The Space Shuttle that never was
The Space Shuttle was the way of the future—or so it seemed. Eager to take the program to the next level, NASA began to explore updated concepts for a reusable space transportation system, which they did starting in the early 199os. The culmination of these efforts was the Orbital Sciences X-34, a prototype for testing a low-cost reusable vehicle and for running suborbital flight experiments. An X-34 neared completion in 2001, but the program was axed due to budget concerns.
