Cover Image

Promise denied : NASA's X-34 and the quest for cheap, reusable access to space /

Show other versions (1)
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Larrimer, Bruce I. (Author)
Format: Government Document eBook
Language:English
Published: Washington, DC : NASA, 2020.
Series:NASA aeronautics book series.
NASA SP (Series) ; 645.
Subjects:
United States. > National Aeronautics and Space Administration > Equipment and supplies.
Orbital Sciences Corporation.
X-34 (Research plane)
X-33 (Research plane)
Research aircraft > United States.
Rocket planes > United States.
Reusable space vehicles > United States.
Launch vehicles (Astronautics) > United States.
United States. > National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Equipment and supplies.
Launch vehicles (Astronautics)
Research aircraft.
Reusable space vehicles.
Rocket planes.
United States.
Online Access:Available in PDF, MOBI and EPUB versions
Table of Contents:
  • Acknowledgments
  • Prologue
  • NASA and the Post-Cold War Launch Vehicle Challenge
  • Three Pathways to Space
  • The "First" X-34 : A Prequel
  • Orbital Gets a Second Chance
  • Designing and Building the X-3
  • Aerodynamics Modeling, Testing, and Thermal Protection
  • The Fastrac Engine : Heart of the X-34 Program
  • Captive-Carry, Ground Tow, and Planned Powered Testing
  • Whither X-34?
  • Hammer Fall : The Termination of the X-34 Program
  • Appendix 1. X-34 Proposed 25-Flight Envelope Expansion Program
  • Appendix 2. Fastrac/MC-1 Engine and X-34 Main Propulsion System
  • Abbreviations and Acronyms
  • Bibliography
  • About the Author
  • Index.