X-41 is the designation for a still-classified U.S. military spaceplane. Specifications or photos of the program have not been released to the public yet; as a result not much is known about its goals. It has been described as an experimental maneuvering re-entry vehicle capable of transporting a 1,000 lb payload on a suborbital trajectory at hypersonic speeds and releasing that payload into the atmosphere.

This vehicle is now a part of FALCON (Force Application and Launch from Continental United States) program sponsored by DARPA and NASA.

External links

• GlobalSecurity.org: X-41
• Spacedaily.com: CAV
• Pentagon Has Far-Reaching Defense Spacecraft in Works, Washington Post, March 16, 2005