Lockheed Martin X-33 Advanced Technology Demonstrator Spaceplane Family
The Lockheed Martin X-33 was a half-scale, uncrewed spaceplane demonstrator developed under NASA’s Reusable Launch Vehicle program to test a lifting-body configuration, linear aerospike propulsion, metallic thermal protection, and composite cryogenic tanks. It was designed to launch vertically, fly a suborbital trajectory, and land horizontally like an aircraft, but NASA ended funding in 2001 after composite-tank problems and the vehicle never flew.
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Identity
- Aliases
- X-33X-33 Advanced Technology DemonstratorVentureStar demonstratorReusable Launch Vehicle demonstrator
- Family Name
- Lockheed Martin X-33
- Full Name
- Lockheed Martin X-33 Advanced Technology Demonstrator Spaceplane Family
- Roles
- researchexperimentaltechnology_demonstrator
- Status
- canceled
- Type
- spaceplane
Details
- Description
- The Lockheed Martin X-33 was a half-scale, uncrewed spaceplane demonstrator developed under NASA’s Reusable Launch Vehicle program to test a lifting-body configuration, linear aerospike propulsion, metallic thermal protection, and composite cryogenic tanks. It was designed to launch vertically, fly a suborbital trajectory, and land horizontally like an aircraft, but NASA ended funding in 2001 after composite-tank problems and the vehicle never flew.
- Dimensions
- Length
- …
- Width
- …
- Manufacturer
- Propulsion Configurations
- Entries
- Count
- 2
- Placement
- fuselage
- Propulsion System
- Role
- main
- Variant Notes
- Two XRS-2200 LOX/LH2 linear-aerospike engines; planned installation, not a flown configuration.
- Name
- Planned X-33 twin linear-aerospike installation
- Notes
- NASA describes two side-by-side XRS-2200 engines for the X-33. This is the intended demonstrator configuration; X-33 never flew.
- Spacecraft Specs
- Reusability
- fully_reusable
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 13, 2026 at 21:31:28 UTC
- Updated Time
- October 29, 2026 at 15:21:12 UTC