Image credit: USAF
Image source: AFMC
Initial Flight Testing
Tag: concept model
NASA HQ MH70-5236 1-30-70
1.1.19
Image credit: Lockheed
Image source: Cradle of Aviation Museum
Grumman H-33 Orbiter
Image credit: Grumman
Image source: Cradle of Aviation Museum
Shuttle Centaur
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
1968
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
LS-200-5
Final evolution of the Lockheed LS-200-5 lifting body stage-and-one-half configuration under NASA Space Shuttle Alternate Concepts contracts in December 1970.
Lockheed Horizons, Number 13, 1983
Image credit: Lockheed Martin
Image source: The Portal to Texas History
MLRV
Image credit: Convair
Image source: SDASM Archives
Artist Concept
Image credit: Republic Aviation
Image source: AFMC
CIRCA 1960
Image credit: Convair
Image source: NASA
Republic Aerospaceplane
Image credit: Republic Aviation
Image source: AFMC
Convair Aerospaceplane
Image credit: Convair
Image source: AFMC
