Link to OSP facts indexLink to OSP news home pageLink to OSP contact and services pageLink to OSP personnel pageLink to OSP media galleryLink to OSP background informationClick here to skip navigational linksLink to OSP News web siteLink to OSP news index

Technology demonstrators graphic

X-37 graphic

X-37
NASA's X-37 vehicle will test and validate technologies in the environment of space as well as test system performance of the vehicle during orbital flight, reentry and landing.

DART graphic

DART
Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology: Developed by Orbital Sciences, DART will flight demonstrate in-orbit autonomous rendezvous and close proximity operations as part of NASA's 2nd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Risk Reduction Initiative.

PAD graphic

PAD
Pad Abort Demonstrator: Developed by Lockheed-Martin, the launch pad abort demonstrator will be used as a test-bed to demonstrate crew escape technologies and to validate analytical models necessary for future crew escape systems.

 

Link to Marshall Newsroom

Icebergs near South Georgia Island, seen from Space Station
FEATURED PHOTO
Five years afloat


Marshall Headlines

Star shows it has the right stuff

NASAexplores Web site expands online resources for teachers

 

 


Managed by:
Marshall Media Relations

NASA official: June Malone
Contact the
Webmaster

 

X-40A FLIGHT TESTS




The unpowered, unpiloted X-40A vehicle is an 85 percent scale, risk-reduction version of the proposed X-37 flight demonstrator. In 2001, the X-40A proved the capability of an autonomous flight control and landing system in a series of flight tests at NASA'a Dryden Flight Research Center.

 

QuickTime movie (4.4 MB) of the X-40A vehicle, released from a helicopter during a test on March 14, 2001 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. (NASA)



QuickTime movie (2.5 MB) of the X-40A vehicle, released from a helicopter during a test on March 14, 2001 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. (NASA)






About the X-37 vehicle:


X-37 fact sheet
X-37 photos and artist concepts
X-37 news releases
X-40A artist concepts
X-40A flight tests video

 

Link to SLI newsLink to flight demonstrator artist conceptsLink to NASA centersLink to OSP commercial partnersLink to Orbital Space Plane artist conceptsLink to OSP architecture summaryLink to OSP flight demo tech summary