NASA FUNDING FOR KISTLER ROCKET

Among NASA’s $767 million (E906 million) first-round Space Launch Initiative awards announced at last month’s Euroconsult Space Transportation Summit meeting was a grant of $135 million to Kistler Aerospace. This award was the second-largest made, and one of only two for a flight demonstration; the other went to Orbital Sciences. Total SLI funding will now be $4.8 billion through 2006. Kistler will receive its award only after a successful maiden K-1 flight, but hopefully this undertaking will allow the company to secure sufficient temporary funding.