HOT ROD TO SPACE

Relatively quick, low-cost access to space has become a much pursued, but highly elusive goal for the U.S. military. Now the Pentagon's outside-the-box research organization, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has entered the fray, attempting to solve the problem with decades-old technology.

Darpa's initiative, Rascal (Responsive Access Small Cargo Affordable Launch), revives a propulsion concept the U.S. Air Force and NASA experimented with in the 1950s. The make-it-or-break-it idea is mass injection precompressor cooling (MIPCC), that at the time wasn't even considered for space-launch applications. Although MIPCC is critical, Rascal is also relying on breakthroughs in areas such as lightweight tank materials and rocket motors to launch small satellites.

Darpa's interest in space historically reflects broader Pentagon enthusiasm. With military space enjoying a budgetary upswing, Darpa's efforts are also on the rise. Rascal is but one approach; other activities focus on in-orbit operations and space technologies.

The Pentagon is funding several initiatives aimed at achieving low-cost launch. Peter B. Teets, the Pentagon's top space official, wants developers to keep "reusable" and "quick response" at the forefront of their efforts. The military's interest is driven partly by the desire to launch spacecraft quickly, perhaps in response to pop-up threats, but it also wants new means to deliver conventional weapons global distances.