"Skylon Spaceplane-- The Jet That Becomes a Rocket" Topic

Interesting concept, featuring the "SABRE" engine that uses air as the oxidizer during atmospheric launch phase, like a jet, and then converts to use on board LOX in space.
link

As for gaming, I love how much it looks like classic 1950s streamlined spaceship concepts!

Looks cool. I hope this becomes reality.

I found this statement to be especially significant:

"There would need to be an increased rate of flights to lower the cost of an initially more expensive launch system," says David Baker of the British Interplanetary Society. "But if there were 100 a year the cost would fall through the floor … It's the very thing that's needed not only to service the existing industry but also to open broader applications."

I remember that the Space Shuttle was to be this, but in the initial design phase they traded off lower operational costs in favor of a lower initial cost. The shuttle also suffered from the conflicting needs of NASA and the U.S. Air Force, and no vessel ever benefited from unclear design goals. I hope that they are able to get Skylon working well.

She does look like a proper spaceship, doesn't she?

Ron

I seem to recall the Reagan administration was working on a very similar SSTO design that got killed in the Clinton budget cuts.

I think you're thinking of the Venture Star programme which was a different kind of beast (would probably be more expensive to operate than Sklon may be but covers a different set of requirements).

link

Nice. We as in *Humanity* need this. Seriously.

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net