From: henry@spsystems.net   
      
   In article <101ig60sasa7pd3@corp.supernews.com>,   
   Joseph S. Powell, III  wrote:   
   >> >And are hypersonics a good idea for anything at all?   
   >> For high-speed cruise within the atmosphere -- assuming you have some   
   >> urgent reason to want to do that -- they look promising.  But they have   
   >> nothing much to do with spaceflight.   
   >   
   >Wouldn't a hypersonic carrier be an ideal lauch platform for a manned   
   >shuttle-type vehicle...   
      
   Maybe.  As Gordon has already noted, there's a big problem with separating   
   cleanly from such a carrier in a hypersonic environment, and for that   
   matter with surviving that environment long enough to reach separation   
   time.  (Launchers normally reach such velocities only in very thin air,   
   but a hypersonic aircraft needs to stay in air that's thick enough for its   
   engines and wings.)   
      
   That aside, such an aircraft would certainly be interesting for such   
   uses... *if* it already existed.  It's very unlikely to be cost-effective   
   to build such a thing solely as part of a launch system.  A rocket stage,   
   even a reusable one, is easier and cheaper.   
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   since Oct; first surprises seen; papers pending.        | henry@spsystems.net   
      
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