Boeing has submitted a proposal under the latest round of NASA's Space Launch Initiative (SLI) for an on-orbit demonstration of its X-37 reusable spaceplane. The proposal would resurrect the original plan to launch the unmanned X-37 into orbit to manoeuvre, re-enter and land autonomously.
Boeing's original cost-sharing agreement with NASA, signed in July 1999, was amended last year to limit the programme to atmospheric drop tests.
Boeing Phantom Works president George Meullner says the X-37 would be launched on an expendable booster rather than deployed from the Space Shuttle payload bay as first planned. The 8.4m (27.5ft) long, 4.6m span X-37 is due for completion late next year.
Unpowered drop tests from NASA's Boeing B-52 are planned for early 2004. The X-40, an 85%-scale model of the reusable spaceplane, completed seven drop tests.
Source: Flight International
