Looking after the space shuttle

the first picture look like what now darpa want to launch again as the XS1 spaceplane.
Seems like they doing things in US every 10 years again and stop half the way.
 
There's a second fly-back booster shown in that first picture. It looks like a revisit of the Siamese launcher concepts before the Shuttle.
 
TomS said:
There's a second fly-back booster shown in that first picture. It looks like a revisit of the Siamese launcher concepts before the Shuttle.
Click to expand...

I don't think this concept uses two boosters, rather the second booster is illustrating the manner in which it returns following it's mission, note the deployed canards near the nose...

cheers,
Robin.
 
No, it's definitely the first stage. The text description of the LM system reads:


Lockheed Martin's Preferred architecture is also a two-stage-to-orbit vehicle, combining a kerosene-fuelled first stage with a hydrogen-fuelled second stage. The fly-back first stage returns on jet power to the launch site while the second stage continues to orbit. Cargo is carried in a fairing on the back of the second stage, which opens to release the payload. The vehicle then reenters and glides back to a runway landing.


Alternatively, an orbital space plane (OSP) can be mounted on the second stage in place of the cargo fairing. The spaceplane would detach itself, operate in orbit, then re-enter and glide back.
Click to expand...


So the image is showing the second stage with an OSP attached, while the first stage flies back.
 
Ah, yes, now I see it, you can see the contrails from the first stage's wingtips trailing back under the second stage...

cheers,
Robin.
 

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