Masten Space Systems technicians maneuver the prototype Xaero launch vehicle onto its pad while it is suspended from a crane prior to a tethered hot-fire test of its rocket motor on May 6, 2011 at the Mojave Air and Space Port.
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Masten Space Systems technicians maneuver the prototype Xaero launch vehicle onto its pad while it is suspended from a crane prior to a tethered hot-fire test of its rocket motor on May 6, 2011 at the Mojave Air and Space Port. 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