LOCKHEED COMPETING FOR LAUNCH; DECISION COULD TAKE YEAR.

Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer

A 15,000-foot runway, 3,000 to 4,000 acres, and buildings for vehicle processing are among the requirements states will have to provide if they want the launch site for the VentureStar spaceship.

Lockheed Martin Corp.'s ``Skunk Works'' officials met with officials from the Antelope Valley, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Florida, New Mexico and other regions interested in VentureStar to discuss the launch-site selection process, which Skunk Works officials expect will take more than a year.

``Basically, the flags are up now to secure the launch site,'' Greg Matranga, an aide to Assemblyman George Runner, R-Lancaster, said during a break in the all-day briefing, which was closed to the media. ``They are putting it up for bid, looking for the most cost-effective site.''

The requirements for the spacecraft include a runway of 300 feet by 15,000 feet; 3,000 to 4,000 acres - preferably flat, clear terrain capable of holding heavy loads; buildings for vehicle processing; and accessibility with roads and rail-line spurs.

Edwards Air Force Base already meets some of the VentureStar requirements. The base has a 15,000-foot concrete runway plus it has more than 60 miles of marked and maintained runways on Rogers and Rosamond dry lake beds. The base also covers 301,000 acres, with only a fraction of it developed.

The base also has another big advantage: about 345 days a year of good flying weather.

``We have flyable weather. You can fly all the time,'' said Lancaster Mayor Frank Roberts, who is a private pilot.

Representing the Antelope Valley at the briefing were Roberts; staff members from the offices of Runner; state Sen. W.J. ``Pete'' Knight, R-Palmdale; Rep. Howard ``Buck'' McKeon, R-Santa Clarita; Danny Roberts of Palmdale's economic development department; and Bob Johnstone and Bill Lawrence, consultants from the city of Lancaster's Aerospace Office.

Two California sites have been mentioned as VentureStar launch-site contenders: the Antelope Valley and Vandenberg Air Force Base. Antelope Valley officials said they will work together with Vandenberg representatives to ensure the Skunk Works chooses California.

``Once we get it in California, then we'll worry about where it goes next,'' Roberts said.

Various regions across the country from Alaska to Virginia are vying to become the launch site for VentureStar, a reusable spacecraft that Skunk Works is developing. The goal of VentureStar is reduce the cost of flying a payload into space from $10,000 a pound to less than $1,000.

VentureStar will take off vertically but will not shed any of its parts during launch like a space shuttle and will land like an airplane. Skunk Works officials envision the VentureStar being prepared for launch in a matter of two or three days after completing a mission, rather than several weeks, such as with a space shuttle.

The company expects to begin flight testing the $4.5 billion spacecraft in 2004.

When VentureStar does begin to fly, its first customer will be the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Plans call for VentureStar to bring supplies to the international space station.

Eventually, the VentureStar's customer base will be split about 50-50 between flights for NASA and private customers.

``One of the big things that they stressed was the need to develop investor confidence,'' Roberts said. ``This will be completely set up as a commercial venture.''

In the meantime, the Skunk Works is building a suborbital craft called the X-33 to test technologies and designs that will be used in VentureStar. The X-33 is being built in Palmdale and is scheduled to take off from Edwards in 1999.

Local officials believe the X-33 experience will be valuable in helping the Antelope Valley attract VentureStar.

``I'm really confident we will be able to put together an attractive package,'' Runner said. ``We were able to put togetTher a package for X-33 and this is more important to California in the long run than the X-33.''