X-20 Dyna-Soar

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Image:NASA Color Dyna Soar.jpg

The X-20 Dyna-Soar ('Dynamic Soarer') was a United States Air Force (USAF) program to develop a spaceplane that could be used for a variety of military missions, including reconnaissance, bombing, space rescue, satellite maintenance, and sabotage of enemy satellites. The program ran from 24 October 1957–10 December 1963, cost US$660 million and was canceled just after spacecraft construction had begun.

Unlike other spacecraft under development at the time, such as Mercury or Vostok, Dyna-Soar was intended to glide to earth under the control of the pilot and land at a pre-selected site, rather than simply falling to earth in a ballistic manner. This made Dyna-Soar far more advanced, in many ways, than the other human spaceflight missions of the period; it is one of the great "what if" projects of early spaceflight. In time, data collected during the X-20 program would prove useful in designing the Space Shuttle.

Contents

Background

The development of Dyna Soar can be traced back to Eugen Sänger's Silbervogel: a German bomber project of World War II. The concept was to create a rocket-powered bomber that could travel vast distances by gliding to its target after being boosted to high altitude by A-4 or A-9 rocket-engines. Such boost-glide systems could, potentially, strike at targets anywhere in the world (so called 'antipodal bombers') at hypersonic speeds, but the aircraft itself could be small and poorly armed, compared to a typical heavy bomber. In addition, a boost-glide aircraft may be recoverable, acting as a manned bomber, or as an unmanned non-recoverable missile.

Following the war, many German scientists were taken to the United States by the CIA "Operation Paperclip". Among them was Dr Walter Dornberger, the former head of Germany's wartime rocket program, who had detailed knowledge of Silbervogel. Working for Bell, he attempted to to create interest in a boost-glide system in the USAF, and elsewhere. This resulted in the USAF requesting a number of feasibility and design studies — carried out by Bell, Boeing, Convair, Douglas, Martin, North American, Republic and Lockheed — for boost-glide vehicles during the early 1950s:

  • Bomi (bomber missile),
  • Hywards (hypersonic weapons research and development supporting system),
  • The Brass Bell reconnaissance vehicle and
  • Rocket Bomber "Robo".

Development

Image:Dyna-Soar.jpg

In 24 October 1957, the USAF Air Research and Development Command issued a proposal for a "Hypersonic Glide Rocket Weapon System" (Weapons System 464L): Dyna Soar. The proposal drew together the existing boost-glide proposals — as the USAF believed that a single vehicle could be designed to carry out all the bombing and reconnaissance tasks intended for the separate studies, and act as successor to the X-15 research program. The Dyna-Soar program was to be conducted in three stages: a research vehicle (Dyna-Soar I), a reconnaissance vehicle (Dyna-Soar II, previously Brass Bell), and a vehicle that would add strategic bombing capability (Dyna-Soar III, previously Robo). The first glide tests for Dyna-Soar I were expected to be carried out in 1963, followed by powered flights, reaching Mach 18, the following year. A robotic glide missile was to be deployed in 1968, with the fully-operational weapons system (Dyna-Soar III) expected to be deployed by 1974.

In March 1958, nine U.S. aerospace companies tendered for the Dyna-Soar contract. Of these, the field was narrowed to proposals from Bell and Boeing. Even though Bell had the advantage of six years' worth of design studies, the contract for the spaceplane was awarded to Boeing in June 1959 (by which time their original design had changed markedly and now closely resembled what Bell had submitted). In late 1961, the Titan III was eventually finalized as the launch vehicle. The Dyna-Soar was to be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.


Image:Dyna Soar launchers.png

In April, 1960, seven astronauts were secretly chosen for the Dyna-Soar program. Neil Armstrong and Bill Dana left the program in the summer of 1962. On September 19, 1962, Albert Crews had been added to the Dyna-Soar program and the names of the six Dyna-Soar astronauts were announced to the public:

By the end of 1962, Dyna-Soar had been given the designation "X-20", the acceleration rocket (to be used in the Dyna Soar I drop-tests) had been successfully fired, and the USAF had held an "unveiling" ceremony for the X-20 in Las Vegas.

Proposed Dyna-Soar I flights

  • Dyna-Soar 1 – January 1, 1966, no crew
  • Dyna-Soar 2 – April 1, 1966, no crew
  • Dyna-Soar 3 - July 1, 1966, 1 orbit, crew: James Wood
  • Dyna-Soar 4 - October 1, 1966, 1 orbit, crew: 1
  • Dyna-Soar 5 - March 1, 1967, 1 orbit, crew: 1
  • Dyna-Soar 6 - May 1, 1967, 1 orbit, crew: 1
  • Dyna-Soar 7 - July 1, 1967, 1 orbit, crew: 1
  • Dyna-Soar 8 - September 1, 1967, 1 orbit, crew: 1
  • Dyna-Soar 9 - December 1, 1967, multi-orbit, crew: 1
  • Dyna-Soar 10 - March 1, 1968, multi-orbit, crew: 1, last planned X-20 flight

Problems

Besides the funding issues that often accompany research efforts, the Dyna-Soar program suffered from two major problems: uncertainty over the booster that would be used to send the craft into orbit, and a lack of a clear goal for the project.

Many different boosters were proposed to launch Dyna-Soar into orbit. The original USAF proposal suggested a LOX/JP-4, fluorine-ammonia, fluorine-hydrazine, or an RMI (X-15) engine. Boeing, the principal contractor, favored an Atlas-Centaur combination, but eventually the Air Force stipulated that a Titan-based approach — suggested by failed competitor Martin — would be used. However, the Titan I rocket would not be powerful enough to launch the five-tonne X-20 into orbit. The Titan II and Titan III boosters could launch Dyna-Soar into Earth orbit, as could the Saturn C-1 (later renamed the Saturn I), and all were proposed with various upper-stage and booster combinations. While the Titan IIIC was eventually chosen to send Dyna-Soar into space, the vacillations over the launch-system delayed the project as it complicated planning.

The original intention for Dyna Soar, outlined in the Weapons System 464L proposal, called for a project that combined aeronautical research with weapons-system development. Many questioned whether the USAF should have a manned space program, when that was the primary domain of NASA. However, it was frequently emphasised by the Air Force that, unlike the NASA programs, Dyna-Soar allowed for controlled re-entry, and this was where the main effort in the X-20 program was placed. On 19 January 1963 the Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara directed the Air Force to undertake a study to determine whether the Gemini or Dyna-Soar program was the more feasible approach to a space-based weapon system. In the middle of March 1963, after receiving the study, Secretary McNamara "stated that the Air Force had been placing too much emphasis on controlled re-entry when it did not have any real objectives for orbital flight" (Geiger, 1963). This was seen as a reversal of the Secetary's earlier position on the Dyna-Soar program. Eventually, the X-20 Dyna-Soar program was cancelled on December 10 1963.

The X-20 was to have been replaced by the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, a spin-off of the Gemini program, but this too was eventually canceled.

Description

Image:X20 Dyna-Soar diagram.png

The overall design of the X-20 Dyna-Soar was outlined in March 1960. It had a low-wing delta shape, with winglets for control rather than a more conventional tail. The framework of the craft was to be made from the René 41 "super alloy", as was the upper surface panels. The bottom surface was to be made from molybdenum sheets placed over insulated René 41, while the nose-cone was to be made from graphite with zirconia rods.

Due to the changing requirements, various forms of the Dyna Soar were designed but with all variants sharing the same basic shape and layout. A single pilot sat at the front, while an equipment bay was situated behind. This bay contained either data-collection equipment, weapons, reconnaissance equipment, or (in the X-20X "shuttle space vehicle") a four-man mid-deck.

After the equipment bay was the transition-stage rocket engine, which was used to maneuver the craft in orbit or fired during launch as part of an abort. This trans-stage would be jettisoned before descent into the atmosphere. While falling through the atmosphere an opaque heat shield would protect the window at the front of the craft. This would then be jettisoned after aerobraking so the pilot could see, and safely land.

Unlike the later Space Shuttle, Dyna-Soar did not have wheels on its undercarriage as it was thought that the rubber wheels would burn during re-entry. Instead Goodyear developed retractable wire-brush skis made of the same René 41 alloy as the air-frame.

General characteristics

  • Crew: one pilot
  • Length: 35 ft 4 in (10.77 m)
  • Wingspan: 20 ft 10 in (6.34 m)
  • Height: 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
  • Wing area: 345 ft² (32 m²)
  • Empty weight: 10,395 lb (4,715 kg)
  • Max weight: 11,387 lb (5,165 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1x Martin Trans-stage rocket engine, 72,000 lbf (323 kN)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 17,500 mph (28,165 km/h)
  • Range: earth orbit (22,000 nautical miles, 40,700 km)
  • Service ceiling: 530,000 ft (160 km)
  • Rate of climb: 100,000 ft/min (510 m/s)

Related content

Related development:

Similar aircraft:

Designation series: X-17 - X-18 - X-19 - X-20 - X-21 - X-22 - X-23

See also

References

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  • Walter R. Dornberger. (1956). "The Rocket-Propelled Commercial Airliner". Dyna-Soar: Hypersonic Strategic Weapons System, 19-37.
  • Charlton G. Strathy. (1957). "Weapon System 464L Abbreviated Development Plan". Dyna-Soar: Hypersonic Strategic Weapons System, 38-75.
  • Air Force Systems Command. (1961). "Structure Description Report". Dyna-Soar: Hypersonic Strategic Weapons System, 145-189.
  • Clarence J. Geiger. (1963). "History of the X-20A DYNA-SOAR". Dyna-Soar: Hypersonic Strategic Weapons System, 349-405.

External links

 

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