McDonnell Douglas GRM-29 SSTO global strike spaceplane

[Vahe231991]

In the early 1980s, McDonnell Douglas proposed a single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane, the GRM-29A (Global Range Mach-29 Aerospaceplane), as part of Science Dawn, a program sponsored by the US Air Force to analyze the possibility of a manned horizontal takeoff and landing SSTO aerospaceplane which could carry a 10,000 pound payload to polar orbit for Strategic Air Command. Unusually designed for vertical takeoff in a horizontal attitude (like the Harrier), the GRM-29A was the size of the B-1 swing-wing bomber, and it could launch from up to 480 sites in the lower 48, with the capability to strike anywhere in the world from orbital altitudes. It had a down-pointing SSME in the nose to cater for the runway requirements The GRM-29A remained a design study only because the final report on Science Realm design studies published in 1984 concluded that horizontal takeoff was an inappropriate use of rocket power, but the report also recommended that metallic structural test articles be built and tested, so McDonnell Douglas along with Boeing and Lockheed constructed a structural test article for an SSTO vehicle as part of Have Region.

References:
* Butrica, A.J., 2003. Single Stage to Orbit: Politics, Space Technology, and the Quest for Reusable Rocketry. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Single_Stage_to_Orbit/v6eTVBEDA54C?hl=en&gbpv=0
* https://up-ship.com/blog/?p=6004
* https://up-ship.com/apr/images/v5n2all.jpg

[catdlr]

I asked Hazegrayart to see if he could do a video on this.  I'll let you know.

[cohberg]

The speaking tone / voice changes was bothering me so much that I looked for where this was ripped from

If you are going to rip from another forum, why not just link to it for context?

GRM-29A (Global Range Mach-29 Aerospaceplane)...
Butrica, A.J., 2003. Single Stage to Orbit

Ripped from secretprojects.co.uk which is also where you got the citation

Global Range Mach 29 Aerospace Plane (GRM-29A)...
Single Stage to Orbit ... Andrew J. Butrica

10,000 pound payload to polar orbit

Also ripped from secretprojects.co.uk 1:1

10,000 lb payload to a polar orbit

Unusually designed for vertical takeoff in a horizontal attitude (like the Harrier), the GRM-29A was the size of the B-1 swing-wing bomber, and it could launch from up to 480 sites in the lower 48, with the capability to strike anywhere in the world

Ripped from up-ship.com/apr/contents.htm. However, you didn't know to link that specific page as a "reference" because you copied the text above from secretprojects.co.uk as well. The poster had quoted, but not attributed, the source page.

unusual launch arrangement ... vertical takeoff, but in a horizontal attitude (like a Harrier). The size of a B-1 bomber, it could launch from up to 480 sites in the lower 48, and could strike anywhere in the world.

a down-pointing SSME in the nose to cater for the runway requirements

1:1 copy from secretprojects.co.uk

a down- pointing SSME in the nose to cater for the runway requirements

horizontal takeoff was an inappropriate use of rocket power

1:1 copy from secretprojects.co.uk. The forum post itself was a rip from Tuomas Narvainen's website

horizontal takeoff was inappropriate use of rocket power

but the report also recommended that metallic structural test articles be built and tested, so McDonnell Douglas along with Boeing and Lockheed constructed a structural test article for an SSTO vehicle as part of Have Region.

Ironically the only part that is original / non copied also summarized the posts in the most confusing / non contextual way possible

Under the program three prototype lightweight structures in scales from 40 to 100% were fabricated from exotic metals, primarily titanium and high-temperature superalloys, to evaluate near-term flight readiness.

_{Stop training your LLM on 15+ year old forum posts.}

[Vahe231991]

The speaking tone / voice changes was bothering me so much that I looked for where this was ripped from

If you are going to rip from another forum, why not just link to it for context?

GRM-29A (Global Range Mach-29 Aerospaceplane)...
Butrica, A.J., 2003. Single Stage to Orbit

Ripped from secretprojects.co.uk which is also where you got the citation

Global Range Mach 29 Aerospace Plane (GRM-29A)...
Single Stage to Orbit ... Andrew J. Butrica

10,000 pound payload to polar orbit

Also ripped from secretprojects.co.uk 1:1

10,000 lb payload to a polar orbit

Unusually designed for vertical takeoff in a horizontal attitude (like the Harrier), the GRM-29A was the size of the B-1 swing-wing bomber, and it could launch from up to 480 sites in the lower 48, with the capability to strike anywhere in the world

Ripped from up-ship.com/apr/contents.htm. However, you didn't know to link that specific page as a "reference" because you copied the text above from secretprojects.co.uk as well. The poster had quoted, but not attributed, the source page.

unusual launch arrangement ... vertical takeoff, but in a horizontal attitude (like a Harrier). The size of a B-1 bomber, it could launch from up to 480 sites in the lower 48, and could strike anywhere in the world.

a down-pointing SSME in the nose to cater for the runway requirements

1:1 copy from secretprojects.co.uk

a down- pointing SSME in the nose to cater for the runway requirements

horizontal takeoff was an inappropriate use of rocket power

1:1 copy from secretprojects.co.uk. The forum post itself was a rip from Tuomas Narvainen's website

horizontal takeoff was inappropriate use of rocket power

but the report also recommended that metallic structural test articles be built and tested, so McDonnell Douglas along with Boeing and Lockheed constructed a structural test article for an SSTO vehicle as part of Have Region.

Ironically the only part that is original / non copied also summarized the posts in the most confusing / non contextual way possible

Under the program three prototype lightweight structures in scales from 40 to 100% were fabricated from exotic metals, primarily titanium and high-temperature superalloys, to evaluate near-term flight readiness.

_{Stop training your LLM on 15+ year old forum posts.}

I felt compelled to start this thread because even though the GRM-29 was a military SSTO spaceplane design, there was no prior thread on this forum dedicated to it. I appreciate some of your feedback, but I paraphrased a few passages from the book by Butrica regarding SSTO development with respect to Science Dawn and Have Region and the proposals conceived as part of Science Dawn.

By the way, are there any project documents for the GRM-29 global-range SSTO bomber design that I could look at?