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Ground crewmen help guide the alignment of the X-40A as the experimental craft is gently lowered to the ground by a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter following a captive-carry test flight.
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| Photo Number: |
EC00-0362-20
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| Photo Date: |
December 8, 2000
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| Formats: |
458x640 JPEG Image (78 KBytes)
917x1280 JPEG Image (548 KBytes)
2400x3350 JPEG Image (5,802 KBytes)
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| Description: |
Ground crewmen help guide the alignment of the X-40 technology demonstrator as the experimental craft is gently lowered to the ground by a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopter following a captive-carry test flight at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The X-40 is an unpowered 82 percent scale version of the X-37, a Boeing-developed spaceplane designed to demonstrate various advanced technologies for development of future lower-cost access to space vehicles. The X-37 will be carried into space aboard a space shuttle and then released to perform various maneuvers and a controlled re-entry through the Earth's atmosphere to an airplane-style landing on a runway, controlled entirely by pre-programmed computer software. Following a series of captive-carry flights, the X-40 made several free flights from a launch altitude of about 15,000 feet above ground, gliding to a fully autonomous landing. The captive carry flights helped verify the X-40's navigation
and control systems, rigging angles for its sling, and stability and control of the helicopter while carrying the X-40 on a tether.
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| NASA Photo by: |
Tom Tschida
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| Keywords: |
X-40; X-40A; sub-scale technology demonstrator; X-37; U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter; captive-carry test flight; stabilization parachute; low cost access-to-space vehicles
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Dryden Home > Collections > Photo Home > X-40A SMV Aircraft > Photo # EC00-0362-20
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