New X-34 space plane

Flight Journal, Oct 1999

The dream of less expensive, reusable, unmanned space planes continues to come closer to reality. During an April 30 debut at Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, NASA gave the public its first look at such an aircraft-the X-34 demonstration vehicle.

Orbital Sciences Corp.'s X-34 is one of three single-- engine rocket planes that will "fly themselves" via onboard computers. It's approximately 58 feet long, 28 feet wide (wingtip to wingtip) and 11 feet tall (bottom of the fuselage to the top of the tail). The X-34 will be dropped from an L-1011 airliner then launched in midair much like the X-15. It will reach maximum altitudes of 250,000 feet and travel up to eight times faster than the speed of sound. NASA officials hope each trip will cost only $500,000.

"We need new technologies that allow spacecraft to operate more like today's commercial air carriers. The X-34 is going to help make that happen," said X-34 project manager Mike Allen.

Flights of the X-34 will test many new technologies: composite material structures, composite tanks and new, integrated avionics. The vehicle will also demonstrate its ability to fly in rain and fog, land horizontally and safely abort during flight. The planned 27 flights within a year will demonstrate the plane's ability to fly again within 24 hours of its last mission using only a small ground crew.