U.S. Space Program

After Germany surrendered, Project Paperclip personnel were brought in with varying results. Many of Germany's captured V-2 rockets were modified, re-configured and fired for effect. and many see a near strike on Mexico as a sign that out Germans were not as successful as those of the Russians since Sputnik was a glaring example. But with concentrated effort, The uS was to catch up. *************************************************************************************** Boeing was awarded the Dyna-Soar design contract on Nov. 9, 1959, and it was designated the X-20 on June 19, 1962, for the acceleration rocket used in the Dyna Soar I drop-tests and had been successfully fired. *************************************************************************************** The Dyna-Soar, designed to be a 35.5-foot piloted reusable space vehicle, had a sharply swept delta 20.4-foot-span wing and a graphite and zirconia composite nose cap and used three retractable struts for landing. Eleven manned flights were planned from Cape Canaveral Florida beginning in November 1964. Dyna-Soar's first orbital flight was tentatively scheduled for early 1965. It was a spaceplane that could be used for a variety of military missions, including reconnaissance, bombing, space rescue, satellite maintenance, and sabotage of enemy satellites. Running from October 24, 1957 to December 10, 1963, the X-20 had an 'unveiling' US Air Force ceremony in Las Vegas. Apparently running over budget, costing $410 million for development to its mock-up stage. A crew of astronauts was training to fly it. However, the U.S. government canceled the program on Dec. 10, 1963, reasoning was that it no viable military mission and was too expensive for a research vehicle. *************************************************************************************** At least that was the official cover story. As hindsight is 20/20, most people who "keep up" with the US space program are certain that an even better "spaceship" came about, perhaps from a Skunkworks back-engineered craft that had been "acquired". ***************************************************************************************