Sierra Space demonstrates rapid-delivery cargo pod in military test drops
A military-backed company has tested its Ghost reentry vehicle in preparation for delivering supplies anywhere on Earth within 90 minutes.
The U.S. military is exploring the possibility of resupplying forces from orbital assets. Sierra Space, owned by Sierra Nevada Corporation, is developing a system that would position cargo in space and deploy reentry vehicles to deliver payloads to any location on the planet within 90 minutes of receiving a request.
The company recently conducted its first test of the Ghost reentry vehicle in two years, successfully completing two separate drop tests. According to Aviation Week, the tests involved dropping the vehicle from altitudes of 35,000 feet and 68,500 feet using high-altitude balloons. The cargo included a bottle of whiskey and a software-defined radio.
The test flights represent a significant milestone for the project team, though they differ from the more publicized approach taken by SpaceX with its rocket-powered landing platforms. The demonstration was conducted as part of the U.S. Space Command's Apollo Nexus training exercise, which is designed to test the coordination and synchronization required across multiple military units operating in complex scenarios.