Phantom Express

DARPA XS-1

Mission Profile

The Phantom Express (DARPA XS-1) was a proposed two-stage American reusable launch vehicle concept in the X-plane lineage, designed under DARPA's Experimental Spaceplane programme to demonstrate aircraft-like operations for rapid, affordable small satellite access to orbit. Standing 30.5 m tall, it would have generated 1,020 kN of first-stage thrust and delivered 1,360 kg to low Earth orbit using a reusable first stage and expendable upper stage. Conceived around 2020 under the XS-1 programme, the Phantom Express was being developed by Boeing before the programme was cancelled due to technical and funding challenges.