# Boeing Small Launch Vehicle

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The **Boeing Small Launch Vehicle**, or **SLV**, is an [air-launched](/source/Air_launch_to_orbit) three-stage-to-orbit [launch vehicle](/source/Launch_vehicle) concept aimed to launch small [payloads](/source/Payload_(air_and_space_craft)) of 100 pounds (45 kg) into [low Earth orbit](/source/Low_Earth_orbit). The program is proposed to drive down launch costs for [small satellites](/source/Smallsat) as low as [US$](/source/United_States_dollar)300,000 per launch ($7,000/kg) and could be fielded by 2020.[1] [*[needs update](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Dates_and_numbers#Chronological_items)*]

## History

In July 2012, [DARPA](/source/DARPA) awarded Boeing a US$4.5 million contract to further refine the system concept as a part of the [DARPA ALASA](/source/DARPA_ALASA) program.[2]

## Description

The first stage of the three-stage launcher would be an air-launched [supersonic aircraft](/source/Supersonic_aircraft) accelerating to a speed of Mach 4.5 (5,510 km/h; 3,430 mph) at 61,000 feet (19,000 m), while the second stage would be a [hypersonic](/source/Hypersonic_flight) [waverider](/source/Waverider) aircraft which would accelerate the vehicle to Mach 10 (12,300 km/h; 7,610 mph) at an altitude of 95,000 feet (29,000 m). Both of the first two stages would be [reusable](/source/Reusable_launch_vehicle) to reduce launch cost, and both stages would carry only fuel, and obtain their oxygen for combustion from the [Earth's atmosphere](/source/Atmosphere_of_Earth).[1] The third stage would be powered by a [rocket](/source/Rocket), roughly 16 feet (4.9 m) long, to complete the acceleration of the 21 by 38 inches (53 cm × 97 cm) payload to [orbital velocity](/source/Orbital_speed). The carrier aircraft is projected to be a [Scaled Composites White Knight Two](/source/Scaled_Composites_White_Knight_Two).[1]

### Specifications

- First-stage: 38 feet (12 m) length, 19 feet (5.8 m) [wingspan](/source/Wingspan), [supersonic aircraft](/source/Supersonic_aircraft)[3]

- Second-stage: 37 feet (11 m) in length, 15.3 feet (4.7 m) wingspan, [hypersonic aircraft](/source/Hypersonic_flight); "Overall airframe construction would be of [graphite-epoxy](/source/Carbon-fiber-reinforced_polymer), with an integral conformal [liquid methane](/source/Methane#Developing_technologies) tank to supply the vehicle’s circular combustion [scramjet](/source/Scramjet). [Thermal protection](/source/Thermal_protection_system) would be a [ceramic matrix](/source/Ceramic_matrix_composite) [composite material](/source/Composite_material)."[3]

- Third-stage: 2 feet (0.61 m) diameter, 16.4 feet (5.0 m) long, [solid propellant](/source/Solid_propellant) rocket.[3]

- Payload: 21 inches (0.53 m) diameter, 38 inches (0.97 m) long payload bay, carrying up to 100 pounds (45 kg) to [low Earth orbit](/source/Low_Earth_orbit).[3]

## See also

- [X-51 WaveRider](/source/Boeing_X-51) [hypersonic](/source/Hypersonic) test vehicle flown at Mach 5.1 (5,400 km/h; 3,400 mph) at 60,000 feet (18,000 m) on a single test mission in May 2013.

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-aw20120521_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-aw20120521_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-aw20120521_1-2) Norris, Guy (2012-05-21). ["Boeing Unveils Air-Launched Space-Access Concept"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130326232014/http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=%2Farticle-xml%2FAW_05_21_2012_p25-458597.xml&p=1). *Aviation Week*. Archived from [the original](http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_05_21_2012_p25-458597.xml&p=1) on 2013-03-26. Retrieved 2012-05-23.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-pa20120702_2-0)** Messier, Doug (2012-07-02). ["DARPA Awards 6 Small Airborne Launch Vehicle Contracts"](http://www.parabolicarc.com/2012/07/02/darpa-awards-6-small-airborne-launch-vehicle-contracts/). *Parabolic Arc*. Retrieved 2012-11-29.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-aw20120512_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-aw20120512_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-aw20120512_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-aw20120512_3-3) ["More on Boeing's small launcher concept"](http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckPostId=Blog:a68cb417-3364-4fbf-a9dd-4feda680ec9cPost:f6f267a4-b412-44cc-a2a0-5258308c847e). *Aviation Week*. 22 May 2012. Retrieved 4 Aug 2012.{{[cite news](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_news)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Boeing Small Launch Vehicle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Small_Launch_Vehicle) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Small_Launch_Vehicle?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.