After completing its run to the manned orbiting lab, an Astroplane space ferry glides in for a regular landing.
Orbiting Stations: Stopovers to Space Travel
Irwin Stambler
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1965
Image credit: Aerojet-General
Image source: Numbers Station
Still another possible space ferry of tomorrow is this huge Astroplane-10 liquid rocket system that can blast off from earth like a missile and later land like a regular airplane.
Orbiting Stations: Stopovers to Space Travel
Irwin Stambler
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1965
Image credit: Aerojet-General
Image source: Numbers Station
Orbiting Stations: Stopovers to Space Travel
Irwin Stambler
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1965
Image credit: Douglas
Image source: Numbers Station
Image credit: NASA
Image credit: Mike Acs
A huge telescope in this astronomy module can be docked with the Space Station ’80 to give scientists the best view of stars ever possible.
Space Station ’80
by Lou Jacobs, Jr.
Hawthorn Books, 1973
Image credit: NASA
Image source: Numbers Station
Space delivery – The partnership of the space ferry and the manned laboratory is demonstrated in this sketch. Here astronauts in a Douglas Astro ferry approach a huge space station with fresh supplies of food and test equipment. Eventually, experimental orbiting stations may give way to orbiting terminals for space travelers of the future.
Orbiting Stations: Stopovers to Space Travel
Irwin Stambler
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1965
Image credit: Douglas
Image source: Numbers Station
Huge space ferries are used by astronauts to perform the final assembly of the huge Spaceball orbiting station.
Orbiting Stations: Stopovers to Space Travel
Irwin Stambler
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1965
Image credit: Douglas
Image source: Numbers Station
ASTRO — a manned reusable spacecraft concept developed by Douglas Aircraft.
PLAN AND ELEVATION views of ASTRO A2 vehicle. Note booster vehicle attachment at aft end.
Missiles and Rockets, September 3, 1962
Image credit: Douglas
Image source: Internet Archive
