Industrial White Paper Briefing: Monterey Bay Regional Spaceport Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable COTS Launch System

Abstract

Proposed DoD Acquisition Study to focus on COTS Space Launch System for government and commercial markets. Level of interest is in the broad cost savings to the government and commercial customers. Research Issue: The cost to launch vehicles and payloads into orbit and to station them in the upper atmosphere is prohibiting innovation and limiting the total number of systems that can be deployed. There is a need to study the life cycle of current and future COTS Launch Systems and their benefits to government and commercial procurement cycles. Research Result: Lower costs via Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) COTS launch solutions and systems are the desired research result. Smaller payloads and delivery vehicles with more capabilities will increase the amount of work being done while less money is being spent. Overall cost savings to the government activities and the civilian population they serve will be the outcome of the research result as well.