Aug 182008
Circa 1972, via North American Rockwell. Click on the titles to get higher-rez versions.
Click titles for higher rez versions.
4 Responses to “Early Shuttle artwork”
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Circa 1972, via North American Rockwell. Click on the titles to get higher-rez versions.
Click titles for higher rez versions.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
What was that extension on the top of the ET all about?
it almost looks like they wanted to put parachutes on it and try to recover it.
Also wondering what that elongated structure along the spine is, maybe some test article and not intended for the production orbiter?
The pod on the nose of the ET was for a de-orbit motor. Apparently early on the ET was expected to make it pretty much all the way to orbit.
The structure on the spine was where the “arm” was originally meant to go. This would allow the payload bay to carry a full-length, max-diameter payload and an arm.
[…] This appears to be the same design, or at least very close, to that shown in paintings HERE. […]