Looks Like a Spaceship, Don't It?

[Clonus]

http://www.popsci.com/technology/art...s-get-rid-boom

[Xavier Onassiss]

Define 'spaceship'?

There's no air in space, so aerodynamic streamlining, wings, and air-breathing engines don't make me think of spaceships.

Looks really cool, anyway, tho.

[Sweeper]

Those aren't air intakes. Those are, uh... , bussard collectors. Yeah, that's it.

[BobGreenwade]

They do have a really cool, futuristic look, though if one really wants to eliminate sonic booms one could just use a spaceplane.

That said, the highly aerodynamic design might be a good idea for re-entry (having zero knowledge of aeronautical engineering, I really don't know).

[Clonus]

Define 'spaceship'?

There's no air in space, so aerodynamic streamlining, wings, and air-breathing engines don't make me think of spaceships.
.

What about spaceships that can land?

[Kraven Kor]

What about spaceships that can land?

I'd think having one engine system for in-atmosphere and another for space travel would be inefficient at best... inefficient, expensive, and dangerous at worst. But then I'm no expert either and generally get around such details by conveniently overlooking them

[Vulcan]

Having different propulsion systems for different environments is inefficient... to an extent.

Given current technology, however, it is even more inefficient to use rocket propulsion in an atmosphere for extended periods. So, to take the 'earth to orbit' example, it might well be more efficient to use jets of some sort to 100K feet altitude, then kick the rockets in to get to orbit. Coming back would only use the rockets briefly to deorbit, then the jets would kick back in for landing.

Theorectically, of course.

Now, if we could come up with some sort of drive that worked equally well in and out of the atmosphere with minimal harmful effects, then that would really be something, wouldn't it?

[Sweeper]

In reality sure. But few care about such things in fiction.

[Kraven Kor]

Having different propulsion systems for different environments is inefficient... to an extent.

Given current technology, however, it is even more inefficient to use rocket propulsion in an atmosphere for extended periods. So, to take the 'earth to orbit' example, it might well be more efficient to use jets of some sort to 100K feet altitude, then kick the rockets in to get to orbit. Coming back would only use the rockets briefly to deorbit, then the jets would kick back in for landing.

Theorectically, of course.

Now, if we could come up with some sort of drive that worked equally well in and out of the atmosphere with minimal harmful effects, then that would really be something, wouldn't it?

Could one make a rocket/jet hybrid? One that, in atmosphere, mixes the rocket fuel with air, then once out, seals the air intakes and goes to pure rocket?

[mikesama]

Could one make a rocket/jet hybrid? One that, in atmosphere, mixes the rocket fuel with air, then once out, seals the air intakes and goes to pure rocket?

In theory that could work using liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen and simply using a ram get style engine for when you are in the atmosphere.

[Xavier Onassiss]

What about spaceships that can land?

Here's one:

[TSandman]

I think it looks like a fancy dart

[Markdoc]

As for the plane itself, it looks cool, but will never be built: it's pointless. The "sonic boom" effect and resulting law was simply a way for Congress to stop Concorde from selling their planes to US domestic carriers. Concorde was operated over heavily populated areas in Europe for years with nary a problem and the US routinely permits supersonic flight by military craft inside the US. Given all that - and the economic failure of Concorde - why spend billions to develop a plane with a limited market and no real technological requirement to exist?

Cheers, Mark

[dmjalund]

It's market would be less limited (by how much I couldn't say) If it was allowed to fly over the U.S. Also - If it is more fule efficient than the Concorde, it could fly over oceans larger than the Atlantic. (L.A. to Sydney in 4 hours anyone?)

[Susano]

Well, now I know what the scramjets in Kazei 5 look like.