Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. July 2, 1996



NASA's Latest Rockets: X-33

Credit: Vehicle Analysis Branch, LARC, NASA

Explanation: What will NASA rockets look like in the future? Today's announcement gave one indication. Today Vice- President Al Gore announced that the Lockheed Martin Corporation will work with NASA to produce a reusable rocket with a remote pilot. Currently designated the X-33 program, the flight demonstration rocket design will utilize only a single stage, cost relatively little per launch, and be ready for re-launch within days. It is expected that an X-33 type rocket will be in use by NASA by the the year 2000. Pictured above is an artistic depiction of the candidate vehicle.