Space Adventures announced Tuesday it has completed an agreement to acquire Space Launch Corp. of Fountain Valley, Calif., as a wholly owned subsidiary. Founded in 1999, Space Launch has been developing micro-satellite launch capabilities for the military under a contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
The effort, called Rapid Access Small Cargo Affordable Launch, or RASCAL, was canceled in 2004 and funding ended in 2005.
In a statement, Space Adventures said the acquisition of Space Launch will provide it with a technology development capability and "access to significant space system intellectual property" that could result in new commercial spacecraft.
"There is a potential crossover here between what we have been developing for DARPA and space tourism applications," Jacob Lopata, Space Launch's chief executive officer, told SpaceDaily.com.
He said when the government canceled its contract, he and his board of directors decided it would make sense to look at space tourism as a potential alternative market. He said he and Eric Anderson, Space Adventures' president and chief executive officer, had known each other for many years and each was aware of what the other was doing.
"We hope to use what we've developed under our various government contracts for future space tourism vehicles here in the United States," Lopata said.
He declined to discuss the details of the agreement, or how the negotiations began.
"While Space Adventures will remain focused on the marketing of spaceflights as a space travel company, the acquisition of Space Launch will enhance our access to, and in-depth knowledge of, cutting-edge aerospace technology," said Eric Anderson, president and chief executive officer of Space Adventures.
