June 2017
Spaceplane rationale - a new way of thinking
... will be a virtuous downward cost spiral until Spacebus, or something like it, is built and the lower cost limit of spaceplanes based on existing technology is approached. This cost can be estimated by comparison with airliners and works out at a few...
25 March 2016
Airbus Spaceplane May Be the Future of Space Tourism
... operate in between the standard airplane and satellite altitudes, and open up a whole new market segment. The spaceplane could be used as a transfer service or for experiments and work in a part of space not occupied by many other vehicles...
October 2019
Time to overcome the expendable rocket mindset
... new technology was not needed. An illustration of Spacebus and (right) a conceptual starting point for a rocket powered spaceplane. Historical perspectives The time is now ripe to finally overcome the “expendable rocket mindset” which is the biggest...
August 2020
Scorpion – a study of the possible
...for the first Salyut space stations. Reaction Engines’ Skylon spaceplane. So while we marvel at applications like GPS, gawp ...air-breathing engines to achieve a reusable single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane. In the subsequent third of a century, every one ...
31 December 2018
Spaceplane Hermes: Europe’s dream of independent manned spaceflight
... likely to associate the name Hermes with a European parcel delivery service or French scarf supplier than with a spaceplane… which is one good reason why this book is a welcome addition to the literature! As Europe’s Ariane 5 launch vehicle...
29 March 2021
Russia to develop new uncrewed spaceplane
... Association (NPO); the developers of the Soviet Union’s first spaceplane, the Buran. Like the X-37B, the new model, ...most expensive in the history of Soviet space exploration. Its first spaceplane, the Buran, was rolled out of production in 1984 and ...
