The Delta Clipper program was initiated in Huntington Beach in 1991. The Delta Clipper was McDonnell Douglas’ version of a single stage reusable launch vehicle. The test product, designated DC-X, was one-third the actual proposed size of the spacecraft. The teams who worked on this massive project developed software and avionics that allowed the craft to transition smoothly from a vertical takeoff, maneuver in flight in any direction, and land vertically.Though the program was cancelled, the technologies incorporated into building the Delta Clipper have paved the way for future spaceplane technologies.