures Division. Mr. Rubin will be responsible for leading the design, prototyping, integration and testing of flight structures, mechanisms, and separation systems for the GOLauncher family of vehicles. Mr. Rubin began his position with GO in early August.

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Generation Orbit Completes First Captive Carry Flight

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Captive carry flight (Credit: Generation Orbit)
Captive carry flight (Credit: Generation Orbit)

ATLANTA, GA, JULY 31, 2014 – Yesterday, Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) completed the initial captive carry flight of the Flight Experiment Testbed (GO-FET). Operating out of Cecil Spaceport in Jacksonville, FL, the three hour test flight served as an demonstration of air launch operations both on the ground and in flight.

The flight configuration consisted of a Learjet 35 carrier aircraft with a standardized pod integrated to a wing hardpoint. The set of payloads carried within the pod were designed to gather environmental and dynamics data on propellant management, payload integration, and wireless communications.

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Generation Orbit Awarded SBIR Grant for GOLauncher 1 Hypersonic Testbed

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generation_orbit_logoATLANTA, GA, JULY 9, 2014 (GO PR) – Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Aerospace Systems Directorate (AFRL/RQ) for development of a GOLauncher 1, a single-stage air launched liquid rocket vehicle designed to fly suppressed trajectories for hypersonic flight research applications. Booster systems capable of flying suppressed trajectories increase flexibility for experimental payloads to high Mach number, high dynamic pressure test environments. The nine-month effort worth $150,000 will focus on requirements definition, configuration trade studies, and trajectory design space exploration.

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Florida Tax Group Criticizes Cecil Field Funding

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cecilfield_imgFlorida TaxWatch is urging Gov. Rick Scott to veto $2.5 million worth of infrastructure improvements for Cecil Spaceport.

In its annual review of legislative spending bills, the group identified the project as part of $120 million in spending qualifying as Budget Turkeys. The funding is part of Space Florida’s operating budget.

“The budget review identifies appropriations that circumvent transparency and accountability standards in public budgeting,” the group said in its annual report. “Each appropriation is scrutinized against a set of standardized criteria established by Florida TaxWatch.”

The Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA), which controls Cecil Spaceport, has signed a tenant agreement with Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO). The Atlanta-based company is developing an aircraft launched rocket to place small satellites into orbit.

Generation Orbit Hires Alex Adams as Aerospace Engineer

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Generation_OrbitATLANTA, Feb. 28, 2014 (GO PR) — Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) is pleased to welcome Mr. Alex Adams to the team as an Aerospace Engineer. Mr. Adams will be responsible for design, prototyping, integration and testing of GOLauncher 2 subsystems being developed in-house at GO, as well as conducting system-level analyses.

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Generation Orbit Signs Exclusive Investment Banking Deal

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Generation_OrbitATLANTA (GO PR) — On January 17th, 2014, Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) signed an exclusive investment banking agreement with The Inman Company, a leading regional investment banking firm. As part of the GO team, Inman will assist in raising capital to fund GO’s continuing growth and will then advise management on maximizing shareholder value.

Generation Orbit, with its network of key industry participants, is developing the GOLauncher, an air-launched rocket system specifically designed for launching small satellite payloads. GOLauncher offers fast, flexible, and dedicated space transportation services for nano and microsatellites, enabling developers and operators to unlock the full commercial and scientific potential of this rapidly growing market segment.

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GoLauncher Passes Major Project Milestone

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Generation_OrbitATLANTA, GA (GO PR) — Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) has successfully passed a major project milestone in the development of its GOLauncher 2, a dedicated nanosatellite launch vehicle. The GOLauncher 2 System Requirements Review was completed on Thursday January 23rd, 2014.

Members of the GO team gathered in Atlanta to conduct the review, including representatives from SpaceWorks, Calspan, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Ventions, Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, and mv2space. The goals of the review included assessing the team’s performance and functional requirements for the system, the current design status, the overall GOLauncher program plan, and the program’s current risk posture.

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Generation Orbit Hires Financial Manager

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Jordan Shulman
Jordan Shulman

ATLANTA, GA (GO PR) — Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) welcomes Jordan Shulman as Financial Manager.

Operating under GO’s CFO, David Horn, Mr. Shulman will develop and implement financial models and perform business operations tasks, including accounting, payroll, and contracting. He will also support business development tasks such as interfacing with investors, valuations, and program planning.  With GO’s continued growth and success, the need for a Financial Manager becomes imperative.

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Generation Orbit Signs Tenant Agreement for Cecil Spaceport

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Generation Orbit’s planned launch system. (Credit: Generation Orbit)
Generation Orbit’s planned launch system. (Credit: Generation Orbit)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (JAA PR) — The Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA) has signed its first tenant agreement at Cecil Spaceport with Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO).

Atlanta-based GO will utilize Cecil’s hangar space, its 12,500-foot runway and the safe flight paths that have already been coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), among other things, to support its commercial flight and horizontal launch program.

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Generation Orbit to Pitch to Space Angels Network Members

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Generation Orbit’s planned launch system. (Credit: Generation Orbit)
Generation Orbit’s planned launch system. (Credit: Generation Orbit)

SEATTLE, Washington (Space Angels PR) – The Space Frontier Foundation announced on October 25th that Generation Orbit Launch Services Inc. was awarded the $100,000 first-­place prize of the 2013 NewSpace Business Plan Competition held at Stanford University. As a Sponsor of the competition, Space Angels Network members contributed to the screening, coaching and judging of the business plans. As the winner of the competition, Generation Orbit will now have the opportunity to present to the members of Space Angels Network in December to build on the company’s success and potentially attract new investors.

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Cecil Airport Plans $4 Million Space Hangar With State Grant

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Cecil Field in Jacksonville, recently designated a commercial spaceport.
Cecil Field in Jacksonville.

Cecil Airport in Jacksonville now has a tenant and a large state grant to help develop its spaceport operations:

JAA will match the $1.8 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation and Space Florida, the state organization responsible for fostering growth in Florida’s space industry. The final cost of the hangar could be more than $4 million and will be completed by early 2015, according to Todd Lindner, JAA’s senior manager of aviation planning and spaceport development.

Meanwhile, Generation Orbit Launch Services Inc., the spaceport’s first tenant, is preparing for two test launches next year off Cecil’s runway in ahead of its first commercial launch in 2016.

The Atlanta-based company specializes in launching “micro” and “nano” satellites — which in some cases are small enough to hold in your hand — from a rocket attached to an airplane that takes off and lands on runways like passenger jets. That so-called “horizontal” launch method is less expensive than its traditional “vertical” counterpart….

“There are a large number of entities that have wanted access to lower orbit and zero gravity for initiatives like communications,” said Michael Stewart, JAA’s external affairs director. “The great thing about this industry besides the fact that it’s embryonic and it’s still developing right before our eyes is that it’s a proven technology.”

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Generation Orbit to Launch Satellites Out of Cecil Spaceport

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Generation Orbit’s planned launch system. (Credit: Generation Orbit)
Generation Orbit’s planned launch system. (Credit: Generation Orbit)

The Jacksonville Aviation Authority is asking the state of Florida to help fund infrastructure improvements at Cecil Airport to support the operations of micro-sat launch provider that will operate from there.

Generation Orbit Launch Services Inc. has selected Jacksonville’s Cecil Spaceport as the primary launch site for its small satellite transport operation.

The company plans to put small satellites into space by launching a rocket from an in-flight aircraft. The micro-satellites would support low gravity, astrophysics and hypersonic research at a fraction of the cost of full-size satellites.

On Sept. 30, NASA awarded the Atlanta-based company its first contract. Under it, Generation Orbit will launch at least two test flights next year and a conduct a full satellite launch in 2016.

State funding requested by the JAA would be used to connect the proposed spaceport site with taxiways and roads, authority spokesman Michael Stewart said.

Generation Orbit is the first space company to locate at the airport, which received its spaceport designation three years ago. Cecil Airport is a former Naval Air Station that has been converted into a joint civilian-military facility.

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