The first Orbital Sciences X-34 vehicle made its maiden captive flight beneath a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar on 29 June, from Edwards AFB, California. Captive flights will be made to get US Federal Aviation Administration approval. Next year, another X-34 will fly unpowered glide flights to a runway after being dropped from the L-1011. The third will be powered by the Fastrac rocket engine that will enable the craft to reach 75km altitude and a speed of Mach 8. These flights will probably be made from Edwards, and from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Source: Flight International
