X-20 Dyna-Soar

E122542

The X-20 Dyna-Soar was a U.S. Air Force experimental spaceplane project from the early Cold War era, intended for orbital reconnaissance, bombing, and other military missions before its cancellation in the 1960s.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Dyna-Soar 1
X-20 Dyna-Soar canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (56)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States Air Force project
experimental spaceplane
unflown spaceplane project
airframeContractor Boeing
alsoKnownAs Dyna-Soar
linked to: X-20 Dyna-Soar

X-20
canceledBy United States Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara
linked to: Robert McNamara
cancellationYear 1963
countryOfOrigin United States
crewCapacity 1
crewType military test pilot
designFeature delta-wing configuration
heat-resistant metallic structure
reusable crewed spacecraft
sharp leading edges for hypersonic flight
developmentStartYear 1957
era Cold War
influenced Space Shuttle program
later military spaceplane concepts
lifting body research vehicles
intendedMission precision bombing from orbit
research on hypersonic flight
satellite inspection or interception
strategic reconnaissance
intendedRole military spaceplane
orbital bombing
orbital reconnaissance
research and development platform
landingMethod unpowered runway landing
landingSurface conventional runway
launchSitePlanned Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
launchVehicleConsidered Titan II
linked to: Titan II GLV
launchVehiclePlanned Titan III
missionProfile glide back to Earth
launch on expendable booster
orbital operations
nameMeaning Dynamic Soarer
notableSelectedPilot Henry Gordon
James A. McDivitt
Neil A. Armstrong
operator United States Air Force
primaryContractor Boeing
programAnnouncementYear 1959
programReasonForCancellation high cost and changing strategic priorities
propulsionType rocket-powered spaceplane
reentryMethod lifting body gliding reentry
selectionOfPilots U.S. Air Force test pilots
spaceAgencyInvolvement United States Air Force Space Systems Division
status canceled before first flight
subcontractor Aerojet-General
linked to: Aerojet Rocketdyne

Martin Company
successorProgram Manned Orbiting Laboratory
technologyArea hypersonic aerodynamics
reusable spacecraft design
thermal protection systems
testArticlesBuilt mockups and structural test articles only

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Boeing X-37 relatedTo X-20 Dyna-Soar
X-20 Dyna-Soar alsoKnownAs Dyna-Soar
linked to: X-20 Dyna-Soar