Q: Status of X-37 program?

[x-posting note: The proper group for this question somewhat depends
on its answer ;-)]

Hi,

In September 2004, the X-37 unmanned reusable spacecraft program was
transferred from NASA to DARPA. Unfortunately, I'm unable to find any
more up to date information on the X-37. The DARPA website has nothing
at all on it, and information on Boeing's site is all from before
Sept. '04.

So it seems that the X-37 was either cancelled or went "into the
black". Does anybody know the answer?

TIA
Andreas

Andreas Parsch wrote:
[x-posting note: The proper group for this question somewhat depends on
its answer ;-)]

Hi,

In September 2004, the X-37 unmanned reusable spacecraft program was
transferred from NASA to DARPA. Unfortunately, I'm unable to find any
more up to date information on the X-37. The DARPA website has nothing
at all on it, and information on Boeing's site is all from before Sept.
'04.

So it seems that the X-37 was either cancelled or went "into the black".
Does anybody know the answer?

TIA
Andreas


This sounds close:

http://www.darpa.mil/tto/programs/falcon.html

Quoting (last paragraph) ------------------------------

The Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) will provide the nation with a new, small
payload access to space capability while enabling affordable
implementation of the Falcon hypersonic technology flight-test program.
The SLV will be capable of boosting hypersonic technology vehicles to
conditions required for validating the performance of hypersonic
technologies in flight. The primary objective is to develop a capability
to place a small satellite weighing approximately 1,000 pounds into a
reference orbit defined as circular, 100 nautical mile altitude, due
east, and launched from 28.5o north latitude for a total launch cost of
less than $5 million (excluding payload and payload integration costs).
These objectives are a significant spiral in the development of an
Operationally Responsive Spacelift capability currently being pursued by
the Air Force. NASA has also expressed interest in the Small Launch
Vehicle capability and is a formal partner in the Falcon Small Launch
Vehicle development program.

end quote ------------------------------

they don't mention X-37 as such, but the description sounds similar to
the old X-37 objectives...

--
Reed Snellenberger
GPG KeyID: 5A978843
rsnellenberger-at-houston.rr.com

Rand Simberg wrote:
On Mon, 07 Feb 2005 12:35:43 GMT, in a place far, far away, Reed
Snellenberger made the phosphor on my
This sounds close:

http://www.darpa.mil/tto/programs/falcon.html

they don't mention X-37 as such, but the description sounds similar to
the old X-37 objectives...


No, Falcon is a completely separate and unrelated program, which is
why they don't mention X-37. X-37 was a hypersonic research and entry
vehicle. Falcon is a launcher.

Here's the scoop as of last fall:

http://www.space.com/news/x37_darpa_040915.html

Hmmm... from the DARPA website (end of first paragraph)

"The Falcon program will also develop a low-cost, responsive small
launch vehicle with a twofold objective: to place small satellites into
low earth orbit and to provide a low-cost means of launching sub-orbital
hypersonic technology vehicles."

Which is why I thought they might have grabbed the X-37 project as a
basis for this piece of work -- i.e., their in-house version of the X-47
project's Pegasus launcher. That, and the mention of partnership with
NASA...

But if you know that this isn't where X-37 went, I sit corrected...

--
Reed Snellenberger
GPG KeyID: 5A978843
rsnellenberger-at-houston.rr.com

Rand Simberg wrote:


I know that there are several Falcon contractors, each with their own
notion of what Falcon will look like, none of which (AFAIK) have any
relationship to X-37, and that this was occuring almost a year before
NASA transferred X-37 to DARPA:

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/rocketscience-03zzi.html

I suppose that it's possible that some contractor may decide to use
X-37 as the basis for the Common Aero Vehicle, but I'm not aware that
any have done so.


The Common Aero Vehicle is defined as an unpowered hypersonic glide
vehicle, to deliver precision guided weapons (and other payloads??)
from orbit or sub-orbital trajectories. The X-37 wouldn't fit this
definition.

Andreas

On Mon, 07 Feb 2005 12:35:43 GMT, in a place far, far away, Reed
Snellenberger made the phosphor on my
monitor glow in such a way as to indicate that:

Andreas Parsch wrote:

So it seems that the X-37 was either cancelled or went "into the black".
Does anybody know the answer?

This sounds close:

http://www.darpa.mil/tto/programs/falcon.html

Quoting (last paragraph) ------------------------------

snip

they don't mention X-37 as such, but the description sounds similar to
the old X-37 objectives...

No, Falcon is a completely separate and unrelated program, which is
why they don't mention X-37. X-37 was a hypersonic research and entry
vehicle. Falcon is a launcher.

Here's the scoop as of last fall:

http://www.space.com/news/x37_darpa_040915.html

Reed Snellenberger wrote:


"to place small satellites into low earth orbit and to provide a
low-cost means of launching sub-orbital hypersonic technology vehicles."


Sounds like somebody is trying to develop a rocket-boosted scramjet
cruise missile.

Pat

On Mon, 07 Feb 2005 13:51:29 GMT, in a place far, far away, Reed
Snellenberger made the phosphor on my
monitor glow in such a way as to indicate that:

Hmmm... from the DARPA website (end of first paragraph)

"The Falcon program will also develop a low-cost, responsive small
launch vehicle with a twofold objective: to place small satellites into
low earth orbit and to provide a low-cost means of launching sub-orbital
hypersonic technology vehicles."

Which is why I thought they might have grabbed the X-37 project as a
basis for this piece of work -- i.e., their in-house version of the X-47
project's Pegasus launcher. That, and the mention of partnership with
NASA...

But if you know that this isn't where X-37 went, I sit corrected...

I know that there are several Falcon contractors, each with their own
notion of what Falcon will look like, none of which (AFAIK) have any
relationship to X-37, and that this was occuring almost a year before
NASA transferred X-37 to DARPA:

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/rocketscience-03zzi.html

I suppose that it's possible that some contractor may decide to use
X-37 as the basis for the Common Aero Vehicle, but I'm not aware that
any have done so.

"Pat Flannery" wrote in message
...

Sounds like somebody is trying to develop a rocket-boosted scramjet cruise
missile.

Rimmer: Aliens!

Lister: Oh god, aliens? Your explanation for anything slightly peculiar is
aliens, isn't it? You lose your keys, it's aliens. A picture falls off the
wall, it's aliens. That time we used up a whole bog roll in a day, you
thought that was aliens as well.

Rimmer: Well we didn't use it all, Lister. Who did?

Lister: Rimmer, aliens used our bog roll?

Rimmer: Just 'cause they're aliens doesn't mean to say they don't have to
visit the little boys' room. Only they probably do something weird and
alienesque, like it comes out of the top of their heads or something.

Lister: Well I wouldn't like to be stuck behind one in a cinema.

Neil Gerace wrote:


Rimmer: Aliens!

Lister: Oh god, aliens? Your explanation for anything slightly peculiar is
aliens, isn't it? You lose your keys, it's aliens. A picture falls off the
wall, it's aliens. That time we used up a whole bog roll in a day, you
thought that was aliens as well.



This is DARPA, not NASA we're talking about here; if they suddenly get
it into their head to start flying hypersonic test vehicles around, they
are doing it in relation to a military use for them.
They've been interested in the concept for some time; going at least as
far back as the Hypersonic Glide Vehicle; the question is what the
propulsion system would be: ramjet, scramjet, rocket, or some combo of
the three? And does it get dropped off of an aircraft, or come out of
some sort of ground based launcher? (silo or mobile)
The Soviets/Russians built this thing and tested it out, but never
deployed it: http://www.tfd.chalmers.se/~valeri/Ajax/gela.jpg
But it apparently served as the basis for further hypersonic missile
research.
Here's something I stumbled on while looking for that picture;
apparently ram or scramjet-boosted Russian artillery and tank shells:
http://i.guns.ru/forums/icons/attach...0022_80645.gif
The Germans played around with this idea in WW II.

Pat

"Pat Flannery" wrote in message
...

This is DARPA, not NASA we're talking about here; if they suddenly get it
into their head to start flying hypersonic test vehicles around, they are
doing it in relation to a military use for them.

Maybe it's like their intarweb, eventually everyone who wants one will get
one, starting with the ... university students. Oh no.

They've been interested in the concept for some time; going at least as
far back as the Hypersonic Glide Vehicle; the question is what the
propulsion system would be: ramjet, scramjet, rocket, or some combo of the
three? And does it get dropped off of an aircraft, or come out of some
sort of ground based launcher? (silo or mobile)
The Soviets/Russians built this thing and tested it out, but never
deployed it: http://www.tfd.chalmers.se/~valeri/Ajax/gela.jpg
But it apparently served as the basis for further hypersonic missile
research.

Looks like a contender for the world land speed record to me - I wonder why
Ivan never got amongst that?