A Vector R-model rocket
Vector, a commercial space launch start-up, is scheduled to test one of its R-model rockets Thursday in the first flight from Georgia’s Spaceport Camden. The FAA approved the launch late last week.
It will be a significant milestone for both the rocket company and the launch site. Officials in Camden County hope that commercial rocket launches will one day become routine from a proposed 4,000-acre site off I-95 in the state southeastern most counties. Vector also hopes that launches of this type of rocket become routine. It predicts that it may one day launch up to 100 R-model rockets per year.
The test will measure both the progress Vector has made in producing a commercially viable rocket and the suitability of Spaceport Camden as a place for commercial rocket launches.
The R-model rocket is a two-stage design that launches from a mobile launcher. It can carry up to 150 pounds into low-earth orbit. The company first tested the rocket earlier this year in Arizona, and announced plans this spring for the Georgia test launch. Vector hopes to begin commercial service with the R-model early next year. The company will build a larger H-model, with more than double the payload, for service in 2019.
When the company announced plans for the Georgia launch, it said the test would be good for all involved.
“Building on years of research, Vector is continuing to work towards the next technical milestone in our development plan,” John Garvey, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Vector, said in a release. “Spaceport Camden’s support of Vector’s flight test will not only validate the engineering and technology behind our mission, but also propel Vector closer to an orbital capacity.”
Spaceport Camden officials also placed high hopes on a partnership with Vector.
“Vector is an ideal partner for Spaceport Camden,” Camden County Administrator and Spaceport Camden Project Lead, Steve Howard said. “The small satellite market is already a $2.2 billion sector of the space economy and expected to grow to $5.3 billion over the next five years. Vector is a leader in this emerging market and we hope Camden County will be the home of not only Vector, but dozens of small satellite manufacturers, technology support providers, and sub-component suppliers.”
Officials hope Spaceport Camden will become fully licensed by the FAA next year. John Simpson, a spokesman for Spaceport Camden, said the spaceport would acquire land, satisfy environmental regulations and provide some support. Companies wanting to launch can either use mobile launchers or build their own permanent launch structures if needed.
A benefit, he said, over government-operated launch sites is removal of the worry of having launch dates scrapped by high-priority government launches.
This launch also will solidify a relationship with Vector. “They want to make Georgia their East Coast home,” Simpson said.
Republican Congressman Buddy Carter, who represents the area as part of Georgia’s 1st District, told InsiderAdvantage that Spaceport Camden should become the economic anchor for the area.
“The spaceport is a tremendous opportunity for our area,” Carter said. “I have been a longtime supporter of this project, and it is extremely exciting to see it move forward. The site’s location is strategic, and the economic benefits that could result from this project could be enormous. The spaceport will create jobs while bringing tech and space companies to Coastal Georgia. I look forward to the launch this week and to the completion of this important project.”
