Boeing 3717-X Star Clipper "USS Carl Sagan"

[Atlantis]

In 2032, the Boeing Aircraft Company won NASA's contract to build the next generation of Space Exploration vessels. Construction began in 2033 with completion in 2035.The new ship was dubbed the USS Carl Sagan by NASA, it wwas a technology testbed. Funding for launching was finally approved by the Huynh administration in 2036, which performed on December 20 of that year, on the 40th anniversary of Dr. Sagan's passing, from NASA's pacific launch facility at Johnston Atoll atop a massive Ares-Nova rocket. Unfortunately, the ship was scuttled by the remaining crew of the USS Ducktape during a classified mission while in orbit around Mars to prevent its capture by a hostile unknown force.

      However, the 3717-X project spawned two other ship types, the 3737 Star Clipper and the  3747 Super Star Clipper. Some ships that trace lineage back to this one include the USS Carl Sagan II and the USS Neil Degrasse Tyson  (3747) and the JSEV Hideo Itokawa II and the executive transport NASA One (3737).  In addition to government operations the 3737's are very popular with civilian spacelines such as Delta, Virgin and Lufthansa.   

      It is powered by a single gas-core NERVA, which was derived from the engine used on the highly succesful 3707 Caravel program. Four smaller out board rocket engines are for orbital manuevering, Finer attitude adjustments are performed via its RCS quads. It carries four life boats aboard and the nose section can detach (thick saucer) sep and land via parafoil in the event of an emergency.


I've got the basic components complete, but it still has a way to go.
main components

mockup stage

[Atlantis]

Finished pics
Fore 

Starboard

Business end 

standard orbit 

[The Rat]

Excellent work, and you've named them after two of my heroes! 

[cthulhu77]

Very cool !  Especially the engines, fantastic.

[Joe C-P]

 
Very nice!

[Brian da Basher]

Love it!!!!

Brian da Basher

[Ed S]

Great idea. Good looking space ship.

Ed