DC-X - The NASA Rocket that Beat SpaceX by 20 Years

In the 1990s, McDonnell Douglas worked closely with the US government to launch and land several versions of the Delta Clipper, a vertical takeoff and landing, single-stage-to-orbit technology demonstrator that was touted as the gateway into a new era in space. A small, dedicated group of government, industry engineers, and project managers led by legendary astronaut and visionary Pete Conrad were on the threshold of making history in aerospace development. Not only was the new century approaching, but a new way of living too, one that would make space travel available for business and pleasure. And the DC-X was the vehicle that would bring the future to the general public.