Virgin are working on a system where a high altitude aircraft will deploy a rocket, and a similar system was developed using an F-14 as a launch vehicle.

I'm not away of a single stage system doing this before now though.

[–] TagMeInSkipIGotThis@lemmy.nz 1 points 3 weeks ago

I'm just a dummy - but one thing that puzzles me is how this is going to scale to actually transport stuff into space? Especially once it has to have materials on the vehicle to allow it to survive re-entry heat & forces.

[–] Smrki@mastodon.nz 0 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

@Fizz Nazis had rocket planes 80 years ago.

[–] Fizz@lemmy.nz 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Which plane? I don't remember them making rocket planes to fly to space.

[–] Smrki@mastodon.nz 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

@Fizz No but they made a rocket plane. Fighter.

[–] TagMeInSkipIGotThis@lemmy.nz 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Heh, it was barely a plane though - basically wings on a rocket, very little fly time & wasn't landing it so problematic that more often than not it crashed or the pilot bailed?

[–] Smrki@mastodon.nz 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

@TagMeInSkipIGotThis Sure, but 80 years ago… How much did it take from Orwille brothers to Sputnik? 40-50 years?

[–] qarbone@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Things plateau as the "cost to result" ratio becomes more and more unfavorable.

I don't see what you're trying to say.