Project 7969 Bell - Credit: (c) Mark Wade. 5,140 bytes. 189 x 320 pixels.

Bell's preferred concept for the Air Force initial manned space project was the boost-glide vehicle they had been developing for the Dynasoar program. When pressed they considered briefly a minimum vehicle, spherical in shape, weighing about 1,400 kg. But their baseline was the Dynasoar approach - 'anything else would be a stunt'. It was expected that a first manned orbital flight of the boost-glide vehicle could be achieved five years after a go-ahead at a cost of $ 889 million.

Total Mass: 8,200 kg.

• 26 - Baker, David, The History of Manned Spaceflight, Crown, New York, 1981.
• 483 - Grimwood, James M., Project Mercury: A Chronology, NASA Special Publication-4001.

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Project 7969 Designs - Project 7969 designs using extensive aerodynamic maneuvering. From left: North American X-15B; Bell Dynasoar; Northrop Dynasoar; Republic Demi body; Avco maneuverable drag cone. Credit: (c) Mark Wade. 13,174 bytes. 640 x 240 pixels.

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