Recycled rocket roars into space

Jawsat integrated with the fourth stage of the OSP Space Launch Vehicle

January 26, 2000
Web posted at: 8:09 p.m. EST (0109 GMT)

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, California (CNN) -- The first rocket to use recycled parts from retired nuclear missiles blasted off Wednesday night from a spaceport in California.

The six-story launch vehicle, part of the JAWSAT, used parts of decommissioned Minuteman II missiles in the first two stages, and parts from a commercial rocket in the second two stages.

The eventual cost savings for such recycled rockets could be substantial. According to mission officials, it could save nearly a third of the usual cost for launching payloads. The $23 million flight cost could drop by $10 million, officials said.

The rocket carried a unique multi-payload adaptor developed by students working with aerospace professionals, and designed to deploy four separate satellites.

Initially conceived to train Air Force Academy cadets, the project has since evolved to include the efforts of several universities, aerospace companies, the Air Force Academy, the Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA.

There are plenty of Minuteman parts available. The Strategic Arms Reduction Talks treaty between the United States and the former Soviet Union resulted in the decommissioning of hundreds of Minuteman II missiles.

Six digital cameras were in place to record the deployment of each of the four payloads. Two other experiments were to remain attached to the JAWSAT multi-payload adaptor frame.

Two liftoff attempts on January 14 were scrapped shortly before launch because of technical problems.