INTRODUCTION TO FUTURE LAUNCH VEHICLE PLANS [1963-2001]

Updated 6/15/2001, by Marcus Lindroos


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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION TO FUTURE LAUNCH VEHICLE PLANS [1963-2001]


1.EARLY AMERICAN REUSABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE PROPOSALS (1963-67)


MARTIN “ASTROROCKET” [1963]

LOCKHEED “REUSABLE ORBITAL CARRIER” [R.O.C.] [1963]

LOCKHEED “SYSTEM III & IV” [1963]

NORTH AMERICAN HTHL TSTO [1963]

DOUGLAS “ASTRO” [1963]

CLASS III NOVA [G.D. “NEXUS”, MARTIN “RENOVA”, DOUGLAS “ROOST”] [1963]

DOUGLAS “R.O.M.B.U.S.” [1963]

DOUGLAS “R.O.M.B.U.S.” & PROJECT SELENA [1963]

DOUGLAS “R.O.M.B.U.S.” & PROJECT DEIMOS [1963]

DOUGLAS “HYPERION” [1964]

DOUGLAS “PEGASUS” [1964]

DOUGLAS “ITHACUS” [1964]

NORTH AMERICAN AIR-AUGMENTED VTVL SSTO [1963]

NASA / DoD A.A.C.B. CLASS I & II [1965-66]

NASA / DoD A.A.C.B. CLASS III [1965-66]

DOUGLAS “S.A.S.S.T.O.” [1966]


2.THE SPACE SHUTTLE -- From Dream to Reality (1968-72)


McDONNELL-DOUGLAS “I.L.R.V.” [1968]

LOCKHEED “STARCLIPPER” [1968]

GENERAL DYNAMICS “TRIAMESE” [1968]

SPACE SHUTTLE PHASE-A DESIGNS [1969]

MSC/NORTH AMERICAN CONCEPT-A “DC-3” [SHUTTLE PHASE-A] [1969]

McDONNELL-DOUGLAS CONCEPT-B “FR-3C” [SHUTTLE PHASE-A] [1969]

McDONNELL-DOUGLAS ALTERNATE CONCEPT-B [SHUTTLE PHASE-A] [1969]

LOCKHEED CONCEPT-C “LS-112” [SHUTTLE PHASE-A] [1969]

GENERAL DYNAMICS CONCEPT-D “FR-3A” [SHUTTLE PHASE-A] [1969]

MARTIN MARIETTA “SPACEMASTER” [SHUTTLE PHASE-A] [1969]

BOEING & LOCKHEED PHASE A/B SHUTTLE [1970]

NORTH AMERICAN & GENERAL DYNAMICS PHASE B SHUTTLE [1970]

NORTH AMERICAN & GENERAL DYNAMICS “B9U/NAR-161-B” PHASE B SHUTTLE [1971]

McDONNELL-DOUGLAS & MARTIN MARIETTA PHASE B SHUTTLE [1971]

GRUMMAN & BOEING PHASE B SHUTTLE [1970]

GRUMMAN & BOEING “H33” [PHASE B SHUTTLE] [1971]

CHRYSLER “S.E.R.V.” [PHASE-A' SHUTTLE] [1971]

LOCKHEED “LS-200” PHASE-A' SHUTTLE [1971]

PHASE-B' SHUTTLE CONTRACTOR STUDIES [1971]

PHASE-B' SHUTTLE COST TRADEOFFS [1971]

ROCKWELL PHASE-C/D SHUTTLE [1972]


3.THE 1970s -- Solar Power Satellites and Advanced Launch Vehicles (1973-80)


ROBERT SALKELD'S “TRIPROPELLANT” RLVs [1965-78]

MARTIN MARIETTA / NASA-LaRC VTHL SSTO [1975]

BOEING / NASA-LaRC HTHL SSTO [1975]

NASA-JSC S.P.S. LAUNCH VEHICLES [1976]

BOEING “LEO” VTVL SSTO [1976]

BOEING 2-STAGE VTVL “HLLV” [1976]

BOEING 2-STAGE VTHL “HLLV” [1976-79]

MARTIN MARIETTA 2-STAGE “HLLV” [1977]

ROCKWELL “STAR-RAKER” RAMJET HTHL SSTO [1978]

ROCKWELL 2-STAGE “HLLV” [1978-80]


4.NASA "Shuttle II" Advanced Manned Launch System studies (1978-89)


“SPACEJET” AND OTHER NASA-LaRC CONCEPTS [1978-80]

NASA-LaRC “FUTURE SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM” [1981-84]

NASA-LaRC “SHUTTLE II” [1985-88]

NASA-LaRC “ADVANCED MANNED LAUNCH SYSTEM” [1989]


5.Military Spaceplanes (1978-93)


BOEING /U.S.A.F. “AIR-LAUNCHED SORTIE VEHICLE” [ALSV] [1979-82]

ROCKWELL / U.S.A.F. “TRANS-ATMOSPHERIC VEHICLES” [1980-84]

GENERAL DYNAMICS “TRANS-ATMOSPHERIC VEHICLES” [1982]

LOCKHEED / U.S.A.F. “TRANS-ATMOSPHERIC VEHICLES” [1984]

McDONNELL-DOUGLAS “TRANS-ATMOSPHERIC VEHICLE” [1984]