This is an article on "What Almost Was". In late 2001 & early 2002, the F-106 was being seriously looked at as a space launch vehicle.
It started out about 01 Nov 01 with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) soliciting industry for proposals on building a low cost satellite launcher with off the shelf equipment. (Click here for mission profile). Destiny Aerospace was encouraged by DARPA to submit a proposal utilizing the F-106, which president Tony Materna of Destiny Aerospace did in Feb 02. However, in March 02, the selection committee at DARPA turned down the F-106 proposal. Alternative methods were investigated through-out 2002 and early 2003 to involve the F-106 with at least the engine mass injection flying phase, which never successfully materialized.
So, the F-106 RASCAL Program literally never got off the ground after almost two years of investigating ways to involve the F-106, much to the disapointment of the team of scientists and engineers assembled for this project. The small fleet of seven flyable F-106s available at Davis Monthan AFB AZ has now been reduced to four flyables when three F-106s were released for museum displays at Castle, Hill & Edwards.
Having been involved with this project from nearly the beginning, I was allowed to construct a website detailing the program and was ready to link it up to my F-106 Survivor website, pending contract award. Since Destiny Aerospace wasn't selected, we elected to delete the website in March 2002. Now, with the passing of time, we have decided to reconstruct part of the F-106 RASCAL website to let the F-106 community know "What Almost Was". Erv - 01 Sept 2003
