Image credit: NASA
File source: NASA NTRS
Orbital Spaceplane Configurations
Category: Space Shuttle
108-KSC-70PC-600
Image credit: NASA KSC
Image source: Numbers Station
108-KSC-70PC-599
Image credit: NASA KSC
Image source: Numbers Station
108-KSC-72PC-564
108-KSC-72PC-136
Image credit: NASA KSC
Image source: Drew Granston
Artist Concept – Space Shuttle
255-GRC-1982-C-06117
Image credit: NASA GRC
Image source: National Archives
Martin Marietta Spacemaster
Lockheed C
The space shuttle is launched from Cape Kennedy in this artist’s concept by Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. Firing at the same time as the two solid-propellant boosters are the liquid-fueled engines of the orbiter, right. The two solid boosters will be jettisoned next, and the orbiter will continue into orbit.
Space World
November 1972, VOL. I-11-107
Image credit: Lockheed
Image source: Numbers Station
Convair Negative Image
Image credit: Convair
Image source: SDASM Archives
Shuttle C
Image credit: NASA GRC
Image source: National Archives
Spacemaster Two-Stage Concept
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
