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Astrium Rocket Plane could be your ticket to space
Space travel for the rest of us just got a bit closer to reality when Astrium showed off plans for its spiffy space plane, a four-passenger jet that can take off from a conventional runway and blast 62 miles high into space. That's high enough to give you a hell of a ride, including about five minutes' worth of weightlessness at the top. On your space voyage, you'll be able to drink in the view from fifteen huge windows on the top, sides, and bottom of the spacecraft.
The craft has two normally aspirated jet engines to take it up to an altitude of about 7.4 miles, and that's where the rocket engine kicks in, thrusting this baby straight up until it reaches that 62-mile altitude in mere minutes. It uses thrusters to maneuver as gravity pulls it back to earth, and as soon as it reaches the upper reaches of the earth's atmosphere, those jet engines kick back in, bringing it safely down to a conventional runway. See it in action on the next page.
Better bring your checkbook, though, each flight will cost at least $200,000, but that's a mere pittance compared to the $25 million it would cost you to fly on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft today. Astrium plans to have this space jet built and flying by 2012.
By mickrussom at 5:57 AM ON 06/21/07
Too expensive, not high enough, by 2012, better designs will have superseded this.
This is just rocketing to the edge of space from 40,000 ft to 330,000 ft. The ISS is at about 1,000,000 ft and higher.
I don't get the 62 mile thing. I think the space-bar needs to be this: Get to LEO, complete as many orbits as desired, return to earth. None of this parabolic lobbing crap.
I wouldn't pay to be lobbed. I must be in orbit for this to be worth money.
By GerardManley at 12:30 PM ON 06/21/07
I wonder if this means that in the near future you could fly from Seattle to Paris in fifteen minutes? Half an hour? If this sort of thing became affordable, it would certainly change the face of travel - the world would truly become a small place. (Still want to know when they're coming out with flying cars - fueled by Mr. Generators, of course!)
By news-scoop at 9:49 PM ON 06/21/07
Sign me up.
I feel lucky to be born in the late 50's because I've witnessed the quaint world turn into the jet and internet age.
But I regret I won't be young when a ride into space is as common as sending an email.
Anyone want to buy me a couple "tickets to ride."
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