David Urie
Encyclopedia
Prior to June 2007, David Urie was Vice-President and Program Manager of Rocketplane Limited, Inc.
where he managed the design of the Rocketplane XP
.
Prior to joining the Rocketplane team, Urie served as president of Concept Fusion, Inc., providing technical development services to established companies and start-up organizations. During his 30-year career with the Lockheed Martin Corporation, Urie led teams on Lockheed’s X-30 National Aerospace Plane
and the HL-20 Personnel Launch System
. He was Chief Engineer and then Program Manager of the SR-71 Blackbird
reconnaissance system before initiating and heading the Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) and X-33 Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Programs at Lockheed. Urie's work as the program manager for the previously classified Have Region project demonstrated that rocket-powered single-stage-to-orbit vehicles were technically feasible, which led to the Lockheed Martin SSTO design approach.
As a Director of the Lockheed-Martin Skunk Works
SSTO/RLV Advanced Technology Demonstration Program, Urie conceived and developed the aerospike rocket
propelled lifting body
that was selected by NASA
as winner of the X-33 competition. He holds the patent on the design, and he formed and headed a multi-company team encompassing all aspects of SSTO/RLV.
Urie was also Program Manager of the Trans Atmospheric Vehicle (TAV) at Lockheed. His team built and successfully tested a large-scale cross section Mach 25 structure. He served on several advanced development projects in Flight Sciences and Operations Analysis.
Throughout his distinguished career, Urie has received numerous honors and awards, including the prestigious Engineer of the Year award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
. He has published many articles, prepared and taught several short courses, given various lectures and presentations, and served as aerospace engineering curricula advisor to two universities.
Rocketplane Limited, Inc.
Rocketplane Limited, Inc. is a defunct aerospace design and development company headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with facilities in Guthrie, Oklahoma and Burns Flat, Oklahoma.- History :...
where he managed the design of the Rocketplane XP
Rocketplane XP
The Rocketplane XP is a former suborbital spaceplane design that was under development circa 2005 by Rocketplane Kistler. The vehicle was to be powered by two jet engines and a rocket engine, intended to enable it to reach suborbital space. The XP was being designed to operate from existing...
.
Prior to joining the Rocketplane team, Urie served as president of Concept Fusion, Inc., providing technical development services to established companies and start-up organizations. During his 30-year career with the Lockheed Martin Corporation, Urie led teams on Lockheed’s X-30 National Aerospace Plane
Rockwell X-30
-See also:-References: 2. -External links:*...
and the HL-20 Personnel Launch System
HL-20 Personnel Launch System
The HL-20 Personnel Launch System was a circa 1990 NASA spaceplane concept for manned orbital missions studied by NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. HL-20 was envisaged as a lifting body re-entry vehicle based on the Soviet BOR-4 spaceplane design featuring low operational costs,...
. He was Chief Engineer and then Program Manager of the SR-71 Blackbird
SR-71 Blackbird
The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft. It was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by the Lockheed Skunk Works. Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the...
reconnaissance system before initiating and heading the Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) and X-33 Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Programs at Lockheed. Urie's work as the program manager for the previously classified Have Region project demonstrated that rocket-powered single-stage-to-orbit vehicles were technically feasible, which led to the Lockheed Martin SSTO design approach.
As a Director of the Lockheed-Martin Skunk Works
Skunk works
Skunk Works is an official alias for Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs , formerly called Lockheed Advanced Development Projects. Skunk Works is responsible for a number of famous aircraft designs, including the U-2, the SR-71 Blackbird, the F-117 Nighthawk, and the F-22 Raptor...
SSTO/RLV Advanced Technology Demonstration Program, Urie conceived and developed the aerospike rocket
Aerospike engine
The aerospike engine is a type of rocket engine that maintains its aerodynamic efficiency across a wide range of altitudes through the use of an aerospike nozzle. It is a member of the class of altitude compensating nozzle engines. A vehicle with an aerospike engine uses 25–30% less fuel at low...
propelled lifting body
Lifting body
A lifting body is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration in which the body itself produces lift. In contrast to a flying wing, which is a wing with minimal or no conventional fuselage, a lifting body can be thought of as a fuselage with little or no conventional wing...
that was selected by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
as winner of the X-33 competition. He holds the patent on the design, and he formed and headed a multi-company team encompassing all aspects of SSTO/RLV.
Urie was also Program Manager of the Trans Atmospheric Vehicle (TAV) at Lockheed. His team built and successfully tested a large-scale cross section Mach 25 structure. He served on several advanced development projects in Flight Sciences and Operations Analysis.
Throughout his distinguished career, Urie has received numerous honors and awards, including the prestigious Engineer of the Year award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is the professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA was founded in 1963 from the merger of two earlier societies: the American Rocket Society , founded in 1930 as the American Interplanetary Society , and the Institute...
. He has published many articles, prepared and taught several short courses, given various lectures and presentations, and served as aerospace engineering curricula advisor to two universities.