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Has anyone thought of strapping a rocket onto the SR-71 and getting it to orbit? (Obviously much more complicated than my whimsical comment but maybe do-able .
by tocomment 14y ago
Has anyone thought of strapping a rocket onto the SR-71 and getting it to orbit?
(Obviously much more complicated than my whimsical comment but maybe do-able ...?)
- starpilot 14y agoThe SR-71 is probably too small to carry a space-faring rocket, but the concept is reasonable: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_launch_to_orbit#Supersonic_air_launch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_launch_to_orbit#Supersonic_... This splits combined-cycle propulsion into multiple vehicles: air-breathing propulsion for the aircraft, chemical rocket for the spacecraft, thereby improving the efficiency of the whole launch.
- pkennedy 14y agoNot for orbital flight, but NASA did use one as a testbed for rocket engines, such as those for the NASP.