The Sprite Mini-Lift Vehicle: Performance, Cost, and Schedule Projections for the First of the Scorpius™ Low-Cost Launch Vehicles

ScorpiusTM is a Microcosm program, under two Phase III Small Business Innovation Research contracts at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate. The ScorpiusTM program is to develop an entirely new launch vehicle family with the objective of reducing total launch cost by a factor of 5 to 10. This paper reports on status and substantial progress of the program since our last USU update. Specifically, the Sprite Mini-Lift Vehicle is projected to have a first DTE BMDO; NASA Marshall Space Flight Center; and Microcosm internal R&D.