CASPER -- A new generation of tactical military weapons could come very soon from a converted World War II entertainment building at the Casper/Natrona County International Airport. John Wickman owns Wickman Spacecraft and Propulsion Co. and has been working on Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contracts with the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force.

Both contracts are worth about $750,000 to Wickman, and he has hired three young engineers to help design, build and test prototype equipment, including a unique pintle nozzle used in rocket guidance.

"The military is trying to upgrade existing weapons systems. Our research and development will end up producing upgrade kits for Army Precision Attack Munitions (PAM)," Wickman said. "The goal is to give a handful of troops much greater firepower than they have now."

His company also produces ammonium nitrate solid rocket fuel that will be used to propel some of the new munitions. "It is a very safe and stable product that provides outstanding thrust," Wickman said.

His pintle nozzle provides far greater control of speed and direction, enabling ground troops to steer missiles directly into fast-moving targets. That gets munitions exactly where and when they are needed.

Wickman said the nozzle he has developed provides the maneuverability to "kill" fast moving targets on the ground. And, he noted, his system can be used on virtually every tactical missile now in the U.S. inventory. If all goes well, his company could produce "hundreds of thousands of units a year in Casper."



SLV under development

Also under development is a remarkable Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) that can boost a 2,000-pound payload into a low-earth orbit of about 100 miles above the earth's surface. The three-stage solid-fuel rocket will stand about 120 feet tall and is six feet in diameter. It can launch a satellite virtually on a moment's notice, Wickman said.

"And, it has all-weather launch capability that enables us to launch in the middle of a Category 1 hurricane," he said.

Other characteristics of his SLV design are that it uses no explosive ordnance to separate the three stages; thrust control will increase or decrease the vehicle's speed, depending on the mission; and a minimal ground crew is needed for launching.

The SLV carries 120,000 pounds of Wickman's solid fuel. The first stage generates 250,000 pounds of thrust for 70 to 75 seconds to propel it 90,000 feet above the earth's surface before burnout and separation. The second stage carries the vehicle to 200,000 feet above earth. The third stage will place a one-ton payload into circular earth orbit at 100 miles above earth, he said.

"The Defense Department is converting 50 MX intercontinental ballistic missiles and a larger number of Minuteman missiles to place satellites into earth orbit," Wickman said. "Our SLV can do that job in almost all weather situations with a small ground crew." His goal is to see production units costing less than $4 million each which is "about a million dollars less than DOD estimates."



Competing with the big boys

He observed that the military is working directly with more and more small contractors like his operation rather than depending solely on huge prime defense contractors.

"The Navy is working with small businesses directly in order to cut down the time it takes from when an idea is conceived until it is operational," he said, adding that the Army and Air Force are also moving in that direction.

The big prime contractors won't go away, he said, but their role will likely change. And, he noted, the services are looking at developing a common air vehicle (CAV) that can meet multiple missions.

Wickman also said that using the SLV to place spy satellites or any other kind of satellites would prevent having to move existing satellites from one location to another, leaving areas uncovered.

"The small launch vehicle can place a custom-made satellite into orbit in a day or less, without losing coverage provided by existing equipment," he said.

Another mission for the SLV could be to carry smart weapons into orbit. A glider-like vehicle would then deploy and release steerable weapons before it self-destructs, Wickman noted.

Static testing of the SLV nozzle will occur in 2009 in Casper and also Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.

Wickman has been in Casper for a number of years. He is well known for teaching young people and adults about rocketry. A native of Illinois, he moved to Arizona with his family as a young student. His bachelor's degree is from Arizona and a masters in mechanical engineering was earned from the University of Tennessee. After working for Pratt and Whitney, a large defense contractor, he moved to California and worked for Aerojet General for 11 years before coming to Casper.