![]() McDonnell Douglas DC-XA Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) concept | |
Function | Prototype SSTO vehicle |
---|---|
Manufacturer | McDonnell Douglas (Huntington Beach, California) |
Country of origin | United States |
Project cost | $60 million (1991) |
Size | |
Height | 12 metres (39 ft) |
Diameter | 4.1 metres (13 ft) |
Mass | 18,900 kilograms (41,700 lb) |
Stages | 1 |
Launch history | |
Status | Retired |
Launch sites | White Sands Missile Range |
Total launches | 12 |
Success(es) | 8 |
Failure(s) | 1 |
Partial failure(s) | 3 |
First flight | 18 August 1993 |
Last flight | 31 July 1996 |
First stage | |
Diameter | 4.1 metres (13 ft) |
Empty mass | 9,100 kilograms (20,100 lb) |
Gross mass | 18,900 kilograms (41,700 lb) |
Powered by | Four RL-10A-5 liquid-fueled rocket engines four gaseous oxygen/gaseous hydrogen thrusters |
Maximum thrust | Main rockets, 60 kN (13,000 lbf) Thrusters, 2.0 kN (440 lbf) |
Propellant | Liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen |
The DC-X, short for Delta Clipper or Delta Clipper Experimental, was an uncrewed prototype of a reusable single-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle built by McDonnell Douglas in conjunction with the United States Department of Defense's Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) from 1991 to 1993. Starting 1994 until 1995, testing continued through funding of the US civil space agency NASA.[1] In 1996, the DC-X technology was completely transferred to NASA, which upgraded the design for improved performance to create the DC-XA. After a test flight of DC-XA in 1996 resulted in a fire, the project was canceled. Despite its cancellation, the program inspired later reusable launch systems. Michael D. Griffin has since praised the program as "government R&D at its finest."[2]