Roton Atmospheric Test Vehicle 1 (ATV-1)
Web site by: Phil Broad

Roton ATV-1:
Close up views
Roton Systems:
Propulsion system details
Sikorski S-58:
Rotary wing training aircraft
Links Page:
Other Single Stage to Orbit vehicle websites

These pages contain photos taken during the official rollout ceremony for the "Roton" at its Mojave California construction site.  The Roton ATV-1 is a full scale landing-phase demonstrator for a Single Stage To Orbit (SSTO) vehicle.  Built by a private company with money from private investors, the Roton ATV-1 will perform proof-of-concept test flights validating the vehicles ability to navigate to a landing site, hover and land.  This version is not equiped with any spacecraft propulsion systems, it will only be flown to an altitude of about ten thousand feet then perform landing maneuvers with its rocket-tipped helicopter blades.  The Roton is fueled by liquid oxygen and jet fuel (Kerosene) and this version will carry only a fraction of the load required by the actual spacecraft.  The Rotary Rocket Company will be building the spaceflight demonstrator next but many challenges must be met before that can happen.  The full scale test of the primary propulsion system must be accomplished along with tests of the heat shield concept and a host of others.  The actual spacecraft will carry a crew of two and be able to lift a 7,000 pound payload into low Earth orbit.  The Model Builders Reference Vault wishes them the best of luck with this exciting project and will be posting pictures of future test vehicles as they are built.

Please contact me if you have comments about these images or corrections to the information presented here via E-Mail.