Northrop LBEC

Northrop, building on its work on the HL-10 and M2-F3 lifting bodies, proposed a lifting body three-crew lifeboat. The piloted spacecraft would use a parasail for recovery. A crew of three would be accommodated in a pressurized cabin. The pilot would be required to actively control the spacecraft for retrofire, re-entry, and landing. Development of new heat shield materials would be required. In this Northrop proposal can be seen the same approach used in the X-38 a quarter of a century later. Mass per crew 650 kg.

Crew Size: 3. Length: 5.80 m (19.00 ft). Maximum Diameter: 1.70 m (5.50 ft). Span: 3.50 m (11.40 ft). Mass: 1,950 kg (4,290 lb). Main Engine Propellants: Solid.