X-33 PIC
By Irene Brown, Discovery News
March 2, 2001 ¡X After spending more than $1 billion in an attempt to develop a next-generation reusable spaceplane, NASA will terminate funding for two promising, but overbudget, experimental vehicles and shift its attention to new launch technology proposals.
"NASA determined that the benefits to be derived from flight-testing these X-vehicles did not warrant the magnitude of government investment required," the agency said in a statement released Thursday.
NASA has spent $912 million on a contract with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works to develop the X-33 vehicle ¡X a half-scale model of a proposed next-generation space shuttle called VentureStar. The X-33 was to have its first sub-orbital demonstration flight three years ago, but problems with its engine and fuel tank repeatedly delayed its debut.
Lockheed Martin, which won a hotly contested battle for X-33 funding in 1996, has contributed more than $350 million of its own money to the project. The company said Thursday that without continued government funding, the X-33 was no longer viable.
Lockheed Martin had hoped to parlay its investment and experience with the X-33 into development of a full-scale reusable spaceship called VentureStar, which NASA, along with commercial companies, could lease to send people and payloads into orbit.
NASA also is ending the X-34 project, which was a technology demonstration program handled by Orbital Sciences Corp. The agency spent more than $200 million to develop an air-launched vehicle that would serve as a flying testbed for advanced reusable launch vehicle technology. The X-34 made several test flights in 1999, but remained attached to its carrier aircraft. Additional funding was needed to improve safety and reliability to continue the X-34 development.
"The benefits to be derived from continuing the X-34 program did not justify the cost," NASA said.
NASA plans to focus instead on its new Space Launch Initiative, a long-range program to develop technologies for reusable launch vehicles. NASA has earmarked $290 million for the program this year and stands to boost its funding to $475 million next year, under current budget proposals.
NASA said it was in negotiations with several companies for initial contracts under the new program, but that X-33 and X-34 would not be eligible for funding.
"This has been a very tough decision," said Art Stephenson, director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, which oversaw the X-33 and X-34 programs. "But we think it is the right business decision."
By Irene Brown, Discovery News
March 2, 2001 ¡X After spending more than $1 billion in an attempt to develop a next-generation reusable spaceplane, NASA will terminate funding for two promising, but overbudget, experimental vehicles and shift its attention to new launch technology proposals.
"NASA determined that the benefits to be derived from flight-testing these X-vehicles did not warrant the magnitude of government investment required," the agency said in a statement released Thursday.
NASA has spent $912 million on a contract with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works to develop the X-33 vehicle ¡X a half-scale model of a proposed next-generation space shuttle called VentureStar. The X-33 was to have its first sub-orbital demonstration flight three years ago, but problems with its engine and fuel tank repeatedly delayed its debut.
Lockheed Martin, which won a hotly contested battle for X-33 funding in 1996, has contributed more than $350 million of its own money to the project. The company said Thursday that without continued government funding, the X-33 was no longer viable.
Lockheed Martin had hoped to parlay its investment and experience with the X-33 into development of a full-scale reusable spaceship called VentureStar, which NASA, along with commercial companies, could lease to send people and payloads into orbit.
NASA also is ending the X-34 project, which was a technology demonstration program handled by Orbital Sciences Corp. The agency spent more than $200 million to develop an air-launched vehicle that would serve as a flying testbed for advanced reusable launch vehicle technology. The X-34 made several test flights in 1999, but remained attached to its carrier aircraft. Additional funding was needed to improve safety and reliability to continue the X-34 development.
"The benefits to be derived from continuing the X-34 program did not justify the cost," NASA said.
NASA plans to focus instead on its new Space Launch Initiative, a long-range program to develop technologies for reusable launch vehicles. NASA has earmarked $290 million for the program this year and stands to boost its funding to $475 million next year, under current budget proposals.
NASA said it was in negotiations with several companies for initial contracts under the new program, but that X-33 and X-34 would not be eligible for funding.
"This has been a very tough decision," said Art Stephenson, director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, which oversaw the X-33 and X-34 programs. "But we think it is the right business decision."
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