A survey of space planes

The Spiral: An unrealized Soviet space plane

With the recent launch of the U.S. Air Force space plane, the unmanned X37B, I got to thinking about space planes I’ve known.

Of course, there was the X-15 which took pilots, including Neil Armstrong, to the edge of space.

Do you remember, after the Challenger exploded, President Reagan announced a National Aero-Space Plane (NASP) which would take astronauts to orbit, and fly at 25 times the speed of sound? That program was canceled in 1993.

The Russians had their space shuttle, called the Buran, which flew once—unmanned—and then was retired. Earlier, they also had plans for a space plane called Spiral, which was actually authorized back in 1965—and never produced.

A U.K. company announced, but never produced a space plane called Skylon. (Maybe they’ll still produce it?!)

Then there’s a private space tourism company, which plans a space plane to Lynx—although it will fly not quite high enough to reach actual space. (A March 2008 press release from XCOR says it will fly within 2 years, i.e. now!)

And, for maybe a year or so more, we’ve got the space shuttle. What’s next?