GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES
A version of Boeing's reusable spaceplane may be on course to join NASA's $5bn Space Launch Initiative
Boeing may propose a variant of its X-37 reusable spaceplane to NASA as possible replacement for the recently cancelled crew-return vehicle (CRV), or lifeboat, for the International Space Station (ISS).
The configuration will depend on requirements. Programme manager Dick Cervisi says: "It could be a 50-100% scale-up of the X-37 depending whether we take three to seven astronauts, and on payload requirements."
Boeing says that, "if successful", the new vehicle would form part of NASA's $5 billion second-generation reusable launch vehicle (RLV) development effort known as the Space Launch Initiative. Lockheed Martin is believed to be among other contractor teams completing funded one-month studies to define requirements for a combined crew return and transfer vehicle. News of these contracts emerged earlier this month when NASA revealed the CRV had been effectively cancelled (Flight International, 16-22 April).
Despite this, members of theX-38 CRV test-team at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, California, are believed to be keeping the effort on "minimal life support". NASA hopes the new vehicle specifications can be fed into the second-generation RLV programme in time for a major systems review planned for November.
The agency intends to decide by 2006 on whether to continue with the Space Shuttle, or replace it with one of two second-generation RLV concepts that it plans to select from the current contenders. Boeing says the X-37/CRV successor studies are, for the time being at least, completely separate from its recently submitted proposal to NASA to revive the X-37 for use as an on-orbit technology demonstrator.
Although originally conceived for such a role, subsequent cost cuts restricted the X-37 to atmospheric drop tests only. Pending a positive decision around July or August, Boeing says flight tests could begin in 2005. Construction of the first 8.4m-long X-37 is due to be completed in late 2003.
Phase three of drop tests of the X-40, an 85%-scale version of the reusable spaceplane, are meanwhile due to start in 2004.
Source: Flight International
