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Class: Manned. Type: Spaceplane. Destination: Suborbital. Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Ames proposed in 1957 to air-launch a high-wing designed hypersonic glider from a B-36 bomber. Early versions would use an XLR-99-powered booster stage and be capable of reaching Mach 6. The final version would be powered by a 68,000 kgf LR-89-NA-1 engine and reach Mach 10. The aircraft would be launched over the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Canaveral and then fly across the southern United States for a landing at Edward AFB in California. Main Engine: LR-89-5. Main Engine Propellants: Lox/Kerosene. Main Engine Propellants: 68,000 kg (149,000 lb).
Bibliography and Further Reading - Jenkins, Dennis R,, Space Shuttle: The History of the National Space Transportation System : The First 100 Missions, Third edition, Voyageur Press, 2001. ISBN: 0963397451. Excellent - the most comprehensive account of the design, development, and flights of the space shuttle.Takes the reader from the maze of designs during the first shuttle competition to future plans. More at amazon.com...
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