The Single-Stage-To-Orbit Dream

[rhoenix]

[youtube][/youtube]

The idea behind this video is that space agencies are drooling over getting their hands on a single-stage to orbit vehicle - basically, something like the space shuttle that can take off from Earth with no additional fuel tanks or whatnot, reach Earth's orbit under it's own power, and then land on Earth's surface like an airplane.

There are different ideas of how to do this, but this company's idea was to completely combine the idea of a jet engine and a rocket engine - and the concept is fascinating.

[LadyTevar]

Concept fascinating. But how close are they to even getting it off paper and into testing?

[rhoenix]

Concept fascinating. But how close are they to even getting it off paper and into testing?

According to the video, the engine design has been successfully tested, and has been shown to work exactly as it should. They're only waiting on someone to build that design into an actual craft.

[LadyTevar]

I wonder who they've approached for that.

[rhoenix]

I wonder who they've approached for that.

From the video, they were "in talks" with the British government again, as well as the ESA after the time of their first successful test. The lack of news from either of those two agencies about having a nice shiny new spaceplane is not encouraging to me.

[LadyTevar]

Both the ESU and the Brits both have the same problem NASA has: Lack of Money.

They'd be better off working with Virgin or another X-space corp.

[rhoenix]

Both the ESU and the Brits both have the same problem NASA has: Lack of Money.

They'd be better off working with Virgin or another X-space corp.

For now, yes. However, commercial interests never find it economical to blaze trails - it's far too often a complete money sink. Private interests, for instance, wouldn't have pushed to have railroads or highways across the US; that was something the government had to do for foresight of its people.

I see this issue very similarly - once a government or governments fund and make easier space flight and exploration, then this paves the way to allow private asteroid mining and other projects, the profits of which then only push the same governments harder to continue paving the road for others to walk.

This has to be something pushed for by NASA, the ESA, and others if it's going to be done.