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Space Agencies and Companies

Rocketplane Kistler

Launch and Space Transportation Companies

Rocketplane Kistler, known as RpK, was a reusable launch system firm originally based in Oklahoma, formed in 2006 after Rocketplane Limited acquired Kistler Aerospace. NASA chose Rocketplane Kistler to develop crew and cargo launch services, but after the company missed financial milestones NASA terminated its funding, and the company filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2010.

Facts
Agency Type
American private reusable launch vehicle developer (defunct, filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2010) 1
Founded Year
2006 1
Rocketplane Kistler itself formed in 2006 from the acquisition of Kistler Aerospace, which was originally founded in Kirkland, Washington in 1993; recorded here as this entity's own formation date, with the predecessor named rather than silently merged.
Headquarters
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States 1
Original headquarters. The company consolidated operations to Wisconsin in 2009 before its 2010 bankruptcy.
Head
George French, Chief Executive Officer 1
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Rocketplane Kistler
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead paragraph, sentence 3
    It filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2010.
  • Lead paragraph, sentence 2
    It was formed in 2006 after Rocketplane Limited, Inc. acquired Kistler Aerospace.
  • Retrenchment section, final paragraph
    [The] company closed its Oklahoma City headquarters and relinquished its hangar at Burns Flat.
  • Bankruptcy section, first sentence
    On June 15, 2010, Rocketplane Inc., as well as its subsidiaries and its CEO, George French, filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy.
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