At the Launch Equipment Test Facility, Mike Solomon (left) and Will Reaves (right), both with Lockheed Martin Technical Operations, move in for a close look at part of the X-33 umbilical system. A team of Kennedy Space Center experts developed the umbilical system, comprising panels, valves and hoses that provide the means to load the X-33 with super-cold propellant. The X-33, under construction at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, Calif., is a half-scale prototype of the planned operational reusable launch vehicle dubbed VentureStar
Location Kennedy Space Center, FL
Date June 18, 1999