DATE= 11/3/97
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-37973
TITLE=X-33 PROGRESS
BYLINE=DAVID MCALARY
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE REPLACEMENT FOR THE U-S SPACE SHUTTLE HAS CLEARED A
MAJOR DESIGN HURDLE, AND THE AEROSPACE FIRM DESIGNING IT IS
PREPARING TO BUILD A SMALL-SCALE PROTOTYPE FOR FLIGHT TESTING.
V-O-A SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT DAVID MCALARY BRINGS US UP TO DATE ON
THE PROGRESS OF THE X-33.
TEXT: U-S GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES, MEETING AT
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE IN CALIFORNIA, APPROVED THE FINAL DESIGN
OF THE X-33 ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31ST. THE X-33 IS THE MINIATURE
FLYING WEDGE THAT IS THE MODEL FOR A LARGER SPACECRAFT EXPECTED
TO SUPPLANT THE SPACE SHUTTLE EARLY IN THE NEXT CENTURY.
ACCORDING TO THE X-33 PROJECT MANAGER -- CLEON LACEFIELD OF THE
LOCKHEED MARTIN COMPANY -- THE DESIGN REVIEW BY 600 PEOPLE FROM
HIS FIRM, FROM THE U-S SPACE AGENCY, NASA, AND FROM THE AIR FORCE
GAVE THE PROGRAM A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE.
// LACEFIELD ACT //
THE CRITICAL DESIGN REVIEW COVERED THE ENTIRE VEHICLE
SYSTEMS FOR THE PROGRAM. SO WE ARE VERY, VERY PLEASED
THAT WE HAVE COMPLETED THIS MAJOR MILESTONE AND WE ARE
READY TO [MAKE THE] TRANSITION INTO THE FABRICATION AND
ASSEMBLY PHASE OF THE PROGRAM.
// END ACT //
WITH A WINGLESS, WEDGE-SHAPED BODY, THE LOCKHEED MARTIN X-33
WOULD TAKE OFF LIKE A ROCKET AND RETURN TO EARTH LIKE AN
AIRPLANE. THE FULL-SIZED VERSION, CALLED VENTURESTAR, WOULD
WEIGH LESS THAN THE SPACE SHUTTLE BECAUSE OF LIGHTER COMPOSITE
MATERIALS, SO IT WOULD NOT NEED THE HUGE BOOSTER ROCKETS THAT
ACCOMPANY THE SHUTTLE AT LAUNCH. IT WOULD ALSO REQUIRE ONLY A
FEW DAYS PREPARATION BY SMALL GROUND CREWS BEFORE TAKING OFF
AGAIN. IN CONTRAST, THE SPACE SHUTTLE NEEDS LARGE MAINTENANCE
TEAMS AND MONTHS TO GET READY, SHARPLY LIMITING THE NUMBER OF
ANNUAL FLIGHTS.
THE CONCEPT DIFFERS FROM THE SHUTTLE IN ANOTHER WAY, TOO. IT
WILL NOT HAVE A CREW -- AT LEAST NOT AT FIRST. IT IS CHEAPER
TO CARRY PAYLOADS WITHOUT PEOPLE, AND THE TECHNOLOGY EXISTS TO
MAKE THE CRAFT FULLY AUTOMATIC.
BECAUSE OF THESE DIFFERENCES, VENTURESTAR IS EXPECTED TO LOWER
THE COST OF LAUNCHING PAYLOADS BY 90 PERCENT AND HELP PROPEL THE
UNITED STATES INTO THE COMMERCIAL LAUNCH BUSINESS, NOW DOMINATED
BY THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY'S ARIANE ROCKET.
LOCKHEED MARTIN WILL OPERATE THE NEW CRAFT FOR PROFIT, IN LINE
WITH NASA'S GOAL OF TURNING THIS SECTOR OF SPACEFLIGHT OVER TO
PRIVATE INDUSTRY. NASA IS DONATING ONE-BILLION DOLLARS TOWARD
ITS DEVELOPMENT -- ABOUT ONE-FOURTH THE DEVELOPMENT COST -- BUT
AFTER THE X-33 PHASE IS OVER, THE VENTURESTAR PROGRAM WILL BE
FULLY FINANCED BY THE AEROSPACE COMPANY.
AN OFFICIAL WITH THE LOCKHEED MARTIN ASSEMBLY FACILITY ON
PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA -- JERRY RISING -- SAYS NASA, NOT
SURPRISINGLY, WILL BE VENTURESTAR'S FIRST CUSTOMER. ITS PRIMARY
MISSION WILL BE TO CARRY PAYLOADS TO THE PLANNED INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION. BUT MR. RISING FORESEES SIGNIFICANT DEMAND FROM
THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
// RISING ACT //
OUR INITIAL MARKETING ANALYSIS IS SHOWING THAT THERE IS
MUCH MORE BUSINESS AVAILABLE OUTSIDE OF THE NASA SECTOR.
BASICALLY, LAUNCHING COMMERCIAL PAYLOADS FOR OTHER
CUSTOMERS COULD AMOUNT TO AS MUCH AS 50 PERCENT OF THE
BUSINESS BASE OF THE VEHICLE. RIGHT NOW, WITHOUT BEING
REALLY FAR INTO THE ANALYSIS, WE SEE ABOUT A 50-50 SPLIT
BETWEEN NASA BUSINESS IN FLYING TO SPACE STATION AND
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL BUSINESS.
// END ACT //
LOCKHEED MARTIN OFFICIALS SAY THEY HOPE TO BEGIN MAKING A PROFIT
FROM VENTURESTAR WITHIN FIVE YEARS AFTER IT BEGINS OPERATIONS IN
2004.
THE NEW CRAFT WILL NOT REPLACE THE SPACE SHUTTLE IMMEDIATELY
UPON ENTERING SERVICE. THE NASA OFFICIAL OVERSEEING THE X-33
PROGRAM -- GENE AUSTIN -- SAYS THE TWO CRAFT WILL FLY
CONCURRENTLY FOR A WHILE.
// AUSTIN ACT //
WE EXPECT A PERIOD OF TIME TO HAVE THE SHUTTLE AND THE
VENTURESTAR BOTH FLYING. THAT IS ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND
TWO YEARS. IT COULD BE DIFFERENT THAN THAT, BUT THAT'S
THE ROUGH PLANNING ESTIMATE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
// END ACT //
IN THE MEANTIME, SMALL-SCALE X-33 DEMONSTRATION VERSIONS ARE TO
BE BUILT NEXT YEAR. FIFTEEN FLIGHT X-33 TESTS ARE SCHEDULED FOR
THE SECOND HALF OF 1999, REACHING ALTITUDES OF NEARLY
100-KILOMETERS AT UP TO 13-AND-A-HALF TIMES THE SPEED OF SOUND.
THE FULL-SCALE VENTURESTAR, WHICH WILL BEGIN TESTING BY 2002,
WILL REACH NEAR-EARTH ORBITS SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE
AT 25 TIMES THE SPEED OF SOUND. (SIGNED)
NEB/DEM/RRM
03-Nov-97 3:25 PM EST (2025 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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