Author's Note: Several different spacecraft populate the Contact Lost™ universe. Many of these vessels are based upon real-world vehicles such as the X-20 Dyna Soar. Others are completely a figment of my imagination. As always, what you see here is a work of fiction.

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Military Spacecraft

The US military had a number of space projects over the years. Some proved to be widely successful, while others ended up on the scrap heap.

YF-19A Saber

An early space fighter, the Saber ultimately didn't live up to the hype.

Blue Gemini

Successor to the YF-19, Blue Gemini proved to be versatile and cost effective.

Vigilance (DSEV-1)

This technology demonstrator fundamentally changed the nature of spaceflight.

SpyGlass

A spy satellite that could be serviced in orbit, SpyGlass satellites have been in orbit for years. One even went to the Moon.

Ronald Reagan Strategic Defense Laser Satellite (SDLS-1)

Completed in 1999, the SDLS's 14 MW laser could vaporize an inch-thick aluminum plate 100 miles away. The 1,315 nm, 3.2 m diameter, 80% efficient laser could strike targets for 6 seconds before needing a 30-second recharge. At much longer ranges, it delivered far less power to the target, which made it too expensive to field in the numbers required to shoot down ballistic missiles. While it failed as an anti-ballistic missile laser, it worked great as a laser broom. Click image for full-size.

Civilian Spacecraft

The US military wasn't the only agency fielding spacecraft. Their civilian counterpart, the National Aerospace Exploration Administration (NAXA) pioneered much of the technology used by the military, while independent businesses like Spartan Aerospace, Bollan Aerospace, and Wild Blue Industries made a profit with space exploration.

Nautilus

Nautilus was the second Deep Space Exploration Vessel. Strictly a NAXA vessel, she improved upon the technology demonstrated by Vigilance (DSEV-1). On her maiden voyage, all contact with Nautilus was lost as she prepared to fly to Uranus.

Shuttle II

Shuttle II, the successor to the Space Transportation System, finally realized its predecessor's promise of a fully reusable spacecraft with airline-like performance.

The Blackjack takes on water propellant before boosting to EML-2.

RABBIT

Known as the Reusable Airless Body Ballistic Intermodal Transport, the RABBIT is a NAXA project that replaced their Lunar Surface Access Module.

Gateway Station

Located at EML-2, Gateway was a "blue collar" space station compared to the ISS.

Space station callouts

Mars Excursion Vehicle (MEV)

The MEV enabled humanity to finally fulfill their dream of landing on Mars.

The Beagle was Orbital Dynamics' solution to the Commercial Crew Transportation Services series of contracts created by NAXA to jumpstart commercial space services.

Appaloosa

This tireless workhorse served both military and civilian launch needs at an affordable price.

Homestead Commercial Space Module

Wild Blue Industries' TransHab-based commercial space module had a number of uses.

SkyRanch II

SkyRanch II served a number of customers, but the primary tenant was the Shackleton Mining Company.