Space: A Lift from the Lifting Body

As it reached an altitude of 100 miles and a speed of 18,000 m.p.h. off the West Coast of the U.S. last week, an Atlas rocket opened its clamshell nose cone and ejected a 7-ft. object that resembled a flatiron-shaped speedboat. The strange craft was the Air Force SV-5D, an experimental forerunner of a larger, manned "lifting body" that scientists believe will be equally at home in space and in the atmosphere.

Independently launched into orbit by a rocket or carried aloft in a mother spacecraft, lifting bodies will be maneuvered in space with thrusters, much like conventional spacecraft. After they enter the atmosphere, however, the wingless craft will be piloted like gliders to land at existing airports, using their control flaps to maneuver and deriving necessary lift from their aerodynamic shape. Thus the reusable ships could probably become the space age's most utilitarian vehicles.

An astronaut stranded in orbit could transfer to a small lifting body stowed aboard his disabled spacecraft. Detaching the space lifeboat (TIME, March 10), he could fire its retrorocket to drop out of orbit, then glide through the atmosphere to a convenient airport. Larger lifting bodies could ferry men and supplies to space stations and perform orbital missions themselves. The craft's ability to maneuver to an airport and land safely would eliminate the need for the costly 10,000-man recovery force that now must be deployed for each space mission.

Demonstrating its versatility in last week's test, the SV-5D fired nitrogen jets in response to commands radioed from the ground, changing its attitude as it soared through space over the Pacific. Then, as it followed its trajectory back into the atmosphere, the craft moved its control flaps, turned, and detoured 500 miles before returning to its original course and splashing down in the ocean near Kwajalein Island. Though the SV-5D sank, and was lost when heavy seas ripped away its flotation gear, its otherwise successful flight brought closer the day when man can first steer it through space.