Starfighters Assessing Suborbital Space Launch Trajectories

NASA's Kennedy Space Center will host the flight of a privately operated F-104 on April 17, the first in a series of "pathfinder" test missions from the space shuttle runway.

Starfighters Inc. of Clearwater, FL will perform the flights to help in assessing suborbital space launch trajectories from the Shuttle Landing Facility and possible future commercial space tourism as well as research flights from the facility.

"This is a key step toward expanding routine use of the SLF by non-NASA flight projects, including commercial suborbital and orbital space launch vehicles," said KSC Director Bill Parsons.

NASA and Starfighters Inc. have signed a cooperative Space Act Agreement to enable the company's F-104 aircraft to fly simulated suborbital flight missions from the SLF 15,000-foot runway. The purpose of the flights is to gather data to support NASA's assessment of expanding uses of the SLF, according to the KSC.

The first two flights scheduled for April 17 and both will generate test data to validate sonic boom assumptions about the potential impacts of suborbital and orbital commercial spaceflight from the SLF. NASA is assessing the environmental impact of such flights.

The first flight will take off to the north following the projected flight path for suborbital vehicles which may launch horizontally. It will then turn east and head out over the Atlantic. The altitude and distance will mirror vehicles accelerating on a suborbital parabolic trajectory will break the sound barrier.

Any discernible sonic boom noise will be recorded at several ground stations dotting the coast, to assess the noise impact of such flights.

The next test flights will investigate communications and telemetry systems, and validate operating procedures for future suborbital missions and related training flights.

The agreement between NASA and Starfighters is the latest in a series of projects that have been conducted at the SLF since late 2005 to examine other potential uses for the shuttle runway. NASA's role is limited to serving as the host site.

Any non-governmental aircraft using the SLF operate in accordance with applicable Federal Aviation Administration rules and procedures.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/index.html, http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/facilities/slf.html