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Rocket-related news item

Here's an interesting rocket-related bit of news, from the "launch alert" listserv...

X-43A COMPLETES CAPTIVE-CARRY FLIGHT

NASA successfully completed a dress rehearsal for this month's flight of its unmanned X-43A research vehicle. A B-52 bomber carrying the X-43A/Pegasus booster combination left Edwards AFB last Monday afternoon at 15:21 PST, crossed the coast, and flew a predetermined path over the Pacific Missile Test Range. The B-52 and chase aircraft later returned to Edwards and landed at

17:28 PST.

The X-43A stack consists of a large solid fuel rocket tipped with the X-43A hypersonic research vehicle. Since this was a captive-carry mission, the stack remained attached to a pylon on the B-52's wing for the entire two-hour flight.

The mission was a dress rehearsal for a launch of the X-43A tentatively set for February 21st. The flight will evaluate supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) technology.

During last Monday's captive-carry mission, Ventura County residents spotted contrails and heard radio communications from the B-52 and chase aircraft.

Reply to
RayDunakin
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As a side note, this is the Last drop mission for old B52-008, the next mission will be done by the replacement B52H that is ready to take over.

-- "In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening towards an east that would not know another dawn. But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go again."

Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars

SIAR

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Telescope Buyers FAQ
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of Dahlias Slideshowv1.0 $10.00 for Windows machines. Email: snipped-for-privacy@despammed.com

Reply to
Starlord

By any chance, will 008 make it to a museum somewhere?

Reply to
Tim

There are two drop-52's at the Pima Air Museum in Tucson. Maybe they will get them.

Rocket Flyer Southeast Georgia

Reply to
Rocket Flyer

They have some places trying for it, as it is a major bit of space hardwareb history, even Palmdale is trying for it for their air park. I've seen the replacement bird, white with NASA blue racing strip down it.

-- "In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening towards an east that would not know another dawn. But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go again."

Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars

SIAR

formatting link
Telescope Buyers FAQ
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of Dahlias Slideshowv1.0 $10.00 for Windows machines. Email: snipped-for-privacy@despammed.com

Reply to
Starlord

Is this another flight of a duplicate of the vehicle that went "SPLASH" (because of a bad Pegasus)??

-Fred Shecter NAR 20117

Reply to
Fred Shecter

I like the old paint style with the naked polished aluminum body and orange vertical stab...but if somebody wanted to give me a white B-52 with a blue stripe, I'd take it. ;)

Reply to
Tim

you can check out some photo's at

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Reply to
Bruce Canino

Matt Steele is(was?) working on this project. Before they flew the last one, Matt sent me a photo of him next to the bird.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

Reply to
Bob Kaplow

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