The Huntsville, Ala.-based company has a 28-month contract to produce three engines for the plane, which is a flying testbed for new technologies ranging from use of composite materials to developing lower cost access to space.
Summa has previously had contracts to build space shuttle components and has already built four Fastrac engines for the X-34. Its current contract also calls for it to develop possible commercial uses of the engine. The 60,000-pound-of-thrust engine was designed and developed by Marshall Space Flight Center.
"We’ve been involved in the X-34 program, so this is a natural extension for us," said Bob Lord, Summa’s manager of business development. "What’s different now is we’ll be getting further into the program by providing tech support, monitoring data and making recommendations."
Construction of the X-34 is nearing completion at the Orbital Sciences Corp. facility in Dulles, Va., said Mike Allen, the X-34 project manager at Marshall Space Flight Center.
Allen said he expects the X-34 to begin unpowered test flights early in 2000. Currently, the project is in the 'captive carry certification phase' for the Federal Aviation Administration. This phase uses a non-flying version of the craft carried by the L-1011 to test the aerodynamic stability of both aircraft together.
"It (X-34) mimics the flight characteristics exactly," Allen said, "But internally there’s not flight gear – just ballast."
The X-34 project currently calls for 22 powered test flights.
If successful, the X-34 could demonstrate technology that could cut launch costs from $10,000 per pound today to about $1,000 per pound.
Allen said the craft is designed to have a small ground and support crew of about 12 people to service it and provide a two-week turnaround time between flights.
Lord said Summa is actively looking for ways to capitalize further on the Fastrac engine’s potential.
"It’s my job to take it the engine to other commercial applications," he said. "We’re looking expendables, sounding rockets and others. We’ll modify the engine to suit the customers needs."
advertisement
