The Space Launch Initiative was a NASA and U.S. Department of Defense joint research and technology project to determine the requirements to meet all the nation’s hypersonics, space launch and space technology needs. The program began with the award of reusable launch vehicle study contracts in 2000.[1]
The primary goal of this research was to increase safety and reliability and to reduce overall costs associated with building, flying and maintaining the nation’s next generation of space launch vehicles. NASA anticipated that these advances would revitalize the nation’s space transportation capabilities, and dramatically improve NASA’s ability to conduct science and exploration missions in space.[2]|This program was ended with the cancellation of the X-33 and X-34 and the conclusion of the X-43 programs.|NASA changed its focus to Constellation Program.
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As part of the Space Launch Initiative, Rocketdyne developed a plan for the RS-84 rocket engine. It would have been the first reusable, Staged combustion cycle, liquid rocket engine produced by the US to use a hydrocarbon fuel.[3] In contrast, the Soviet Union developed the RD-170 reusable staged combustion hydrocarbon engine for the Energia rocket in the 1980s.