X-33 draft cooperative agreement notice issued

17 Jun 2002

NASA has issued a draft Cooperative Agreement Notice for the design, fabrication and flight test of the X-33 advanced technology demonstrator -- the next step in development of a new generation of reusable launch vehicles that will dramatically reduce the cost of putting payloads into orbit. Three aerospace companies -- Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace and Rockwell International Corp. -- have been working with NASA since March on concept definition and design of the X-33 in Phase I of the program. NASA will select an industry partner to work with in Phase II, in which the X-33 will demonstrate vehicle reusability and operability concepts. Phase II will culminate in flight testing of the X-33, beginning in early 1999.