THE McDONNELL Douglas Delta Clipper-Experimental (DC-X) re-usable launch vehicle executed a successful critical-rotation manoeuvre on 7 July as part of a series of flight tests at the US Army's White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
During the 2min 4s flight, the DC-X climbed to 8,200ft (2,500m) at a maximum rate of 14,370ft/min (73m/s) before its nose was set at 10¡ below the horizon. It was then rotated 138¡ to stabilise it before a descent back to a base-first landing at its launch pad.
The DC-X descended 1,200ft during the manoeuvre, having travelled 620m downrange from the take-off point during the initial ascent. Its final descent was at 165ft/min using its four Pratt & Whitney RL-10 rocket engines to brake and control the flight. This is seen as a vital manoeuvre for some proposed versions of a single-stage-to-orbit launcher.
The DC-X is now being dismantled for return to MDC's Huntingdon Beach site in California, where it will be upgraded to DC-XA configuration. This will include a new aluminium-lithium liquid-oxygen tank, a composite liquid-hydrogen tank and intertank structure, an integrated auxiliary propulsion system and a modified auxiliary power unit.
Further test flights are planned to be re-started in the second quarter of 1996.
Source: Flight International