Boeing X-40A

Boeing X-40A
Pays	Usa
Rôle	Véhicule d’essai de glisse
Premier vol	11 août 1998
Construit	1

Lla Boeing X-40A Space Maneuver Vehicle was a test platform for the X-37 Future-X Reusable Launch Vehicle. The unpiloted X-40 was built to 85% scale to test aerodynamics and navigation of the X-37 Future-X Reusable Launch Vehicle project. After the first drop test in August 1998 the vehicle was transferred to NASA, which modified it. Between April 4 and May 19, 2001 the vehicle successfully conducted seven free flights.In 2001 it successfully demonstrated the glide capabilities of the X-37’et validé le système de guidage proposé.

Source: Boeing X-40A sur Wikipedia

Boeing X-40A se promener
Photographe	Vladimir Yakubov
Localisation	Musée national de l’USAF, Dayton
Photos	47

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General Characteristics and Role

The Boeing X-40A Space Maneuver Vehicle (SMV) was a technology demonstrator built for the U.S. Air Force and NASA. Its primary role was to validate the aerodynamic design, flight control, and guidance systems for the larger, uncrewed X-37 Future Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) program. The X-40A was not a spacecraft itself but rather a scaled-down, unpowered prototype. It shared the final shape and size of the X-37’s unpressurized equipment bay, making it a 7-foot (80%) scale model of the orbital vehicle. The successful glide flights of the X-40A were essential in proving that the X-37 could perform an unpowered, autonomous glide and landing on a conventional runway after re-entering the atmosphere.

Property	Typical Value (X-40A)
Rôle	Autonomous Glide and Landing Technology Demonstrator
National Origin	États-Unis
Fabricant	Boeing Phantom Works
First Free Flight	11 August 1998
Crew	0 (Uncrewed/Autonomous)
Length	6.50 m (21 ft 4 in)
Envergure	3.50 m (11 ft 6 in)
Empty Weight	1,130 kg (2,490 lb)
Configuration	Delta wing, low-lift/high-speed spaceplane shape

Launch Method and Flight Testing

Launch Method: The X-40A was air-dropped from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter (or later a B-52 bomber) at an altitude of approximately 9,000–15,000 feet (2,700–4,600 m).
Propulsion: The vehicle was unpowered; all flights were purely atmospheric glides to simulate the final portion of a spacecraft’s descent.
Key Technology: The vehicle was fully controlled by an onboard computer using differential GPS for high-precision navigation and autonomous landing—a critical technology for the X-37.
Test Outcome: The X-40A successfully completed seven glide flights, including four successful autonomous landings on a runway, validating the flight software and aerodynamic model for the X-37.

Program Legacy

Successor: The X-40A served directly as a risk reduction vehicle for the much larger Boeing X-37 program, which went on to become the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, a highly classified and long-endurance autonomous spaceplane currently in use.
Cost Savings: By utilizing a smaller, unpowered vehicle for aerodynamic validation, the program significantly reduced the development risk and cost for the powered orbital X-37.
Program Change: The original X-37 program was transferred from NASA to DARPA in 2004, but the underlying aerodynamic and control principles proven by the X-40A remained central to the design.
Preservation: The X-40A demonstrator vehicle is currently stored at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.