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At NASA Dryden, Aerospace industry representatives view actual and mock-up versions of 'X-Planes' intended to enhance access to space. The Boeing X-37 neutral buoyancy test model is behind the MicroCraft X-43A mock-up. At NASA Dryden, Aerospace industry representatives view actual and mock-up versions of 'X-Planes' intended to enhance access to space. The Boeing X-37 neutral buoyancy test model is behind the MicroCraft X-43A mock-up.

Photo Number: EC00-0198-102

Photo Date: June 22, 2000

Formats: 542x480 JPEG Image (93 KBytes)
1158x1024 JPEG Image (421 KBytes)
3000x2652 JPEG Image (4,031 KBytes)

Description:

Aerospace industry representatives view actual and mock-up versions of 'X-Planes' intended to enhance access to space during a technical exposition on June 22, 2000 at Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. From left to right: NASA's B-52 launch aircraft, in service with NASA since 1959; a neutral-buoyancy model of the Boeing's X-37; the Boeing X-40A behind the MicroCraft X-43 mock-up; Orbital Science's X-34 and the modified Lockheed L-1011 airliner that was intended to launch the X-34.

These X-vehicles are part of NASA's Access to Space plan intended to bring new technologies to bear in an effort to dramatically lower the cost of putting payloads in space, and near-space environments. The June 22, 2000 NASA Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Technology Exposition included presentations on the history, present, and future of NASA's RLV program. Special Sessions for industry representatives highlighted the X-37 project and its related technologies. The X-37 project is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama.


NASA Photo by: Tony Landis

Keywords: B-52; X-37; X-34; X-40; X-40A; X-43; X-planes; RLV



Last Modified: February 6, 2002
Responsible NASA Official: Marty Curry
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