Anduril, blue origin to study how to transport goods from orbit to Earth for the Pentagon

Blue and Anduril have received new study contracts with the US Air Force to explore how their technology, including missiles, can transport military goods around the world.

The contracts under the missile charging program of the Air Force are relatively small – the blue origin amounted to $ 1.37 million and Anderl at a price of one million dollars. But it could be the first steps in causing a revolution in how to transport the Pentagon goods. Study contracts are also a strong signal because the players will subsequently compete for the largest financing in dollars.

Anduril contract is particularly interesting and indicates that the start of the defense running makes invasions in a completely new business line.

Two prizes are part of the Rocket Rockt program for the US Air Force Laboratory for Global Logistics Program (RGAL). Blue origin did not respond to the Techcrunch request for comment, and an Anduril Techcrunch spokesman for AFRL.

Regal is the trial arm of the AFRL’s largest missile charging program, which focuses on “delivery as a service” through tropical transport. The Air Force wants to buy these capabilities through service contracts, similar to how DOD contracts commercial airlines. The goal of the RGAL program is to prove commercial missiles, reusable, re -entry systems, and goods transport systems to enable the theaters from the theaters from remote or difficult to reach in less than an hour.

Although there is not a lot of general information about the scope of the Work of Regal or a timetable, the prizes that contain the awards contain some interesting information.

Blue, according to the list of sporadic awards, is to analyze how its technology can support “material transport from point to point”. The place of performance included is Merritt Island, Florida, Blue’s house on the Space coast and where you develop the heavy Rocket Glenn New Lift.

An Andoril design study, which is also under Regal, was granted under a separate invitation to proposals called “Red Load” from the development of space and demonstrations.

The cutting of terms, the proposal indicates that Andoril will study how to develop an entry container that can carry between 5 tons to 10 tons of load from the ground and back. The list can be shown on SamovHe stressed that the container needs to work with different rocks and the study should propose the thermal protection system. The “Anduril” cargo container, as the list calls it, must merge a multiple specific load of the government and work via platforms.

Re -entering is a difficult problem in solving it in space. The development of substances that can survive the re -entry into the atmosphere, and a container that does not completely destroy the content concerned, is a challenge. A handful of startups, such as Varda Space Industries, has developed capsules to re -enter into space manufacturing, and Capsule from Spacex restores goods and astronauts from ISS. But in general, the number of sellers who can provide this ability is limited.

The news of the two contracts, which was not reported, follows the Rocket LAB contract, which was announced earlier this year. This contract explicitly contains a flight of a flight, although AFRL has not issued other details about this award, such as the amount.

If the Rocket Cargo Services services mature, the Pentagon can buy “delivery as a service”, with huge loads in a heavy commercial missile ride and returning to the ground inside a capsule to get a quick discharge. In the long run, AFRL said the program can include transportation from point to point for humans.