Delta Clipper
The Delta Clipper or DC-X (exact name McDonnell Douglas DC-X) was a scaled-down, unmanned prototype of a single-stage, reusable launcher , built by McDonnell Douglas on behalf of NASA , the US Department of Defense and the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization ( SDIO ). The aircraft was powered by four RL-10A5 engines, which were derived from the engines of the Centaur upper stage. Fuels were liquid hydrogen and oxygen .
A prototype carried out eight test flights from 1993 to 1995. The prototype was then rebuilt into a modified configuration called the DC-XA or Clipper Graham . DC-XA made a total of four flights, during which it reached an altitude of up to 2,500 meters. The prototype was destroyed on landing on its last flight when a landing leg was not extended and the device overturned and exploded after touchdown. The program was then discontinued.
Many former employees of the DC-X program are now employed on the Blue Origin project. Blue Origin is a privately owned space company led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos .
See also
Web links
- The DC-X and DC-XA Pages (English)
- Delta Clipper in the Encyclopedia Astronautica (English)