X-34 Revival?

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sftommy

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Here's a pic from FlightGlobal.com's Website, of X-34's move to National Test Pilot school in Mojave, California on November 16th, 2010;
getAsset.aspx

Image is ©Rebecca Amber/MojaveWest Media Works
 
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Skyskimmer

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I'd like to know what there finacial projections are before getting excited, Does anyone know of what payloads they can deliver for what price? I remember musk saying that wings are fundamentally bad since they cut your payload in half, however if you need to have a redundant ejection system just to get man rated, maybe this type of design could get around that little issue?
 
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docm

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Also makes me wonder if by testing these unmanned spaceplanes if, given success with reusability and high cross-range capability, the military would then look at Dream Chaser or a modded form of it (unmanned w/payload doors etc.).
 
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Booban

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If NASA is going to copy Virgin Galactic's method, why don't they just pay them to do it for them! I'm, sure Virgin Galactic already has plans to go into real orbit after they get sub orbital flights down pat.
 
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Booban

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Yes, it was originally just sub orbital. But with the help of a carrier plane a-la virgin galactic it could go into orbit. Thats how I understood it.
 
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Skyskimmer

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Booban":2ie7k5lh said:
Yes, it was originally just sub orbital. But with the help of a carrier plane a-la virgin galactic it could go into orbit. Thats how I understood it.
Sounds interesting didn't virgin say that had a back door group their going throw for orbit, or was that just a bunch of brason hype?

For the record I think it'll be better to go through a spaceplane model just for people as the higher safety requirements, make the extra cost of wings not such a big deal.
 
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vulture4

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It would be nice if NASA would occasionally tell us what it's up to. Or are OSC and Virgin doing this on their own initiative, as Rutan offerred to do years ago? This is at least a welcome development, as we have discussed in many threads here. But keep in mind that the value of the X-34 isn't in getting into orbit (it can't), but in demonstrating practical reusability, as well as autonomous flight and landing. Did NASA decide to relent on requiring multiple redundancy for an unmanned vehicle? That was one of the inappropriate NASA requirements that resulted in the Bush administration cancelling the program.
 
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