Boeing X-40A

Boeing X-40A
País	Eua
Papel	Veículo de teste de deslizamento
Primeiro voo	11 de agosto de 1998
Construído	1

O 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’s fat-bodied, short-winged design and validated the proposed guidance system.

Fonte: Boeing X-40A na Wikipédia

Boeing X-40A Caminhada em Torno
Fotógrafo	Vladimir Yakubov
Localização	Museu Nacional da USAF, Dayton
Fotos	47

Boeing X-40A 01

Boeing X-40A 02

Boeing X-40A 03

Boeing X-40A 04

Boeing X-40A 05

Boeing X-40A 06

Boeing X-40A 07

Boeing X-40A 08

Boeing X-40A 09

Click on a photo and use the mouse scroll to view all photos

Aguarde, em Busca Boeing X-40A para você...

Veja também:

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)
Papel	Autonomous Glide and Landing Technology Demonstrator
National Origin	Estados Unidos
Fabricante	Boeing Phantom Works
First Free Flight	11 August 1998
tripulação	0 (Uncrewed/Autonomous)
comprimento	6.50 m (21 ft 4 in)
Envergadura	3.50 m (11 ft 6 in)
Empty Weight	1,130 kg (2,490 lb)
Configuração	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.