| NASA Center: |
Dryden Flight Research Center |
| Image # : |
ECN-3764 |
|---|
| Date : |
01/01/1973
|
|---|
|
Title
X-24B on Lakebed
Full Description
The X-24B is seen here on the lakebed at the NASA Dryden Flight
Research Center, Edwards, California. The X-24B was the last aircraft to fly in
Dryden's Lifting Body program. Lifting bodies were wingless vehicles designed to
fly back to Earth from space and be landed like an aircraft at a pre-determined
site.
First to fly the X-24B was John Manke, conducting a glide flight on August 1,
1973. He was also the pilot on the first powered mission on November 15, 1973.
Among the final flights with the X-24B were two precise landings on the main
concrete runway at Edwards which showed that accurate unpowered reentry vehicle
landings were operationally feasible.
These missions were flown by Manke and Air Force Maj. Mike Love, and represented
the final milestone in a program that helped write the flight plan for today's
Space Shuttle program.
The final powered flight with the X-24B was on September 23, l975. The
pilot was Bill Dana, and it was also the last rocket-powered flight flown at
Dryden. It was Dana who also flew the last X-15 mission about seven years
earlier. Top speed reached with the X-24B was l,l64 mph (Mach l.76) by Love. The
highest altitude reached was 74,100 feet, by Manke.
The information the lifting body program generated contributed to the data base
that led to development of today's Space Shuttle program. The X-24B is on public
display at the Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
Keywords
X-24 Lifting Body X-24A X-24B Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory B-52 NASA Flight Research Center
Subject Category
Lifting Bodies, Top 20 Dryden Aircraft, X-Series Aircraft,
Reference Numbers
- Center:
DFRC
- Center Number:
ECN-3764
- GRIN DataBase Number:
GPN-2000-000209
Source Information
- Creator/Photographer: NASA
- Original Source: DIGITAL
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Updated Aug 20, 2009
• History Questions: NASA History Office
• Responsible NASA Official: Steve Garber
• Author: Michael Hahn. Editor: Dwayne A. Day
• Curator & Technical Questions: Erin Needham
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