[Darksheare]

I see they’re still rehashing the X-20 Dyna-Soar.

[NorthMountain]

Dyna-Soar should never have been abandoned in the first place. Neither should the X-15.

[Campion]

The Dyna-Soar was launched with a Titan III missile, and returned on a runway. The XS-1 is self-contained. It’s basically a reusable first stage, like the SpaceX Falcon first stage, but lands on a runway instead of vertically. It also goes a lot higher and faster than a Falcon first stage, but not all the way to orbit.

[ZOOKER]

This idea has circulated for decades, that of a reusable first stage.

I first heard of it when the shuttle was in its planning/concept stage.

Boeing offered a winged version of the Saturn V first stage, the booster that lifted the Apollo astronauts to the moon. After carrying the shuttle to LEO, the booster would glide back to earth, land on a runway and be reused.

Guess the numbers didn't work; it was decided the shuttle would have onboard engines, throwaway fuel tank and solid boosters instead.

Speaking of the shuttle, can anyone remember how much it cost to refurbish and reuse it? Wasn't it always cheaper and easier to just throw away boosters instead of trying to reuse them?