spacetoday.net: space news from around the webin association with SpaceNews


Report: military tested manned spaceplane
Posted: Mon, Mar 6, 2006, 1:37 PM ET (1837 GMT)
The US military secretly tested for years a manned spaceplane capable of reaching orbit, Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine reported in its latest issue Monday. The article, based on observations and other intelligence collected over the years, claims that the military and/or intelligence community tested and perhaps operated a two-stage spaceplane code-named "Blackstar" starting in the 1980s. Blackstar consisted of an aircraft similar to the XB-70 supersonic bomber, which carried a winged orbital vehicle under its fuselage; the orbital vehicle was air-launched and could achieve orbit before returning for a runway landing. The Aviation Week report suggests that Blackstar may have become operational in the 1990s, performing reconnaissance and satellite deployment missions. However, the system appears to have been quietly shelved in recent years, either because of funding problems or difficulties achieving technology goals.
<<previous article   next article>>
news in brief
Senate hearing raises doubts of Artemis
Posted: Sat, Sep 6 8:50 AM ET (1250 GMT)

NASA names new associate administrator
Posted: Sat, Sep 6 8:46 AM ET (1246 GMT)

President Trump moves Space Command HQ to Alabama
Posted: Sat, Sep 6 8:44 AM ET (1244 GMT)

news links
Saturday, September 13
SpaceX, Northrop Grumman to launch supplies to ISS
Spectrum News — 5:52 am ET (0952 GMT)
Cornell-led space tech startup acquired by Pasteur Labs
Cornell Univ. — 5:51 am ET (0951 GMT)
How China Is Transforming Space Power
The Diplomat — 5:46 am ET (0946 GMT)


about spacetoday.net   ·   info@spacetoday.net   ·   mailing list