User:Evil Monkey/blackstar

Blackstar is a highly classified two-stage-to-orbit spaceplane in development by the military of the United States. It would feature a supersonic mothership, based on the XB-70 Valkyrie that would carry the small spaceplane to a high altitude, where the spaceplane's own rocket engines would boost it to orbital height and speed. From there it would carry out it mission, would would include reconnaissance, deploying and retrieving small satellites or anti-satellite or space-to-ground weapons-delivery. The spaceplane would then land on a conventional runway like the Space Shuttle. Landings of prototypes have been reported at Hurlburt Field in Florida, Kadena Air Base in Okinawa and Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.

The existence of the Blackstar system has never been officially confirmed by defense officials, who have only said that it could be "out there". Technicians who have worked on the project for Lockheed Martin say they were told to charge their time and materials to the Rockwell X-30) and the United States Navy's A-12 Avenger II accounts.

The mothership has the designation of SR-3 and based on the XB-70 Valkyrie supersonic bomber developed in the 1950s. It is about 200 ft (70 meters) long, with clipped delta wings and an oval shaped fuselage. The four engines are mounted with two on either side of the centerline of the aircraft and are described as "very loud". It would be able to operate up to 90,000 ft (27 km).

There are reported to be two different sized orbiters, both of much the same general shape and design. The smaller technology demonstrator is 60–65 ft (18–20 m) and was used for unmanned or perhaps two-man test flights. This test program was said to be "very successful". The larger 97.5 ft (29.7 m) orbiter features the so-called "Q-Bay" payload bay aft of the cockpit, again like the Space Shuttle. This Q-Bay would be the site of the reconnaissance equipment or the satellite to be deployed.

Control of the Blackstar is either by using its lifting body capability or using drag-type panels on the rear edge of the wings. The belly of the spaceplane is reported to feature contours to direct air in to the engine inlets. The engine system used is thought to be similar to the Lockheed Martin X-33. The fuel to be used is a boron-based gel, with the consistency of toothpaste. It is said to take up less space than other fuels.

The spaceplanes are transported inside modified C-5 Galaxy. Three C-5s had modifications including 8-ft.-wide "chipmunk cheek" extensions. This was originally done to allow the transport of dome-shaped satellite containers. Two of these were in the inventory of NASA in 1994, with the third being seen with "CL" on its tail, with the Central Intelligence Agency thought to be its user.

http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow/news/channel_awst_story.jsp?id=news/030606p1.xml