The Dove (and another
version used later in the film named "Doppelgänger") is the Phoenix's
landing craft for exploring the new planet. Where the Phoenix is
a pumped-up CSM, the Dove is a descendant of the experimental lifting
body aeroplanes that NASA was playing about with in the 1960s.
She also has such a sleek,
elegant shape that the fact modern spacecraft look nothing like her is
nothing short of criminal.
The HL-10 Lifting Body
The idea behind a lifting body
is that bricks do not fly. However, if you shape the brick just
right, it generates lift, much like a flying wing. The
difference is that, unlike a flying wing, a lifting body remains as
compact as a conventional space capsule, so is easier to protect from
burning up on re-entry, yet it can still be brought to a controlled
landing like a winged craft.
The Dove does the old
experimental jobs one better in that not only can she re-enter the
atmosphere and land on her own, but she also has VTOL capabilities, so
she doesn't need runways, and has enough thrust to return to orbit
without any additional boosters.
However, when you consider that
the only two times we see a Dove flying they both result in
spectacular and fatal crashes, one ends up wanting a quiet word with
whomever signed her airworthiness certificate.
The Dove (and another
version used later in the film named "Doppelgänger") is the Phoenix's
landing craft for exploring the new planet. Where the Phoenix is
a pumped-up CSM, the Dove is a descendant of the experimental lifting
body aeroplanes that NASA was playing about with in the 1960s.
The Dove does the old
experimental jobs one better in that not only can she re-enter the
atmosphere and land on her own, but she also has VTOL capabilities, so
she doesn't need runways, and has enough thrust to return to orbit
without any additional boosters.