Masten Space Systems' prototype Xaero launch vehicle is rotated into position off its transport trailer with the assistance of a forklift crane prior to a tethered hot-fire test of its rocket motor at the Mojave Air and Space Port on May 6, 2011.
Xaero Rocket Tethered Hot-fire Test
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Masten Space Systems’ prototype Xaero launch vehicle is rotated into position off its transport trailer with the assistance of a forklift crane prior to a tethered hot-fire test of its rocket motor at the Mojave Air and Space Port on May 6, 2011. Under the auspices of NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program, Masten is developing the Xaero as a candidate for a suborbital reusable launch vehicle that can expose technology payloads to space-relevant reduced gravity or near-space flight environments. Xaero is expected to be able to carry a 10-kg payload to approximately 100,000-feet altitude.
May 6, 2011
NASA Photo / Tom Tschida