For Release: June 3, 1996

Dom Amatore
Office of Media Services
(205) 544-0031
Dom.Amatore@msfc.nasa.gov

RELEASE: 96-44

Second DC-XA Flight Planned for June 7;
Third Flight Could Follow On Same Day

The second in a series of five test flights planned for NASA’s Delta Clipper-Experimental Advanced (DC-XA) single stage rocket is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. MDT on Friday, June 7 at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

The DC-XA, developed by McDonnell Douglas Aerospace and NASA under a cooperative agreement as part of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Program, successfully completed its first test flight on May 18. The vehicle’s advanced technology components, including a composite liquid hydrogen tank and aluminum lithium liquid oxygen tank, all performed well. The purpose of the DC-XA flight tests is to demonstrate the performance of these technologies, which are required for the development of a single-stage-to-orbit reusable launch vehicle.

"We’re very pleased with the performance of the DC-XA to date and look forward to gaining more knowledge about advanced propulsion technologies in its second flight," said Dan Dumbacher, DC-XA program manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Dumbacher said that if conditions permit, a third flight of the DC-XA may be attempted, possibly as early as eight hours after completion of the second flight in the test series. A decision to attempt that additional flight will be made about four hours after completion of the scheduled test flight.

"If everything falls in place, we’ll fly twice in the same day, but we’re not going to take any unnecessary risks with the vehicle," said Dumbacher. Conducting the additional test would demonstrate the vehicle’s reusability, and also would reduce the overall cost of the test series by obtaining a second set of test objectives for a small incremental cost, he said.

A 62 second flight is planned, during which the DC-XA will rise to an altitude of 1,950 feet and travel 500 feet up range, before landing on a surface of compacted gypsum. This landing pad is 150 feet from the grated landing pad used for the vehicle’s first test flight.

If an additional test is attempted, the DC-XA would fly for 125 seconds, reaching an altitude of 8,600 feet.

The U.S. Air Force’s Phillips Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is managing flight test operations.

NOTE TO EDITORS

While the DC-XA flight tests are not open to the general public, news media representatives may cover the tests by requesting accreditation from the White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs Office. The written request can be sent to : Debbie Bingham, PAO, Bldg. 122, WSMR, NM 88002-5047, or facsimile machine number 505 678-7174. The office telephone number is 505 678-1134. EVEN THOSE MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES ALREADY ACCREDITED MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE FOR EACH FLIGHT TO ENSURE ADEQUATE TRANSPORTATION TO THE TEST SITE. Media planning to view the test flight must be at Bldg. 122 by 5:30 a.m. on flight day, June 7.

On Thursday, June 6, a photo opportunity and media availability will be conducted at the test site. Media will have an opportunity to photograph the DC-XA on its launch pad, and interview program managers.

Media wishing to participate in this event must report to the Public Affairs Office, Bldg. 122 at WSMR by 12:45 p.m.

At 5:00 p.m. a pre-flight briefing will be held in the San Rafael Room of the Hilton Hotel in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Officials from NASA, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace, the U.S. Air Force Phillips Laboratory, and White Sands Missile Range will participate in the briefing.

The flight will be carried live on NASA Television beginning at approximately 7:30 a.m. An interactive post-flight media briefing will air on NASA TV approximately 30 minutes after the flight. News media may participate in the briefing from NASA news centers (check with the news center in your area to determine its hours of operation). NASA Television is carried on C-band, Spacenet 2, Transponder 5, Channel 9 at 69 degrees west longitude. The transponder frequency is 3880 Mhz and the audio subcarrier is 6.8 Mhz.

If an additional test occurs on June 7, it too will be carried live on NASA TV and followed by an interactive media briefing.