National Aero-Space Plane: Restructuring Future Research and Development Efforts

Abstract

U.S. efforts to develop and demonstrate an aerospace plane that could achieve low earth orbit using a single stage are focused in the National Aero- Space Plane (NASP) Program. However, the program faces an uncertain future as it competes with other programs for limited federal funding at the same time its costs have escalated and its technologies remain to be developed within an ambitious schedule. Because of these and other concerns, three congressional committees asked GAO to examine various aspects of the NASP Program. This report discusses (1) the status of the program's technology development, (2) changes in the program's projected cost and schedule, (3) the requirements for and the potential mission applications of future operational NASP-derived vehicles and efforts to spin off NASP-developed technology, and(4) issues to be decided in reassessing the direction of the program.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADA258799

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerospace Craft
  • Aerospace Industry
  • Aerospaceplanes
  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircraft Industry
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Booster Rocket Engines
  • Commercial Aircraft
  • Composite Materials
  • Congress
  • Hypersonic Aircraft
  • Propulsion Systems
  • Rockets
  • Space Transportation
  • Test Facilities

Readers

  • Naval Engineering and Maritime Security
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Satellites