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One X-Prize contetant has commited to the HTOL 1.5STO route:
Pioneer Rocketplane's Pathfinder is an innovative HTOL design which uses in-flight refuelling of a single-stage vehicle before shooting for space.
It will take off with no liquid oxygen in its tanks,using turbofans to reach a 20,000 feet altitude. By this time most of the jet fuel has been used thus making it lighter.It will then rendezvous with a tanker which will supply it LOX inflight. The concept is innovative and practical. It does reduces problems due to take-off weight to a large extent.
It can then effectively "take off" with full tanks at high altitude. In-flight refuelling is practiced routinely by airforces around the world and so safety should not be a problem. However, the technology to transfer fuel at such an extremely low temperature does not exist.
Pathfinder will also have the ability to launch payload into LEO which makes the project more viable.
Also See :
| Spacecraft Tech | : | HTOL -1.5STO Design |
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