Flying in and out of atmosphere??

I am sure that this will get hammered, but correct me if I am wrong!?
Doesn't the U.S. have an intention of creating aircraft that can literally fly in and out of the atmosphere?? I mean I know that Burt Rattan has created a reuseable platform for space flight but is this not small potatoes in the grand plan??
Let's just look at the feasability of it all....you launch a vehicle at Edwards, it goes up to orbit and loiters for a day or whatever, and then just drops in over whatever country has terrorists after us now. The fuel saving is obvious not to mention the stealth application. I thought this was the idea but has it been scrapped??

Thanks for any help......Peace, Mondo

Don't you need a velocity of 11.2 kilometres per second to escape Earth's gravitational pull?

Plus, there is not much air up there for a winged aircraft to use. I'm not entirely sure how you would do something like this.

11.2 k/s is roughly Mach 33 ASL, I think. For an airplane to reach that speed it has to have a lot of power, and it must sustain that power past the height at which air-breathing jet, ramjet or even scramjet engines can operate. Hence the rockets you see strapped to the Space Shuttle.

I don't really think something can just fly in and out of our atmosphere. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Besides the technological difficulties of building a "space-plane" I believe there are international laws against the militarisation of space.

Although the USA has stated its intention to defy this law (in a disgusting manner if you ask me) its get to do so. I think...

Originally posted by gfad
Besides the technological difficulties of building a "space-plane" I believe there are international laws against the militarisation of space.

Although the USA has stated its intention to defy this law (in a disgusting manner if you ask me) its get to do so. I think...

Great point Gfad, and also, yeah I do believe you are correct in your mention of the velocity required (thanks to watch_the_rocks). I think that the ability to do such a thin would be the main intent, the rules of whether or not you should being second, but yeas Gfad, I do agree with you that the U.S. doesn't always observe said laws.
Mainly, I would think that such a system if it were able to me made, would have so many applications; transport of people (civilians) just to name one, but that it would be the next step in fuel consevation as well.
Just remember seeing thi idea in Popular Science before and it sounded logical is all.....thank for the replies so far, Mondo

Originally posted by Mondogiwa
I am sure that this will get hammered, but correct me if I am wrong!?
Doesn't the U.S. have an intention of creating aircraft that can literally fly in and out of the atmosphere??

No, you are refering to a hypersonic wave-rider. AKA the FALCON. While it won't leave the atmosphere totally, the air density at these altitudes is extremely small.

www.talkingproud.us...


[edit on 8/1/07 by kilcoo316]

thank you so much so far...I will look into that, and yeah, it seems only
reasonable that once we have exhausted our airspace that we will move up and outward.

Great help so far....thanks and Peace, Mondo