X-33 PROGRAM SIGNALS NEW APPROACH FOR NASA

摘要

In July, Vice President Al Gere announced that Lockheed Martin had been selected as the contractor to build the X-33 technology demonstrator, the second phase of NASA's program to develop a single-stage-to-orbit reusable launch vehicle (RLV). The nearly $1 billion contract signals a new way of thinking for NASA. Instead of designing a product and passing along a set of specifications for a commercial company to fill, NASA will now look to those contracted companies to provide new ideas and, with some seed money from NASA, then build a commercially viable space project. Furthermore, NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin hopes these privately funded projects will grow into more-developed sectors of commerce with additional high-paying jobs.