Jane Edwards
Stratolaunch Systems has signed an agreement with NASA to conduct engine tests at the agency’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, Space News reported Wednesday.
NASA and Stratolaunch inked Sept. 13 the Space Act Agreement that contains a provision for reimbursable tests and related services to the company in support of ground system, vehicle and propulsion platform development and testing efforts.
The contract also includes an annex that covers testing of a propulsion test article at Stennis facility’s E1 test stand and a $5.1 million payment to NASA for test campaign-related costs.
The report noted Stratolaunch aims to submit the test article to the rocket testing center by the end of May 2018 and complete a series of tests by the end of next year.
Stratolaunch forged a partnership with Orbital ATK in October 2016 to integrate the latter’s Pegasus XL rockets with its aircraft to provide commercial air-launch space services.
