#space plane

Airbus Inertia concept !

"X-20 (Dyna-Soar) Illustration by Boeing artist Fred Takasumi"

Date: December 27, 1962

1978 Concept art for Rockwell International’s Star Raker, a space plane proposal to meet NASA’s need for reusable craft designed to operate in the outer atmosphere. It would have flown at Mach 7.2, and would be able to perform four missions a day, like solar sattelite repair in the outer atmosphere. 

I've really become obsessed with the Orion Drive spacecraft concept and continue to develop different ideas for it. This one is envisioned as a more personal spacecraft for a character for my Centauri universe which in my mind is evolving into an anthology of sorts. I call it the Wabash Cannonball as I imagine it traveling through space like a powerful 19th century train.

Along with being relatively smaller than the other Orion Drive ships I designed, I gave this ship three unique features. The first is that it uses a system called "dusty plasma radiators" for heat regulation. It works using conductive plasma manipulated by magnetic fields to heat up dust particles and cycle them out of the ship and back in. This adds to the steam engine vibe I was going for this ship. The second is it's equipped with a diffracting solar sail that's a mile in diameter for initial movement to a safe distance (aided by powerful laser arrays on planetary surfaces) before retracting and letting the Orion drive take over. Is is also unfurled to capture sunlight of an approaching star during it's deceleration procedure. The third is that habitable module at the front of the craft is detachable and equipped with fusion rockets in case of emergencies.

Other features are two space planes for planetary entry, RCS thrusters for maneuvering, several onboard maintenance drones for making repairs inside and outside the ship, and 16 turrets with projectile and laser weapon system for self defense.

I'm going to try to depict the character I imagine piloting this ship next as I already finished my Thanksgiving piece (just waiting for Thanksgiving day).