Orbital Sciences X-34

Orbital Sciences X-34 was intended as a cost-effective test environment for key technologies, which are integrated into a space shuttle.

History

The X-34 was intended as an autonomous pilotless aircraft, which is accelerated by a rocket engine up to Mach 5 and should perform up to 25 test flights per year. The engine- less prototype, however, was only used for test flights in the wake of other aircraft until the project was canceled in 2001 due to cost reasons.

General data

Mach number Bell X-1 Bell X-2 Douglas X-3 Stiletto Northrop X-4 Bantam Bell X-5 Lockheed X-7 Aerobee Bell X-9 Shrike North American X-10 SM-65A Atlas SM-65B Atlas Ryan X-13 Vertijet Bell X-14 North American X-15 Bell X-16 Lockheed X-17 Hiller X-18 Curtiss-Wright X-19 Northrop X-21 Bell X-22 Martin X-23 PRIME Martin Marietta X-24A Bensen B-8 Schweizer X-26 Frigate Lockheed CL-1200 Osprey Osprey I Grumman X-29 Rockwell X-30 Rockwell-MBB X-31 Boeing X-32 Lockheed Martin X-35 McDonnell Douglas X-36 Boeing X-37 NASA X-38 Boeing X-40 NASA X-43 Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA Boeing X-45 Boeing X-46 Northrop Grumman X-47B Boeing X-48 Boeing X-50 Dragonfly Boeing X-51 Boeing X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing Lockheed Martin X-55 Lockheed Martin X-56

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