A key Congressman, who is responsible for oversight of US space activities has voiced doubts over the viability of the Lockheed Martin X-33 and VentureStar projects to develop and operate a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle to replace the Space Shuttle.
Lockheed's plan to finance VentureStar development with venture capital will not work without federal loan guarantees or subsidy, Republican vice-chairman of the US Congressional space subcommittee of the House Science Committee Dave Weldon says Lockheed Martin chief operating officer Peter Teets has told him.
Lockheed Martin is installing a management team for its proposed VentureStar limited liability company, which it is hoped will both build and operate the $5 billion SSTO launch vehicle privately.
In a US newspaper interview, Weldon also expresses doubts that the technical problems that have already delayed the first flight of the X-33 vehicle by a year, to June 2000, can be overcome. The X-33 is a suborbital reusable technology demonstrator for the VentureStar, funded jointly by NASA and Lockheed Martin.
As for the VentureStar SSTO operational vehicle, Weldon believes that it is at least five - possibly 10 - years away from full development and that there is a possibility it will not be developed at all.
Weldon says rocket scientists have told him that SSTO vehicles will not be technically feasible for many years and that two-stage reusable vehicles would be more effective. He says it would be better to concentrate on continuing upgrading the Space Shuttle.
While Weldon voices concerns over the economics and technology of the X-33, Lockheed Martin has validated a new laser-guided positioning system to place the X-33 on the launch platform quickly and to rotate it perfectly to launch position.The metallic thermal protection panels designed for the X-33 have been declared "ready for flight".
* Orbital Sciences (OSC) has delivered the first X-34 reusable launch vehicle demonstrator spaceplane from Dulles, Texas, to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, in California, for its first unpowered glide flight later this year. The vehicle will be released from OSC's Lockheed L-1011 TriStar carrier aircraft.
Source: Flight International
