X30_v_c_o_TPMBK (unnumbered, ca. 1986 Rockwell Int'l photo)
“National AeroSpace Plane (NASP)
A Rockwell team, composed of personnel from North American Aircraft Operations and North American Space Operations, is carrying out NASP airframe research and development work under a contract awarded in April 1986. The National AeroSpace Plane program is managed by a joint program office acting on behalf of the Department of Defense and NASA, with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) leading the critical technology development phase of the program.
The NASP, now designated the X-30, will be capable of utilizing standard runways yet accelerate to 25 times the speed of sound to attain low Earth orbit.
A fully-capable NASP flight vehicle will provide economical Earth-orbit flights. A variety of tasks such as satellite servicing, Earth resources and reconnaissance could be performed by the NASP.
The first flight of a phase 1 NASP vehicle could occur in the 1990s. Operation vehicles could be ready by the year 2000. The NASP Joint Program Office, a unit of Air Force Systems Command, is located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.”
The above is taken from an undated lithograph of this exact vehicle…other than it bearing a different “livery”, with the Rockwell logo on the vertical stabilizer. Based on my following flimsy, unsupported & ignorant rationale, I’m guessing the litho came before the photograph I’ve posted. Earlier in a competition, you make sure to clearly distinguish your product, right? Once you make the cut, you lose the logo & wave the flag, I’d think, maybe. Maybe not? The mixed capitalization of “AeroSpace” to me - strictly abiding by the acronym - also supports an earlier effort.
The lithograph yields no clue as to year, so that’s a total SWAG as well. I do believe the earlier concepts appeared more “SST-like” (at least as viewed from above), featuring the narrow delta wing, the blatant lifting body design coming later. I think. Who knows.
Most importantly...and disappointingly, the artist, I assume of both, remains unknown...at least to me.
The aforementioned Rockwell branded version was posted April 21, 2008 by user “flateric”, with no amplifying information:
www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/national-aerospace-plane...
Credit: SECRET PROJECTS Forum website
If the stunning/alarming Chinese hypersonic advances are true, I suppose we’ll see what an actually realized revenue-generating commercial design will look like.
X30_v_c_o_TPMBK (unnumbered, ca. 1986 Rockwell Int'l photo)
“National AeroSpace Plane (NASP)
A Rockwell team, composed of personnel from North American Aircraft Operations and North American Space Operations, is carrying out NASP airframe research and development work under a contract awarded in April 1986. The National AeroSpace Plane program is managed by a joint program office acting on behalf of the Department of Defense and NASA, with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) leading the critical technology development phase of the program.
The NASP, now designated the X-30, will be capable of utilizing standard runways yet accelerate to 25 times the speed of sound to attain low Earth orbit.
A fully-capable NASP flight vehicle will provide economical Earth-orbit flights. A variety of tasks such as satellite servicing, Earth resources and reconnaissance could be performed by the NASP.
The first flight of a phase 1 NASP vehicle could occur in the 1990s. Operation vehicles could be ready by the year 2000. The NASP Joint Program Office, a unit of Air Force Systems Command, is located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.”
The above is taken from an undated lithograph of this exact vehicle…other than it bearing a different “livery”, with the Rockwell logo on the vertical stabilizer. Based on my following flimsy, unsupported & ignorant rationale, I’m guessing the litho came before the photograph I’ve posted. Earlier in a competition, you make sure to clearly distinguish your product, right? Once you make the cut, you lose the logo & wave the flag, I’d think, maybe. Maybe not? The mixed capitalization of “AeroSpace” to me - strictly abiding by the acronym - also supports an earlier effort.
The lithograph yields no clue as to year, so that’s a total SWAG as well. I do believe the earlier concepts appeared more “SST-like” (at least as viewed from above), featuring the narrow delta wing, the blatant lifting body design coming later. I think. Who knows.
Most importantly...and disappointingly, the artist, I assume of both, remains unknown...at least to me.
The aforementioned Rockwell branded version was posted April 21, 2008 by user “flateric”, with no amplifying information:
www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/national-aerospace-plane...
Credit: SECRET PROJECTS Forum website
If the stunning/alarming Chinese hypersonic advances are true, I suppose we’ll see what an actually realized revenue-generating commercial design will look like.