Home - Search - Browse - Alphabetic Index: 0- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9
A- B- C- D- E- F- G- H- I- J- K- L- M- N- O- P- Q- R- S- T- U- V- W- X- Y- Z
Spacemaster
Part of Shuttle

Spacemaster

Spacemaster
Credit: NASA

American winged orbital launch vehicle. Martin-Marietta shuttle Phase A design. X-24B type lifting body orbiter with unique catamaran-configuration booster.

Status: Study 1967. Thrust: 24,905.80 kN (5,599,047 lbf). Gross mass: 1,587,302 kg (3,499,401 lb). Height: 128.00 m (419.00 ft). Diameter: 8.00 m (26.20 ft).

Martin Marietta's unsolicited company-funded shuttle proposal was named "Spacemaster". It was designed for carrying 11,340-22,680 kilogram payloads in the same 4.57 * 18.3-meter cargo envelope as the other Phase A shuttle proposals. Martin's twin-body booster would have reduced the overall length of the mated vehicle and would also have been compatible with different orbiters or rocket stages between bodies. The booster rocket engines are on the aft end of each body. Since the orbiter would be nested during ascent, Martin Marietta predicted that the center of gravity shift from lift-off to staging would be relatively small. The nested orbiter design would also have reduced booster rocket engine gimbal angles, ascent drag and vehicle angle of attack. The booster landing jet motors were installed in the forward wing to achieve a good center-of-gravity location.

Stage Data - Spacemaster



Family: orbital launch vehicle, Winged. Country: USA. Engines: SSME Study. Stages: Spacemaster-1, Spacemaster-2. Agency: Martin. Bibliography: 44, 504.
Photo Gallery

SpacemasterSpacemaster
Credit: NASA



Back to top of page
Home - Search - Browse - Alphabetic Index: 0- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9
A- B- C- D- E- F- G- H- I- J- K- L- M- N- O- P- Q- R- S- T- U- V- W- X- Y- Z
© 1997-2019 Mark Wade - Contact
© / Conditions for Use