Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Normal
That sentence sorta contradicts itself. Putting it inside a cargo bay still limits the volume of the vehicle. It also imposes other limits as well. And air-launched vehicles have limited growth potential (you cannot make it longer than the cargo bay, for instance).Air launch just isn't attractive. At first glance it seems like it should be. It seems like using an air-breathing vehicle to get the rocket to altitude should save some costs and provide some performance improvements, but it just never works out, which is why after nearly sixty years of shooting things into space there is only one very lightly used air launch space vehicle.Stratolaunch is cool. It won't be successful. Air launch just doesn't work out as a good idea.
That sentence sorta contradicts itself. Putting it inside a cargo bay still limits the volume of the vehicle. It also imposes other limits as well. And air-launched vehicles have limited growth potential (you cannot make it longer than the cargo bay, for instance).
Air launch just isn't attractive. At first glance it seems like it should be. It seems like using an air-breathing vehicle to get the rocket to altitude should save some costs and provide some performance improvements, but it just never works out, which is why after nearly sixty years of shooting things into space there is only one very lightly used air launch space vehicle.
Stratolaunch is cool. It won't be successful. Air launch just doesn't work out as a good idea.
