Lifting Body Revival
Among the alt.space companies - small private companies that strive to provide cheap(er) commercial access to space - Spacedev stands out because they are planning to build a lifting body design upper stage based on the NASA Langley 1980s potential Shuttle complement Space Transportation System (but thought of a athreat to the Shuttle and thus cancelled...aaarrgh politics suck) HL-20.
Aptly named the Dreamchaser, the reusable craft might be launched into orbit, according to a recent announcement, atop the Atlas V rocket developed by the United Launch Alliance. Talk about anachronisms. An 80s spacecraft flying atop a 60s rocket, hopefully in the 20-teens. Yes, I know the Atlas has evolved over these 5 decades and is almost nothing like the converted ICBM that put the first American in orbit.
But still...
For those interested in lifting bodies and their advantages versus the capsule design currently favored by NASA and most Commercial Access To Space (COTS) providers, this paper which describes the RTLS (return to launch site) abort modes for the HL20 should provide a not so fascinating read.
But since I used it for a presentation during an optimization class in college, I think everyone should read it! :)
