Boeing X-40A Space Maneuvering Vehicle Technology Demonstrator Family
The Boeing X-40A was an unpowered, uncrewed Space Maneuvering Vehicle risk-reduction demonstrator built for the U.S. Air Force and later used by NASA to support the X-37 program. It completed one Air Force free flight in 1998 and seven autonomous approach-and-landing flights at NASA Dryden in 2001, validating guidance, navigation, control, and runway-recovery technologies for reusable spaceplanes.
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Identity
- Aliases
- X-40AX-40Space Maneuvering VehicleSMV
- Family Name
- Boeing X-40A
- Full Name
- Boeing X-40A Space Maneuvering Vehicle Technology Demonstrator Family
- Roles
- militaryresearchexperimentaltechnology_demonstrator
- Status
- retired
- Type
- spaceplane
Details
- Aircraft Specs
- Configuration
- fixed_wing
- Operating Modes
- land
- Takeoff Landing Capabilities
- conventional
- Description
- The Boeing X-40A was an unpowered, uncrewed Space Maneuvering Vehicle risk-reduction demonstrator built for the U.S. Air Force and later used by NASA to support the X-37 program. It completed one Air Force free flight in 1998 and seven autonomous approach-and-landing flights at NASA Dryden in 2001, validating guidance, navigation, control, and runway-recovery technologies for reusable spaceplanes.
- First Flight Year
- 1,998
- Last Flight Year
- 2,001
- Manufacturer
- Spacecraft Specs
- Reusability
- fully_reusable
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 13, 2026 at 21:39:48 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 13, 2026 at 21:39:48 UTC