Aircraft
Boeing Wins Contract To Develop Satellite Launch Vehicle
Boeing's Airborne Launch Assist Space Access vehicle is designed for mounting to an F-15E. (Image: Boeing)
Boeing's Airborne Launch Assist Space Access vehicle is designed for mounting to an F-15E. (Image: Boeing)

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) awarded Boeing a $30.6 million contract to develop an airborne satellite launch vehicle the company has designed to attach to an F-15E Strike Eagle. The aim of Darpa’s Airborne Launch Assist Space Access (ALASA) program is to reduce the cost of routinely launching microsatellites into space.