Exos Aerospace

Exos Aerospace Systems & Technologies is a United States aerospace manufacturer and launch-vehicle developer focused on reusable suborbital rockets and technologies intended to support future uncrewed orbital missions. The company is based in Caddo Mills, Texas, and conducts manufacturing, assembly, storage, testing, and related research and development from facilities in the Greenville, Texas, area. It has also operated launch activities from Spaceport America in New Mexico. The company emerged from the technical heritage of Armadillo Aerospace, the experimental space company founded by video-game developer John Carmack. Armadillo competed in the Ansari X Prize era and subsequently developed several suborbital and lunar-lander-related vehicles. After a 2013 accident involving the STIG-B rocket, Armadillo entered a period of reduced activity while seeking outside investment. Exos Aerospace was founded in May 2014, with former Armadillo personnel forming a significant part of the new company's technical base. In 2015, Armadillo's assets were formally sold to Exos, allowing the newer company to continue work connected with Armadillo's reusable commercial spacecraft and rocket programs. Exos also established operations at a former Armadillo facility near Caddo Mills Municipal Airport. Exos's principal development program has been SARGE, short for Suborbital Autonomous Rocket with GuidancE. The vehicle is a reusable sounding rocket derived from the STIG-B platform. It uses liquid oxygen and ethanol propulsion, a pressurized-helium cold-gas attitude-control system, and a recoverable airframe intended to fly research and technology payloads. The standard vehicle is approximately 36 feet tall and 20 inches in diameter, with a typical payload envelope of up to 50 kilograms in the standard configuration. The company has described SARGE as a technology foundation for a future reusable first stage capable of placing approximately 100 kilograms into low Earth orbit. Exos received a reusable vehicle mission launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration in February 2018. The company has also been identified as a NASA REDDI provider and has pursued potential participation in NASA's Flight Opportunities procurement programs. Its business model has centered on providing suborbital access for research, education, biomedical work, and technology demonstrations while developing the operational and recovery experience needed for more ambitious reusable launch systems. Between August 2018 and October 2019, Exos flew the same SARGE vehicle four times from Spaceport America. None of the flights reached the planned suborbital altitude of approximately 80 kilometers. The first mission ended after an onboard GPS receiver malfunction caused a premature engine shutdown at about 28 kilometers. The second reached approximately 20 kilometers after winds affected the flight. The third lost control shortly after liftoff but resulted in recovery of the vehicle. The fourth experienced attitude-control and structural problems, followed by an uncontrolled return and a crash near the launch pad. Exos reported that it intended to construct a second SARGE vehicle and continue development, but the available reference material does not establish the company's subsequent operating status, funding, ownership, or launch record.

Exos Aerospace was established in May 2014 to continue work on reusable commercial spacecraft and launch vehicles associated with the technical legacy of Armadillo Aerospace. Armadillo had been founded by video-game developer John Carmack and had participated in the early commercial human-spaceflight competition surrounding the Ansari X Prize. It later developed experimental suborbital rockets and hardware related to lunar-lander concepts. In August 2013, after the crash of Armadillo's STIG-B rocket, Carmack placed the company into a period of hibernation while seeking outside investors to restart its rocket activities. Exos was subsequently formed with substantial participation from former Armadillo employees. The new company operated from one of Armadillo's former facilities at Caddo Mills Municipal Airport in Texas, and Armadillo's assets were formally sold to Exos in 2015. This transfer provided Exos with continuity in personnel, facilities, vehicle concepts, and experimental launch-system technology. Exos concentrated on reusable suborbital research rockets, initially seeking to fly microgravity and technology payloads and eventually to use the resulting experience in autonomous orbital flight. Its principal vehicle family was SARGE, or Suborbital Autonomous Rocket with GuidancE. SARGE was derived from the STIG-B platform and incorporated a liquid-oxygen/ethanol propulsion system, helium cold-gas thrusters for attitude control, and a reusable sounding-rocket airframe. The vehicle was approximately 36 feet tall and 20 inches in diameter. Its standard payload configuration accommodated a cylindrical payload up to 50 kilograms. The company developed its engineering and manufacturing activities in the Greenville, Texas, area. Its facilities supported rocket design, fabrication, assembly, storage, and testing. A static-test skid was described as capable of testing engines with nominal thrust of up to 5,000 pounds-force. Exos also pursued government and commercial research opportunities, including status as a NASA REDDI provider and a potential role under NASA's Flight Opportunities-related procurement structures. On February 14, 2018, the FAA issued Exos a reusable vehicle mission launch license. Exos then began a sequence of SARGE flights from Spaceport America in New Mexico. The first, flown on August 25, 2018, was a Pathfinder mission intended to demonstrate the reusable vehicle concept. A GPS receiver malfunction caused a premature engine shutdown, limiting the flight to approximately 28 kilometers instead of the planned 80 kilometers. The second flight took place on March 2, 2019. It carried small research payloads, but wind conditions limited the trajectory and the rocket reached approximately 20 kilometers. On June 29, 2019, the third flight lost control shortly after liftoff. The vehicle was nevertheless recovered intact. Its payload manifest included nine customer payloads, among them a biomedical experiment from the Mayo Clinic and a dust-aggregation experiment from the University of Central Florida. The fourth flight, conducted on October 26, 2019, experienced a more serious sequence of failures. The vehicle lost attitude control seconds after launch, appeared to suffer structural breakup, separated from its drogue, and returned at high speed rather than making the softer recovery seen on earlier flights. The rocket body crashed close to the launch pad after reaching approximately 12.6 kilometers. Exos concluded that the flight involved a structural failure and stated that it intended to build a second SARGE vehicle. The available reference material does not document whether that vehicle was completed, whether additional launches occurred, or whether Exos remains active. Consequently, its current status, ownership, leadership, finances, and operating scale remain unconfirmed.

• 2019

  Second SARGE flight

  [1]Exos Aerospaceen.wikipedia.org

  A March 2, 2019, flight carried research payloads but reached approximately 20 kilometers because of wind conditions.

• 2019

  Third SARGE flight

  [1]Exos Aerospaceen.wikipedia.org

  The June 29, 2019, flight lost control shortly after launch but was recovered intact with payloads for nine customers.

• 2019

  Fourth SARGE flight

  [1]Exos Aerospaceen.wikipedia.org

  The October 26, 2019, flight suffered attitude-control and structural failures and crashed near the launch pad.

• 2018

  FAA reusable vehicle mission license issued

  [1]Exos Aerospaceen.wikipedia.org

  The FAA issued Exos Aerospace a reusable vehicle mission launch license on February 14, 2018.

• 2018

  First SARGE flight

  [1]Exos Aerospaceen.wikipedia.org

  The Pathfinder mission flew on August 25, 2018, but ended after a GPS-related malfunction and reached only about 28 kilometers.

• 2015

  Armadillo Aerospace assets are sold to Exos

  [1]Exos Aerospaceen.wikipedia.org

  The assets of Armadillo Aerospace were formally transferred to Exos, reinforcing the new company's technical and facility lineage.

• 2014

  Exos Aerospace is founded

  [1]Exos Aerospaceen.wikipedia.org

  Exos Aerospace was founded in May 2014 to continue reusable commercial spacecraft and launch-vehicle work associated with Armadillo Aerospace.

A small U.S. aerospace developer positioned around reusable suborbital launch systems, research access, and technology maturation for future uncrewed orbital missions.

• Reusable suborbital sounding rocket

  SARGE

  SARGE, meaning Suborbital Autonomous Rocket with GuidancE, is Exos Aerospace's reusable sounding-rocket family. Derived from Armadillo Aerospace's STIG-B platform, it uses liquid oxygen and ethanol propulsion, with a propulsion system in the LE23000FC series and approximately 5,500 pounds-force of stated thrust. The vehicle is about 36 feet tall and 20 inches in diameter, uses pressurized-helium cold-gas thrusters for attitude control, and is designed to carry research, educational, and technology-demonstration payloads. Exos presented the platform as a stepping stone toward a reusable first-stage vehicle for small orbital payloads.

• 2019

  Plan a second SARGE vehicle after fourth-flight failureGeneration change

  Background

  The fourth SARGE flight experienced loss of control, apparent structural failure, and an uncontrolled return that damaged the vehicle.

  Action taken

  Exos identified structural failure as a cause and said it planned to build a second SARGE rocket for continued testing.

  Aftermath

  The available reference material does not confirm completion of the second vehicle or subsequent flights.

  Source

• 2018

  Begin SARGE flight-test campaignProduct launch

  Background

  Exos sought to demonstrate a reusable suborbital vehicle for research payloads and future launch-system development.

  Action taken

  Following FAA licensing, Exos flew SARGE from Spaceport America, beginning with the Pathfinder mission in August 2018.

  Aftermath

  The first four flights through October 2019 did not reach the planned altitude, although the vehicle was reused and recovered on multiple occasions.

  Source

• 2014

  Continue Armadillo-derived reusable launch developmentStrategy

  Background

  Exos was created after Armadillo Aerospace entered a period of reduced activity following the STIG-B accident and sought outside investment.

  Action taken

  The new company incorporated former Armadillo personnel, operated from a former Armadillo facility, and continued development of reusable commercial spacecraft and suborbital vehicles.

  Aftermath

  The Armadillo assets were formally sold to Exos in 2015, and the company proceeded with the SARGE program.

  Source

1. 1Exos Aerospaceen.wikipedia.org