Deimos-One Readies Vulcan Spacecraft for Autonomous Aerostat Mission 

Las Vegas, Nevada, 22nd December 2020

EXCLUSIVE: Deimos-One has reached a key milestone ahead of the company’s first launch of Project Vulcan, with spacecraft qualification underway for the Vulcan aerostat that will launch reusable rocket systems into space from altitudes of 100,000 feet.

On December 28, 2020, the Deimos-One team will launch an autonomous aerostat carrying a 50 pound payload from their testing facility in southern Nevada, which is projected to rise more than 100,000 feet into the stratosphere. The mission will test the performance of a novel satellite antenna design and several other proprietary materials in near-space conditions.

The launch is part of Deimos-One’s Phase-1 testing to validate the use of stratospheric aerostats as a launching platform for rockets and satellite technologies planned for use in suborbital or deep-space applications.

During Phase-1, the Vulcan spacecraft will carry various payloads up into the stratosphere, which is the atmospheric layer extending roughly 10 and 50 km (6.2 – 31 miles, or 32,000 – 164,000 feet) above the surface of the earth, just above the troposphere (the lowest layer of the atmosphere) where nearly all life exists.

Airplanes typically fly at altitudes of 31,000 – 38,000 feet (in the lower range of the stratosphere) but the Vulcan spacecraft is designed to get much higher, reaching altitudes of 138,000 feet (42 km/26 miles).

At these stratospheric altitudes, conditions are harsh, with high levels of cosmic radiation and extreme temperatures. Near the top, the air is very dry and thin, and atmospheric pressure is approximately 1/1000th of sea-level atmospheric pressure.

It is not quite a vacuum, but stratospheric conditions do simulate some attributes of space. Deimos-One believes these attributes make the stratosphere a great place to conduct near-space testing and research.

Lunar missions have historically required hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, decades of planning, and have been carried out by large spacecraft that require launch on huge rockets.

By contrast, the Vulcan mission will lift-off less than four months since the project’s inception, and will do so at a launch cost less than 1% of industry baseline. The fast turnaround and low cost suggest that Vulcan could be a viable option for rapid, efficient deployment into space at a lower mission cost and risk.

With a much cheaper manufacturing and launch cost than ground deployed rocket systems and the ability to be deployed on a much tighter timeline, Vulcan has the potential to provide access to space in ways never thought possible. The Vulcan launch system was also designed to be managed by a small support crew, further reducing costs.

Due to this high launch frequency and associated cost efficiency, Deimos-One believes the Vulcan Spacecraft has the potential to revolutionize the aerospace industry by offering a faster, cheaper path to space in suborbital or deep space environments.

“The idea of launching a satellite out of a rocket from 100,000 feet up was pure science fiction until Vulcan. With this mission, we’re demonstrating that suborbital and deep space missions can be fast, cost-effective, and highly customized,” said Jamin Thompson, Deimos-One founder and CEO. “Providing cheap, reliable access to space, not only for governments and corporations, but for every person in the world, is an ambitious goal, but it’s one we are committed to bringing to market. Our mission is to unlock the door for rapid launch deployments from stratospheric levels, making it cheaper and easier to deploy scientific research missions to other planets, moons, asteroids, and more.”

Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, Deimos-One is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company that designs and develops advanced multi-use rockets and tactical ground robotic systems. Its mission is to create affordable, reliable access to space and build a sustainable civilization for future generations.

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DEIMOS-ONE
10210 W. Flamingo Rd
Building 4, Suite 3039
Las Vegas, NV 89147
(702) 330-5650
deimosone.com