The Full Story
Mustang
The Orion Mustang series represents a new generation of reusable suborbital and near-orbital vehicles designed to deliver high-altitude research, rapid payload deployment, and defense-relevent responsiveness from a conventional runway - at a fraction of the cost of traditional launch systems.
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Build on a common blended-wing-body (BWB) architecture, the Mustang Family combines rocket-class performance with aircraft-like flexibility, bridging the gap between high altitude aviation and space access.
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Resusable. Responsive. Revolutionary.
MUSTANG I
The Suborbital Frontier Vehicle
Altitude: 40,000 - 200,000 ft (12-61)
Payload Capacity: 120 lbs. (54 kg) across 3 modular bays
Turnaround: < 24 hours (3 sorites per 5 days validated)
Launch/Recovery: Horizontal takeoff and glider-style landing on a standard runway
MUSTANG I
Mission Capabilities
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High-altitude atmospheric & climate research
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Sensor and CubeSat prototype testing
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ISR and defense payload trials
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Hypersonic materials & TPS validation
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Communications and networking testbeds
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Rapid-response flight demonstrations
Mustang I provides resuable, aircraft-operated access to near-space altitudes at costs an order of magnitude below expendable sounding rockets. It can be reconfigured within hours to support defense, commercial, or academic payloads, offering the first truly responsive suborbital platform in the U.S. market.
MUSTANG II
The Orbital Bridge Vehicle
Altitude: up to 400 km (Low-Earth Orbit insertion capable
Payload Capacity: 400 lbs. (181 kg)
Turnaround: < 24 hours between sorties
Launch/Recovery: Horizontal takeoff and autonomous orbital flight, glide return landing on a standard runway.​
MUSTANG II
Mission Capabilities
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CubeSat & microsatellite deployment
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Space-based research & materials testing
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Defense technology insertion & ISR demonstration
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In-orbit servicing and retrieval
Mustang II extends Orion's operational model beyond suborbital research - offering on-demand, runway-based orbital capability without launch towers, pads, or recover ships.
MUSTANG III
The Orbit Vehicle
Altitude: TBD
Payload Capacity: TBD
Turnaround: TBD
Launch/Recovery: TBD
- Orion Space -
Pioneering a new era of air-launch simplicity and space-access affordability through the Mustang family of suborbital-to-orbital systems.
