Kistler K-1

Kistler K-1

A render of the K-1 in flight, produced by Rocketplane Kistler
Function	Orbital launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Kistler Aerospace
Country of origin	United States
Size
Height	36.9 m (121 ft)
Diameter	6.7 m (21.9 ft)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to Low Earth orbit
Altitude	200 km (120 mi)
Orbital inclination	45°
Mass	4,500 kg (9,900 lb)[1]
Payload to International Space Station
Mass	3,200 kg (7,100 lb)[2]
Payload to Geostationary transfer orbit
Altitude	900 km (560 mi)
Orbital inclination	60°
Mass	1,570 kg (3,460 lb)[2]
Associated rockets
Comparable	GSLV Long March 4B Antares
First stage – Launch Assist Platform
Height	18.4 m (60 ft)[1]
Diameter	6.7 m (22 ft)[1]
Empty mass	20,500 kg (45,200 lb)[1][note 1]
Gross mass	250,000 kg (550,000 lb)[1][note 1]
Powered by	3 × NK-33
Maximum thrust	4,530 kN (1,020,000 lbf) sea level[1]
Specific impulse	297 seconds sea level
Burn time	168 seconds (plus additional 35 seconds for boostback burn)[1]
Propellant	RP-1 / LOX
Second stage
Height	18.6 m (61 ft)[1]
Diameter	4.27 m (14.0 ft)[1]
Empty mass	13,100 kg (28,900 lb)[1][note 2]
Gross mass	131,000 kg (289,000 lb)[1][note 2]
Powered by	1 × NK-34
Maximum thrust	1,769 kN (398,000 lbf) vacuum
Specific impulse	348 seconds vacuum
Burn time	233 seconds[1]
Propellant	RP-1 / LOX
[edit on Wikidata]

The Kistler K-1 was a two-stage, fully reusable launch vehicle design created by Kistler Aerospace. It was to accommodate a wide range of missions, including payload delivery to low Earth orbit (LEO), payload delivery to high-energy orbits with a K-1 Active Dispenser, technology demonstration flights, microgravity missions, and commercial cargo resupply, recovery, and reboost services for the International Space Station (ISS).

In 2004, the company won a NASA contract to fly supply missions to ISS. At the time, Kistler claimed that the design of the K-1 was 75% complete, and the $227 million NASA contract would be used to complete development and the first flights. SpaceX protested, suggesting that the presence of well-known former NASA engineers biased the decision in favor of Kistler. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) sided with SpaceX and NASA suspended the contract in favor of a new process, the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program.

Lacking funding to complete development, in 2006 Kistler was purchased by Rocketplane Limited, Inc, who had previously been developing a competing concept. Both SpaceX and the new Rocketplane Kistler won COTS contracts in August 2006, but after failing to meet several financial milestones, NASA announced in October 2007 that it was terminating funding for the project.^[3] The company declared bankruptcy in 2010.

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