Mar 21 1978
From The Space Library
The NYT reported that the Soviet Union had built and bombers drop-tested a new manned space vehicle similar to the U.S. Space Shuttle. The delta-winged reusable vehicle had been dropped from a Soviet Tupolev TU-9S Bear bomber in atmospheric tests of the spacecraft's aerodynamic and handling qualities, like recent tests of the Space Shuttle. No known space testing of the delta-winged vehicle had occurred, although the Soviets might have begun orbital tests with a second new manned-flight craft with space-tug capabilities. Design characteristics of the test vehicle were apparently similar to those of both the U.S. Shuttle orbiter and the lifting-body research vehicles flight tested earlier by the U.S. Air Force and NASA. The vehicle strongly resembled the USAF/Boeing X-20 DynaSoar concept, which had been viewed as a space station resupply vehicle before the program was canceled. The Soviet spacecraft was described as smaller than the 150 0001b NASA Shuttle orbiter, but larger than the Soyuz expendable manned transport. The NYT said the new vehicle indicated the USSR believed it had the technology to proceed with building reusable manned spacecraft. (NYT, Mar 21/78, 12)
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