DARPA Is Building A New Space Plane For The Pentagon

The Daily Caller ^ | 28 Aug 2014 | Giuseppe Macri

[tanknetter]

The Atlas V vehicle is powered by Russian rockets.

[thackney]

I thought we were using Minotaur from converted Minuteman and Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles.

[mcshot]

That is what I recall.

[thackney]

Sorry, I’m missing a bunch

http://www.orbital.com/LaunchSystems/

http://www.ulalaunch.com/products_atlasv.aspx

[mcshot]

Thanks for info. I recall that we were using them but didn’t remember where.

[nuke rocketeer]

That’s because a SSTO is a pipe dream. Mass fractions doom all SSTO dreams.

[Paladin2]

Order of magnitude cost and timeline reduction is a GIANT Step.

DARPA is ol' Skool American exceptionalism.

[Joe Boucher]

The shuttles while getting the job done, initially were supposed to be re-usable within a 3 month turnover per vehicle.
That of course Never happened.
Also they were supposed to be a “cheep” way to go.
Typical gub mint crappola.
WE’ll see if this boondoggle costs stupid?

[LS]

From 1988 to 1995 I was project historian for the National Aerospace Plane, or X-30 that had this same objective. How is this different?

[thackney]

Unmanned I believe is a difference.

[Boundless]

> ... National Aerospace Plane, or X-30
> that had this same objective. How is this different?

Why isn't this latest paper plane called the X-20U? (unmanned)

Dyna-Soar was probably the most continued-funding-inept name ever.

[TalonDJ]

The X-34 was air launched. It was just a scaled up version of the proven Pegasus delivery vehicle.

[ChicagahAl]

Don't we depend on Russian rockets right now? How stupid is that.

It's a Democrat plan to outsource all American jobs.

I heard they've even outsourced the US Presidency to some guy from Kenya.

[LS]

Oh, ok, thanks.

[nuke rocketeer]

My apologies. I was thinking the X-33 vehicle. Severe brain farts......