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Re-Entry

Into The Unknown
by Don Dwiggins
Golden Gate Books, 1971

X-20 Dyno-Soar at Astronautix

Image credit: Boeing

Image source: Numbers Station

S-71-20741

Into The Unknown
by Don Dwiggins
Golden Gate Books, 1971

Shuttle Program at Astronautix

Image credit: McDonnell Douglas

Image source: Numbers Station

MOL by Neil Jacobe

Into The Unknown
by Don Dwiggins
Golden Gate Books, 1971

Gemini B/MOL at Astronautix

Image credit: McDonnell

Image source: Numbers Station

Lifting Body Research Vehicles

Lifting Body at Wikipedia

Image credit: Northrop

ImagImage source: Numbers Station

From Space Station ’80

Orbiter and booster both returned to earth in this version of the shuttle.

Space Station ’80
by Lou Jacobs, Jr.
Hawthorn Books, 1973

Star Clipper at Astronautix

Image credit: Lockheed

Image source: Numbers Station

LORL

Three-armed LORL is shown in this artist’s sketch. Center hub, which contains parking area for several space ferries, does not rotate and thus remains weightless. Under the parking area is a laboratory for study of weightlessness. The three arms rotate around the hub to create artificial gravity. Cutaway of one arm shows it to contain a series of rooms for other laboratory requirements and studies.

Orbiting Stations: Stopovers to Space Travel
Irwin Stambler
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1965

LORL at Astronautix

Image credit: North American Aviation

Image source: Numbers Station

Alden Metcalf

Dyna-Soar in space was never to be, for the program was canceled in December 1963. One of reasons was the development of a new type of aerospace plane, the lifting body.

Orbiting Stations: Stopovers to Space Travel
Irwin Stambler
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1965

X-20 Dyno-Soar at Astronautix

Image credit: Boeing

Image source: Numbers Station

Titan III C

The huge Titan III C vehicle, towering over 150 feet into the air, movies into place on the launch pad. Missile is carried on same railroad car on which its parts were assembled.

Once the solid rockets have lifted Titan III C and it’s payload off the ground, their role is finished. As this sketch shows, when the solids burn out, they separate from the core section. Just before solid burnout, the first-stage liquid propellant engines are ignited to push the spacecraft farther towards space.

Course of the Titan III and it’s payload is monitored from a launch center such as this.

Orbiting Stations: Stopovers to Space Travel
Irwin Stambler
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1965

Titan at Astronautix

Image credit: USAF

Image source: National Archives

Future Spaceship

An artist’s conception of a future spaceship. The sleek vehicle is powered by nuclear rockets. In this picture we see members of the crew making observations over the east coast of the the U.S.

The Next Fifty Years in Space
by Erik Bergaust
Macmillan, 1964

Image credit: Martin

Image source: Numbers Station

Lunar Liftoff

  1. Mariner IV determined that Mars’ atmosphere is only 1 to 2 percent of the Earth’s in density. This may mean that future manned spacecraft to Mars must employ the same landing technique – retro rockets – as the ones which will be used by the Apollo lunar ship.
  2. Artist’s drawing of interplanetary explorers maintaining contact through the use of small radio equipment. This particular transmitter is also designed to transmit data concerning the condition of the astronaut and the functioning of his suit.

Mars: Planet for Conquest
by Erik Bergaust
G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1967

Apollo Program at Astronautix

Image source: Numbers Station

(Professor) Sol Dember

Electrostatic ion-powered five-man spacecraft passing over Mars’ moon Phobos on the way to Mars. One of two “scout cars” will land on the tiny moon and rendezvous with the ship later.

Mars: Planet for Conquest
by Erik Bergaust
G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1967

Image source: Numbers Station