Silver Dart PlanetSpace

the proposed silver dart spacecraft.

based on fdl-7, lifting body aircraft designed near earth orbital flight airforce flight dynamics laboratory, silver dart lifting body concept designed glide hypersonic speeds of mach 22 down landing. goal develop orbital space craft/hypersonic glider capable of carrying around 8 passengers. spacecraft expected launch vertically atop two-stage-plus-boosters rocket, propelled @ takeoff 28 canadian arrow rocket engines (slightly updated replicas of german v-2 engine) , land horizontally on aircraft runway, in arrangement reminiscent of dynasoar project nasa.

nasa based martin marietta x-24b test aircraft on fdl-7 lifting body , valued added range , stability sleek, sharp-nosed design. fdl-7 s lifting body design projected able give silver dart twice lift coefficient of nasa s space shuttles @ subsonic speeds. design expected have higher glide , cross range shuttle orbiter, since designed 4,000 mile cross range. ship intended use metal skin more resistant weather conditions space shuttle. planetspace planned initial demonstration flight in 2009.