The Silver Dart space plane, designed by private space contractor PlanetSpace, Inc. currently targeted at providing NASA crew and cargo services to the International Space Station (ISS), could be equipped with a suborbital rocket engine for point-to-point flights on the Earth.
PlanetSpace’s Silver Dart spacecraft will consist of a lifting body based on the NASA’s X-24B test aircraft. The spacecraft is designed to fly at hypersonic speeds of up to Mach 22, launch atop either an orbital NOVA booster [image] or suborbital rocket, and make a runaway landing [image].
PlanetSpace’s Silver Dart spacecraft will consist of a lifting body based on the NASA’s X-24B test aircraft. The spacecraft is designed to fly at hypersonic speeds of up to Mach 22, launch atop either an orbital NOVA booster [image] or suborbital rocket, and make a runaway landing [image].
The Silver Dart’s has a potential glide range of more than 25,000 miles (40,233 kilometers) at hypersonic speeds, which lend it to point-to-point flights around Earth making a flight from New York to Paris in 20 minutes not out of the question.
3 comments:
It may not be as inherently safe as the much simpler approach adopted by X-Prize winner 'Spaceship One' (now backed by Richard Branson and Virgin
Galactic), but it certainly does evoke memories of golden-age sci fi such as
Heinlein's 'Transatlantic' and 'Antipodes' comercial rocket services.
You know, I have to agree. The look of the thing and then to remember the stories you mentioned, yes very evocative.
They probable already are made and in testing right now. It would explain all the rapid succession sonic booms we've been hearing in North Eastern Nevada and sounding areas for close to a year now.
Remember all the so-called UFO activity in the late seventies and early eighties, then we found out it was Skunk Works testing all the stealth planes.
Post a Comment