The Apex test vehicle was to have been a remotely piloted, highly modified commercial sailplane.
EC98-44448-1
The Apex test vehicle was to have been a remotely piloted, highly modified commercial sailplane. It was to have been carried to an altitude in excess of 100,000 feet by a high-altitude balloon, then be released vertically and maneuvered to achieve horizontal flight. Flight testing was to have been made at altitudes between 100,000 and 95,000 feet. The unpowered craft was intended to collect aerodynamic data down to an altitude of about 70,000 ft and then glide to a landing at Edwards AFB.March 10, 1998NASA Photo / Brent Wood› Simulator Description