Lift off....hitching a plane ride

[captain nemo1701]

This reminded me of the old Gerry Anderson way of getting into space - use a lifting body. UFO launched its moon shuttle this way & Thunderbirds Are Go, the Zero X had lifting bodies.

The odd irony about this from Richard Branson is that he was cast as an astronaut trying to do this in 'Superman Returns'.

Virgin launches rocket from plane

 

[Drago]

They've taken the X15 concept a stage further.

An inyetesting story, but some of the rhetoric is a bit much. Its a perfectly feasible, long postulated technique, so Im curious to know who they are suggesting thought it was impossible?

 

[classic33]

https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/history/x-24.html

 

[captain nemo1701]

https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/history/x-24.html

Interesting. Of course, could go horribly wrong thus resulting in 1970's schoolkids running around in slo-mo for no apparent reason. Those of a certain vintage: