Garvey Spacecraft Corporation (GSC) is a small aerospace R&D company focusing on the
development of advanced space technologies and launch vehicle systems. GSC became a full-time enterprise in January 2000 when founder and CEO
John M. Garvey left Boeing to concentrate his time and energy on the company.
Team members draw upon their extensive experiences from a broad range of
previous and current aerospace programs, including the DC-X / XA (Delta
Clipper), Delta III, Delta IV, Sea Launch Zenit-3SL and Space Shuttle.
GSC provides engineering, technical support, project management
and hardware prototyping services to a number of private and DOD customers.
Company-led projects focus on reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) and associated
technology validation flight testing. Its most visible accomplishments include
the first-ever flight of a composite LOX tank (conducted in partnership with
Microcosm, Inc.), the first-ever powered flights of a liquid-propellant
aerospike engine and the launch and recovery of a prototype RLV twice within a
3.5 hour period.
GSC has leveraged its in-house capabilities by participating in several
cooperative programs. The most notable of these has been the California
Launch Vehicle Education Initiative (CALVEIN) with California State University,
Long Beach (CSULB). This effort focuses on both hands-on hardware
mentoring for future aerospace engineers as well as the low-cost development of
candidate launch system technologies and services. Since getting started
in early 2001, the CALVEIN work has resulted in eleven static fire tests and ten
flight tests, including those noted above with the CSULB-developed aerospike
engine as well as the more recent missions involving the prototype RLV test bed. The
GSC/CSULB team is now focused on the development of a
Nanosat Launch Vehicle (NLV) that is designed to deliver 10 kg payloads to low
Earth orbit.
Read more about Kimbo Rockets history .