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Dennis E. Smith, manager of Marshall's Second Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle Project Office (NASA)

Dan Dumbacher, deputy manager of Marshall's Second Generation Reusable Launch Project Office (NASA)

Fact sheet
SLI News Web site

Release: 01-174

NASA Marshall creates new Second Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle Program Office

The Second Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. – the office that oversees the Space Launch Initiative – will now report directly to the Director of NASA’s Marshall Center.  This program previously reported to the Director of Marshall’s Space Transportation Directorate.

The shift comes with the growth of the Space Launch Initiative (SLI), a one-year-old NASA initiative designed to develop technologies and lead to creation of a second generation reusable launch vehicle.

“The Space Launch Initiative is NASA’s No. 1 development program,” said Marshall Center Director Art Stephenson.  “By realigning our office functions, we provide the Second Generation Program Office, and the managers and engineers supporting it, the single program focus needed to meet the goals we have set.”

The goals of the Space Launch Initiative are to reduce the cost of launch to low earth orbit to $1,000 per pound of payload and improve safety to loss of crew to 1 in 10,000 flights.

Dennis E. Smith, former deputy director of Marshall’s Space Transportation Directorate, will head the Second Generation Program Office.  Dan Dumbacher has been named deputy manager. 

NASA’s Space Launch Initiative is the key to opening the space frontier for continued scientific exploration and economic expansion – by making space flight safe and affordable for both the government and private industry.

The Space Launch Initiative budget for fiscal year 2001 is $290 million, and increases to $475 million for fiscal year 2002.  Through mid-decade, the budget is $4.8 billion.

The first contract awards for technology development are expected this week.

Marshall’s Space Transportation Directorate will continue to provide propulsion and engineering expertise to the Space Launch Initiative as well as the Space Shuttle.  The Directorate also will continue development of advanced (third generation) space transportation systems, a Mars ascent vehicle, in-space propulsion and advanced break-through propulsion research.