X-17

Specifications

Company- Lockheed Missiles
Type- Testbed for high-Mach effects on space re-entry vehicles.
Goals- Explore re-entry characteristics.
Primary Testing Facility Research- Holloman AFB
Dimensions- Span- 7 ft, 7 in; Length- 40 ft, 4 in
Max Speed- Mach 14.5
Range- 135 miles
Max Altitude- 250 miles
Power Plant- 1st Stage- One Thiokol XM-20 (Sergeant) solid-fuel rocket; 2nd Stage- Three Thiokol XM-19 (Recruit) soid fuel rockets; 3rd Stage- One Thiokol XM-19E1 (Recruit with modified exhaust) solid fuel rocket
Thrust- 1st Stage- 48,000 lbf; 2nd Stage- 33,900 lbf; 3rd Stage- 35,950 lbf
Weights- Loaded: 12,000 lbs
Payload- N/A
Flights- 26
Number of Prototypes Built- 26
Project Tenure- 1955-1957
Project Status- Cancelled

Information

The X-17 was designed to test reentry characteristics of payloads, including intercontinental warheads, manned spacecraft and unmanned reentry vehicles.

During a typical mission the X-17 would climb only on the thrust of its first stage. With the first stage fuel spent, the X-17 would coast, reaching an altitude of about 500,000 ft, then would begin a "controlled" freefall back to Earth. At about 120,000 ft (22 miles), with an speed of mach 5, the 2nd stage would ignite, pushing the craft to nearly mach 10. At approximately 72,000 ft (13 miles), the final stage was ignited, pushing the reentry test bed to speed of up to mach 14.4, over 9,500 mph. 

26 X-17's are known to have been built and flown, though others may have been constructed from spare parts for the USAF secret "Project Argus". The last known X-17 flight was August 22, 1957.

** Information provided by X-Plane Data Site **