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NASP final congiguration/iteration drawings



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 16th 03, 01:31 AM
Scott Lowther
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Default NASP final congiguration/iteration drawings

Gregory Omelchenko wrote:

Was there some kind of finalized NASP X-30 iteration? I mean is that
flattened-nose waverider was really FINAL one?


Nope. Design work continued after that; sadly, the *actual* designs were
largely classified, and still are. Some of the declassified NASA-Langley
work showed that the NASP was supposed to have a linear aerospike rocket
engine on the back (above the expansion ramp) for that boost to orbit
after the scramjets crapped out.

--
Scott Lowther, Engineer

"Any statement by Edward Wright that starts with 'You seem to think
that...' is wrong. Always. It's a law of Usenet, like Godwin's."
- Jorge R. Frank, 11 Nov 2002
  #2  
Old July 16th 03, 07:18 AM
Gregory Omelchenko
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Default NASP final congiguration/iteration drawings


"Scott Lowther" ???????/???????? ? ????????
?????????: ...
Gregory Omelchenko wrote:

Was there some kind of finalized NASP X-30 iteration? I mean is that
flattened-nose waverider was really FINAL one?


Nope. Design work continued after that; sadly, the *actual* designs were
largely classified, and still are. Some of the declassified NASA-Langley
work showed that the NASP was supposed to have a linear aerospike rocket
engine on the back (above the expansion ramp) for that boost to orbit
after the scramjets crapped out.


Scott, I have seen that stuff with boat tale and pronounced aerospike block
between twin tails (and wings are delta vs. double delta at X-30 final
pics) - there are some papers online and one wind tunnel photo on Langley
site, but I always thought that it was post-X-30 design for NASA's advanced
TSTO first stage - at least all the sources have images of common-shape
vehicle.


  #4  
Old July 17th 03, 12:25 AM
Jim Davis
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Default NASP final congiguration/iteration drawings

Allen Thomson wrote:

At worst - well, what bad things could happen from
releasing NASP technology?


Such a release might acutely embarass certain NASP advocates by
making it clear that they had no grasp of the magnitude of the
technological leap required to make something like NASP work.

Jim Davis
  #5  
Old July 17th 03, 02:15 AM
Scott Lowther
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Default NASP final congiguration/iteration drawings

Allen Thomson wrote:

Which does raise the question of why technology developed in a
somewhat long-ago failed program should still be classified.


From having gone round and round on this: each document to be
declassified needs to be read, completely understood and reviewed by
someone cognisant of the concepts and with an adequate security
clearance. Such people are relatively few, and the effort takes time and
money.

--
Scott Lowther, Engineer

"Any statement by Edward Wright that starts with 'You seem to think
that...' is wrong. Always. It's a law of Usenet, like Godwin's."
- Jorge R. Frank, 11 Nov 2002
  #6  
Old July 17th 03, 03:56 AM
Gregory Omelchenko
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Default NASP final congiguration/iteration drawings

Some guys (say Sweetman) suppose that NASP was a cover program for something
that became operational:

"The fact that cover is extensively used to protect black programs adds
weight to the theory that some white-world projects may, in fact, be
intended as cover. One example is the X-30 National Aerospaceplane (NASP)
project, which was launched in 1986, cut back in 1992 and terminated in
1994. In retrospect, the stated goal of NASP - to develop a
single-stage-to-orbit vehicle based on air-breathing scramjet technology -
seems ambitious and unrealistic.
Considered as a cover for a black-world hypersonic program, however, NASP
was ideal. NASP provided a credible reason for developing new technologies -
such as high-temperature materials and slush hydrogen - building and
improving large test facilities, and even setting up production facilities
for some materials. These activities would have been hard to conceal
directly, and would have pointed directly to a classified hypersonic program
without a cover story. "

Ok, I'm not another Aurora believer...but Boeing Bird of Prey unveiling
makes me think that someone still have good habit of keeping secrets tight.

I'm not sure for North Korea bombers, but AFAIK Russian hypersonic strike
platform program is pretty on the way...rather it's pretty well
classified...or RIP because of lack of funds. It just remembers me situation
when papers regarding military use of atomic energy dissapeared before
WWII - as well, all public mentioning of all that crazy AYAKS and NEVA
concepts are dissapeared...and every MAKS airshow I see IGLA/GLL/GELA
hypersonic testbeds that means that something moves...somewhere. At least
Rosaviacosmos heads stated several times that hypersonic plane studies are
underway.



Regards,

Gregory


"Allen Thomson" ???????/???????? ? ???????? ?????????:
m...
(Henry Spencer) wrote

Gregory Omelchenko wrote:


Was there some kind of finalized NASP X-30 iteration? I mean is that
flattened-nose waverider was really FINAL one?


I'm not sure that the real configuration was ever declassified.
If (dim) memory serves, that flat-nosed configuration was
supposed to be generally representative of current thinking,
nothing more -- something to show in publicity material.


Which does raise the question of why technology developed in a
somewhat long-ago failed program should still be classified. If
released, at best, it might help current CATS efforts (though I
doubt it). At worst - well, what bad things could happen from
releasing NASP technology? North Korean hypersonic bombers
swooping on Los Angeles?



  #7  
Old July 17th 03, 09:15 PM
Allen Thomson
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Default NASP final congiguration/iteration drawings

Scott Lowther wrote


From having gone round and round on this: each document to be
declassified needs to be read, completely understood and reviewed by
someone cognisant of the concepts and with an adequate security
clearance. Such people are relatively few, and the effort takes time
and money.


That's a nice theory, but it isn't the way that most of the millions
of pages that get declassified each year get declassified.
Substantitive experts are rarely used for declassification -- at
most, they may help write guidelines for fairly low-level
declassification clerks. In addition, bulk declassification is
certainly possible if a decision is made that a general topic is no
longer sensitive.
 




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