LEADER 05432oam 22007812 450 001 9910715076003321 005 20210708092108.0 035 $a(CKB)5470000002507284 035 $a(OCoLC)1111642839 035 $a(EXLCZ)995470000002507284 100 $a20190703d2020 ua 0 101 0 $aeng 135 $aur||||||||||| 181 $ctxt$2rdacontent 182 $cn$2rdamedia 183 $anc$2rdacarrier 200 10$aPromise denied $eNASA's X-34 and the quest for cheap, reusable access to space /$fBruce I. Larrimer 210 1$aWashington, DC :$cNASA,$d2020. 210 4$dİ2020 215 $a1 online resource (viii, 398 pages) $cillustrations (some color) 225 1 $aNASA aeronautics book series 225 1 $aNASA SP ;$v2020-645 311 $a1-62683-051-7 320 $aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 361-372) and index. 327 $aAcknowledgments -- 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. 330 $a"Between 1992 and 1996, the American aerospace community vigorously explored the development of a post-Space Shuttle reusable space transportation system for the United States. This activity included studies by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), scientific foundations, and the aerospace industry. Likewise, both the executive branch of the government, through the issuance of a White House Policy Space Transportation Directive, and the legislative branch, though the holding of congressional hearings and budget allocations to NASA and the Department of Defense, were deeply involved in the decision-making process. The new policy direction was aimed toward reestablishing the Unites States' competitiveness in the space launch vehicle development and launch area and in transferring much of this activity to the U.S. aerospace industry. These developments served as the prelude to NASA's single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO), reusable launch vehicle (RLV) program that included the development of three technology test bed vehicles. The first of these vehicles was the DC-XA Clipper Graham, which actually was an upgrade to the original DC-X (Delta-Clipper Experimental) developed by McDonnell Douglas for the Department of Defense and subsequently transferred to NASA at the start of the Agency's single-stage-to-orbit program. The DC-XA Clipper Graham was followed by the X-33, which was intended to serve as a test bed vehicle for the subsequent development of a full-size reusable single-stage-to-orbit vehicle, and the X-34, which was intended as a technology test bed vehicle to demonstrate low-cost reusability and to conduct flight experiments. These were all promising concepts, and prospects for developing a cheap, robust, reusable space lift system to supplant the already aging Space Shuttle seemed assured. But within a decade, such hopes had been dashed-all the more frustrating to program proponents and participants, who had contributed some remarkably creative engineering to support the bold conceptual visions underpinning each of these programs. This book examines arguably the most elegant and promising of all of these, the NASA-Orbital Sciences X-34 Technology Testbed Demonstrator program, one ranking high on any list of the best research aircraft never flown"$cProvided by publisher. 517 $aPromise denied 606 $aX-34 (Research plane) 606 $aX-33 (Research plane) 606 $aResearch aircraft$zUnited States 606 $aRocket planes$zUnited States 606 $aReusable space vehicles$zUnited States 606 $aLaunch vehicles (Astronautics)$zUnited States 606 $aX-34 (Research plane)$2fast 606 $aX-33 (Research plane)$2fast 606 $aEquipment and supplies$2fast 606 $aLaunch vehicles (Astronautics)$2fast 606 $aResearch aircraft$2fast 606 $aReusable space vehicles$2fast 606 $aRocket planes$2fast 607 $aUnited States$2fast 615 0$aX-34 (Research plane) 615 0$aX-33 (Research plane) 615 0$aResearch aircraft 615 0$aRocket planes 615 0$aReusable space vehicles 615 0$aLaunch vehicles (Astronautics) 615 7$aX-34 (Research plane) 615 7$aX-33 (Research plane) 615 7$aEquipment and supplies. 615 7$aLaunch vehicles (Astronautics) 615 7$aResearch aircraft. 615 7$aReusable space vehicles. 615 7$aRocket planes. 676 $a629.43 700 $aLarrimer$b Bruce I.$01354209 712 02$aUnited States.$bNational Aeronautics and Space Administration, 801 0$bDLC 801 1$bDLC 801 2$bOCLCO 801 2$bOCLCF 801 2$bOCL 801 2$bOCLCQ 801 2$bGPO 906 $aBOOK 912 $a9910715076003321 996 $aPromise denied$93397529 997 $aUNINA