Category: Manufacturer

Spacemaster Two-Stage Concept

A19740729000

NASA studied this Martin Marietta concept for a fully reusable space transportation system during the Shuttle research effort in 1969-1972. It featured two piloted fly-back vehicles – a twin-fuselage booster craft and a delta-wing orbiter – in a two-stage configuration. The liquid-propellant booster would carry the orbiter to a set altitude, then detach and be piloted back to land. After separation the orbiter would ignite its own engines to reach orbit. Both vehicles had retractable air-breathing jet engines for powered airplane-like flight during descent to landing. NASA transferred a variety of concept models to the Museum after settling on the final Space Shuttle design.

Image credit: NASM
Image source: NASM

Orbiting Astronomical Observatory

1.3.76

Image credit: Grumman
Image source: Cradle of Aviation Museum

SST Concepts

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FIGURE 1 Lockheed’s first supersonic transport (SST) design of 1956-58.

FIGURE 2 SST concept of the late-1950s.

Code One, Volume 24, Number 2, 2009

Image credit: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
Image source: The Portal to Texas History

T-50 Golden Eagle

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Code One, Volume 24, Number 2, 2009

Image credit: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
Image source: The Portal to Texas History

Lockheed Concept

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A Lockheed concept for the advanced tactical fighter (ATF) aircraft.

Lockheed Horizons, Number 17, February 1985

Image credit: Lockheed Martin
Image source: The Portal to Texas History

Advanced Tactical Fighter

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Lockheed Horizons, Number 18, June 1985

Image credit: Lockheed Martin
Image source: The Portal to Texas History

1968

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Artist’s concept of the pre-Shuttle Lockheed-sponsored Star Clipper stage-and-one-half lifting body configuration ascending from a desert launching base – circa 1968.

Lockheed Horizons, Number 13, 1983

Image credit: Lockheed Martin
Image source: The Portal to Texas History