2/1/20 36/100 Lockeed-Martin X33 Reusable Launch Vehicle

Spaceships are iconic vehicles, designed to take astronauts and their equipment into space and back in one piece unlike the earlier capsule designs that leaves the rocket boosters back in space when reentering earth and was limited on its cargo capacity.  The basic design of the space shuttle has remained consistent until its last run in 2009, though this one here from Lockheed-Martin is a slightly different version.  While it looks like the shuttle, it is actually smaller with smaller wingspans (both the folding sides, to fit in the package, and the roof wings are plastic), no front window for the cockpit, and instead of using a launch pad and rocket boosters, this X33 latches onto an airplane’s roof (just like how the space shuttle is transported between sites on earth) and lifts off from there into space.  The project was awarded by NASA and granted to Lockheed-Martin’s Skunkwork program (note the skunk on the wings) and in turn hope to create a commercial program called VentureStar.  The spacecraft would launch diagonally with the use of aerospike engines, which uses the force of the exhaust to create thrust, after flying just like an aircraft, then return to earth and land just as a typical aircraft does.  The project was cancelled after 2001 due to the hydrogen tanks not designed with the right technology in mind.  This is one iconic space vehicle and how much?  Every other vehicle in this series has the spacecraft image somewhere projected on the sides of the vehicle.  Unfortunately, it lacks much of function aside from small wheels that make this aircraft roll on the ground, and the lack of opening features limit its appeal and this would explain why year 2000 was the only use of this casting.

Specifications:

· Engine: 2 linear Aerospike engines, 410,000 Ib’s of thrust

· Transmission: N/A

· Max speed: Mach 13

· Real vehicle price: #1,279,000,000 est. 1999

Rating:  2 out of 5 stars