The Phantom Express program sought to build a reusable spacecraft that could be used to launch satellites into orbit every 24 hours during 10 days with minimal maintenance. The implications would give the United States the upper hand if an orbital war were to break out.

Ever since the Cold War’s technological revolution, engineers have tried to develop a sustainable spacecraft that could be used multiple times while saving millions of dollars.

American and Russian companies have unsuccessfully embarked on such projects for decades. However, a joint venture in the early 2010s between the American Defense Advanced Research Project Agency and renowned aircraft company Boeing sought to change that.

The XS-1 Spacecraft, or Phantom Express, was expected to launch vertically, deliver its ordnance in the atmosphere at Mach 10 speeds, and then make its way back to Earth, landing horizontally like most modern aircraft. It could carry a payload of up to 5,000 pounds, and each ride would cost less than 5 million dollars.

The plan was ambitious, and the entire world was eager to see how it revolutionized space aeronautics…