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{{More footnotes needed|date=February 2011}}
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'''Beal Aerospace''' was founded in February 1997 by [[Andrew Beal]], president of Beal Bank in [[Dallas, Texas]]. The goal of the company was to build and operate a privately developed [[heavy lift launch vehicle|heavy lift orbital launch vehicle]].
{{Infobox company
| name = Beal Aerospace
| type = [[Aerospace technology]], [[launch vehicles]]
| founded = 1997
| founder = Andrew Beal
| defunct = October 23, 2000
| hq_location = [[Frisco, Texas]]<ref name="loverock">{{cite web |first=Joe|last=Pappalardo|url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/love-and-rockets-6392592 | title=Love & Rockets|publisher=Dallas Observer|date=March 1, 2001|access-date=November 2, 2022}}</ref>
| num_employees = 200
}}
⚫
'''Beal Aerospace''' was a [[Launch Vehicle Digital Computer|launch vehicle]] development company founded in February 1997 by [[Andrew Beal]], president of [[Beal Bank]] in [[Dallas, Texas]]. Headquartered in Frisco, Texas,<ref name="loverock"/> the goal of the company was to build and operate a privately developed [[heavy lift launch vehicle|heavy lift orbital launch vehicle]]. It ceased operations on October 23, 2000.


==Company history==
⚫
The engines of the Beal Aerospace BA-2 launch vehicle were to be powered by [[kerosene]] fuel and highly concentrated [[hydrogen peroxide]] oxidizer. This combination was selected in order to avoid the expense and complexity of [[cryogenic]] storage, and to reduce development costs. Kerosene was injected into the hot steam and oxygen exhaust products of catalytically decomposed hydrogen peroxide, resulting in spontaneous ignition. All three stages of the BA-2 vehicle were to be pressure-fed using high-pressure [[helium]] storage to replace the expense and complexity of [[turbopumps]]. All of the BA-2 propellant tanks and primary structures were to be manufactured from lightweight composite materials. The engines were [[ablative cooling|self-cooled]] with ablative materials.
After being founded in 1997, employment grew to approximately 200 people at the company's peak in late 1999. A rocket engine test facility was successfully established in [[McGregor, Texas]]. There, the company conducted liquid-fueled engine tests, added several buildings, and built a vertical test stand.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Spaceflight Now {{!}} Breaking News {{!}} Developing the Falcon 9: A new rocket in the making |url=https://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0811/02falcon9/ |access-date=2022-08-24 |website=spaceflightnow.com}}</ref> Ambitious plans were made to establish a launch pad on [[Sombrero Island]] in [[Anguilla]], and to mass-produce launch vehicles in the [[Virgin Islands]], but environmentalists were fiercely opposed to these development plans.<ref>{{citation |date=March 1999 |journal=Air & Space/Smithsonian |title=More bang, Big Bucks |author=Harris, Byron |pages=10–11 |volume=13 |number=6}}</ref>


On March 4, 2000, Beal Aerospace conducted a successful test firing of the BA-2 rocket engine, the largest since the [[Apollo program|NASA Apollo program]].<ref>{{cite press release| publisher=Space Ref|date=2000-03-04|title=Beal Aerospace Fires Largest Liquid Rocket Engine in 30 Years|url=http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=1047}}</ref>
Employment grew to approximately 200 people at the company's peak in late 1999. A rocket engine test facility was successfully established in [[McGregor, Texas]]. Ambitious plans were made to establish a launch pad on [[Sombrero Island]] in [[Anguilla]], and to mass produce launch vehicles in the [[Virgin Islands]], but environmentalists were fiercely opposed to these development plans. Despite a number of impressive technical achievements, the company ran into a series of problems, both political and technical. Employee layoffs began in early 2000.


Following [[NASA]]'s announcement that they would fund research and development of competing launch vehicles under the [[Space Launch Initiative]] (SLI), Andrew Beal announced on October 23, 2000 that Beal Aerospace would cease operations. This sudden announcement caught most of the remaining employees by surprise. Although citing NASA's unfair commercial practices as the primary reason for closing, other factors such as development schedule delays, cost growth, and a shrinking commercial launch market, are widely believed to have contributed to Beal's decision to cease operations.
Following [[NASA]]'s announcement that they would fund research and development of competing launch vehicles under the [[Space Launch Initiative]] (SLI), Andrew Beal announced on October 23, 2000, that Beal Aerospace would cease operations. Beal cited NASA's commercial practices as the primary reason for closing.<ref>{{cite press release | publisher=Beal Aerospace | date=2000-03-23 | title=Beal Aerospace regrets to announce that it is ceasing all business operations effective October 23, 2000 | url=http://www.spaceprojects.com/Beal/ | accessdate=2007-06-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wayne |first=Leslie |date=2006-02-05 |title=A Bold Plan to Go Where Men Have Gone Before |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/05/business/yourmoney/a-bold-plan-to-go-where-men-have-gone-before.html |access-date=2022-08-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>


==See also==
==Launch vehicles==
⚫
Beal Aerospace initially considered a rocket that used [[kerosene]] and [[liquid oxygen]], but soon switched to [[kerosene]] fuel in combination with high concentration [[hydrogen peroxide]] oxidizer. This combination was selected in order to avoid the expense and complexity of [[cryogenic]] storage, and to reduce development costs. Kerosene was injected into the hot steam and oxygen exhaust products of catalytically decomposed hydrogen peroxide, resulting in spontaneous ignition. The original BA-1 launch vehicle design was intended to service the LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite constellation launch market, but was replaced by the much larger BA-2 design when it was decided to concentrate on the more stable Geostationary satellite launch market as the LEO constellations became financially unsound. All three stages of the BA-2 vehicle were to be pressure-fed using high-pressure [[helium]] storage to replace the expense and complexity of [[turbopumps]]. All of the BA-2 propellant tanks and primary structures were to be manufactured from lightweight composite materials. The engines were [[ablative cooling|self-cooled]] with ablative materials.


==Subsequent history==
After the dissolution of Beal Aerospace, its McGregor, Texas test site was acquired by [[SpaceX]] to become its [[SpaceX launch facilities|McGregor test site]] in late 2002.<ref name=TSR-2018-03-26>{{cite web |url= http://www.thespacereview.com/article/3457/1 |title= Reviews: Rocket Billionaires and The Space Barons |author= Jeff Foust |date= 26 March 2018|access-date=November 3, 2022|publisher= The Space Review }}</ref><ref name=":0" />

==See also==
* [[List of private spaceflight companies]] - A compiled list of private spaceflight companies
* [[List of private spaceflight companies]] - A compiled list of private spaceflight companies


==External link==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
⚫
[http://www.bealaerospace.com/ Beal Aerospace homepage]
* Associated Press, [http://www.guyanausa.org/aerospace_company_needs_u.htm Aerospace company failed to get the needed U.S. approval for Guyana launches] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201093303/http://guyanausa.org/aerospace_company_needs_u.htm |date=2009-02-01 }}, 23 July 1999

==External links==
⚫
* Homepage: [http://www.beal-aerospace.com/ Beal Aerospace]
* Encyclopedia Astronautica, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160820130453/http://www.astronautix.com/b/bealba-2.html Beal Aerospace]


{{Space tourism}}
[http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/bealba2.htm Encyclopedia Astronautica information on Beal Aerospace]


{{Category: Private spaceflight companies}}
[[Category:Private spaceflight companies]]
[[Category:Space companies in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in Texas]]
[[Category:Defunct spaceflight companies]]

Latest revision as of 11:48, 14 August 2024

Beal Aerospace
Company typeAerospace technology, launch vehicles
Founded1997
FounderAndrew Beal
DefunctOctober 23, 2000
HeadquartersFrisco, Texas[1]
Number of employees
200

Beal Aerospace was a launch vehicle development company founded in February 1997 by Andrew Beal, president of Beal Bank in Dallas, Texas. Headquartered in Frisco, Texas,[1] the goal of the company was to build and operate a privately developed heavy lift orbital launch vehicle. It ceased operations on October 23, 2000.

Company history

[edit]

After being founded in 1997, employment grew to approximately 200 people at the company's peak in late 1999. A rocket engine test facility was successfully established in McGregor, Texas. There, the company conducted liquid-fueled engine tests, added several buildings, and built a vertical test stand.[2] Ambitious plans were made to establish a launch pad on Sombrero Island in Anguilla, and to mass-produce launch vehicles in the Virgin Islands, but environmentalists were fiercely opposed to these development plans.[3]

On March 4, 2000, Beal Aerospace conducted a successful test firing of the BA-2 rocket engine, the largest since the NASA Apollo program.[4]

Following NASA's announcement that they would fund research and development of competing launch vehicles under the Space Launch Initiative (SLI), Andrew Beal announced on October 23, 2000, that Beal Aerospace would cease operations. Beal cited NASA's commercial practices as the primary reason for closing.[5][6]

Launch vehicles

[edit]

Beal Aerospace initially considered a rocket that used kerosene and liquid oxygen, but soon switched to kerosene fuel in combination with high concentration hydrogen peroxide oxidizer. This combination was selected in order to avoid the expense and complexity of cryogenic storage, and to reduce development costs. Kerosene was injected into the hot steam and oxygen exhaust products of catalytically decomposed hydrogen peroxide, resulting in spontaneous ignition. The original BA-1 launch vehicle design was intended to service the LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite constellation launch market, but was replaced by the much larger BA-2 design when it was decided to concentrate on the more stable Geostationary satellite launch market as the LEO constellations became financially unsound. All three stages of the BA-2 vehicle were to be pressure-fed using high-pressure helium storage to replace the expense and complexity of turbopumps. All of the BA-2 propellant tanks and primary structures were to be manufactured from lightweight composite materials. The engines were self-cooled with ablative materials.

Subsequent history

[edit]

After the dissolution of Beal Aerospace, its McGregor, Texas test site was acquired by SpaceX to become its McGregor test site in late 2002.[7][2]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Pappalardo, Joe (March 1, 2001). "Love & Rockets". Dallas Observer. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Spaceflight Now | Breaking News | Developing the Falcon 9: A new rocket in the making". spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
  3. ^ Harris, Byron (March 1999), "More bang, Big Bucks", Air & Space/Smithsonian, 13 (6): 10–11
  4. ^ "Beal Aerospace Fires Largest Liquid Rocket Engine in 30 Years" (Press release). Space Ref. 2000-03-04.
  5. ^ "Beal Aerospace regrets to announce that it is ceasing all business operations effective October 23, 2000" (Press release). Beal Aerospace. 2000-03-23. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  6. ^ Wayne, Leslie (2006-02-05). "A Bold Plan to Go Where Men Have Gone Before". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
  7. ^ Jeff Foust (26 March 2018). "Reviews: Rocket Billionaires and The Space Barons". The Space Review. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
[edit]
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