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K-1 Missions: Flying Technology Testbed

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Vehicle of the Future
K-1 Missions

 

  As the first operational, commercial, fully reusable launch vehicle (RLV), the K-1 will be uniquely positioned to serve as a flying technology testbed. The inherent reusability and autonomous operations of the K-1 will enable an affordable and reliable testbed with the opportunity to test and re-test technologies. In addition, with the K-1's launch-on-demand capabilities, Kistler can facilitate technology flight demonstration programs in the near-term and provide the flight-proven status necessary for new technology adoption.

The K-1 will be capable of flying technology experiments as dedicated or rideshare payloads on commercial K-1 missions. Examples of technologies that can be flown on the K-1 include advanced structures and materials, modular avionics, integrated health management systems, on-board operations systems, non-pyrotechnic separation systems, lithium ion (LiIon) batteries, rendezvous sensors and algorithms, and autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations (ARPO).

To facilitate shorter integration times, the K-1 has a number of mounting locations for experiments on the first and second stages, employing standard interfaces and mounting structures. Interested experimenters should download the K-1 Flight Experiments Design & Requirements document for more details.
 


Externally Mounted (Passive) locations for advanced materials.



Internally mounted (Active) locations for avionics and microgravity.



Active Experiments will be mounted on standard experiment trays and mounted inside RPK's Experiment Containment Box (ECOBOX).