March
30, 2000
X-38
successfully completed
the program's highest and longest drop test to date. Carried
to a height of nearly 12000 meters by a B-52, the prototype
flew over 11mins after deploying a new improved parafoil. This
model also included automatic flight control software for the
first time.
For more info,
see the NASA PR: [--Link Dead--]X-38 INTERCEPTS
ROAD HOME FROM ORBIT IN SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT TEST
[CNN.com
- Space - Smooth sailing, rough landing for 'space lifeboat'
- March 30, 2000 * SpaceViews
Article: X-38 Completes Longest Drop Test Yet - Mar.30.00 ]
Check
out HASTOL
, a combination reusable hypersonic sub-orbital vehicle
and orbiting tether system that's under study by a collaboration
of Robert Forward's Tether
Unlimited , Boeing and Univ. of Maryland. The tether swings
down and grabs payloads from the vehicle and lifts them to orbit.
The [--Error--]study so far has proven the general feasibility
of the concept and is now trying to optimize the design.
News
briefs... The
VentureStar site posts a [--Error [--Time
Out--]--]press release on the recent long duration test.
It says that the firing also included the first demonstration
of full power thrust vector control.
March
27, 2000
X-33
engine test succeeds
on March 22 in a reaching the full 220sec duration that would
be required for its missions. Acccording to the item on the
Space
History site, an even longer test of 250secs will be carried
out on April 3 as well.
Ground
effect first stage booster
for an RLV has been proposed by a Russian group.
New Scientist reports that a spaceplane would mount "on
the back of a 1500-tonne, rocket-propelled seaplane, known in
Russia as an 'ekranoplan'
". To top off this rather eccentric proposal, the spaceplane
would land on the back, avoiding the need for landing gear.
[Ed. The Soviet Union developed several ground effect prototypes,
including a large multi-engine vehicle, but never succeeded
in finding a suitable application for them. I guess the Russian
inheritors of this technology are hoping space launching could
be a winner for it.]
March
21, 2000
News
briefs...
The OrlandoTimes reports on the X-33 problems in [--Link
Dead--]Rocket ship of future still grounded by problems-Mar.19.00
...
The Aerospace
Corporation reports on the test of the huge parafoil for the
X-38 program - Space
Station Parafoil Unfurls Beautifully in Test ...
The billion
dolar question: should NASA continue with the X-38 development
of a one way Crew Rescue Vehicle or switch to a two-way Crew
Transfer Vehicle - NASA
Looking at Alternatives to ISS Crew Return Vehicle -Mar.20.00
- SpaceViews
March
15, 2000
X-33
engine test interrupted
75secs into a planned full-duration 220secs run. No significant
damage found. A fuel pump was detected to be out of normal range
and so the control computers stopped the test. Corrections should
be easily made to allow for tests to resume next week. See NASA
Press Release .
Beal
Aerospace's
BA-2- a partially reusable booster.
Beal recently tested the largest rocket engine developed [--Link
Dead--]since Apollo 's F-1. ([--Link
Dead--]Beal Aerospace Fires Largest Liquid Rocket Engine in
30 Years - Beal Press Release - March 4, 2000.)
The
company is funded by banker Andrew
Beal who has put together a top rate team that is pursuing
new approaches to reducing the cost of launching heavy payloads.
The BA-810 engine uses hydrogen
peroxide/kerosene, for example, which avoids the cost and complexity
of low temperature liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.
Using
helium pressure-fed engines also avoids the weight and reliability
problems of high speed pumps. The tanks and structure will make
extensive use of light-weight composites filament-wound materials.
The first
launch of the the 3-stage [--Link Dead--]BA-1
is planned for mid-2002. The BA-1 appears at first glance to
be of a typical expendable design but according to the web site
it will use "reusable technologies"
for "primary stage recoveries at sea." Beal has also
indicated that follow-on vehicles will be fully reusable.
Note also
that many proposed designs of low cost RLVs have involved hydrogen
peroxide. Validation of this approach could have
a big positive spin-off effect on other projects.
March
14, 2000
News
briefs...
Florida Today Space Online reports about the status of the X-33
hydrogen tank failures. Fuel
tanks latest problem for X-33-Mar.9.00 ....Also, see Boeing
pushes AirLaunch
as answer to rapid deployment problems ...
Space News
- Feb.28 - reported that Lockheed Martin has promised that it
will absorb the extra cost for the aluminum hydrogen tank replacements
for the failed composite tanks if NASA will send them the remaining
$113 million in the program funding....
The smaller
of the two payloads returned with the IRDT
inflatable re-entry system was successfully protected from the
intense heat. However, there was some impact damage due to the
failure of a second-stage full deployment that was to act as
a drag chute. The other entry payload, the Fregat upper stage,
has not yet been found due to the severe weather at the time
of the landing that probably left it buried in snow. The search
is apparently postponed till Spring after the snow melts.
Ed.
Note that successful development of such a lightweight inflatable
reentry system could be a big plus for RLV development as well.
Several of the proposed systems, such as Kelly's
Eclipse and Pioneer's
RocketPlane , involve only reusable first stages. They plan
to use expendable upper-stages to deliver payloads to orbit.
With an IRDT type system, the whole system would become reusable.
March
8, 2000
News
briefs...
Boeing may develop a 3 stage air-launched rocket to launch reusable
spaceplanes. The all solid expendable booster system would be
mounted atop a 747 and could launch up to 3000kg to LEO. It
is being considered as the launcher for the X-37
and Air Force SMV (Space
Maneuvering Vehicle) reuseable spaceplanes. See SpaceViews
Article: Boeing Considers Air-Launched Rocket-Mar.3.00 ...
A drop test
of the X-38
was scheduled for Feb.26 but was postponed due to computer problems
- [--Error--]Space Station Return Vehicle
Test Postponed To March 29 - AviationNow - Mar.3.00 ...
Aerojet continues
development of its
Strutjet that
combines rocket and scramjet propulsion into a single engine
- Aerojet
Conducts Successful Strutjet Rocket Tests at New Facility in
Sacramento- Press Release Mar 6.00
