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TAAS Company Presents New Orbital Space Plane

Posted by Soulskill on from the high-in-the-sky dept.

RobGoldsmith writes "The TAAS Company have released details on their new Orbital Space Plane. The new design has many attributes to set it apart from its rivals. One highlight is the integrated Safety System; this is where an escape vehicle can eject from the main body of the craft then fly home safely. They claim: 'With the system's performance capability, economical first stage tow and independence from ground launch facilities, it can offer the lowest price. It also offers the safest flight.' Could this spaceship rival Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo?" Reader wooferhound points out related news from XCOR Aerospace (which we've discussed previously), that they're beginning to take orders for seats on their own suborbital flights, with test runs planned for 2010. Seats will be going for around $95,000 each, less than half the cost of the first tickets for SpaceShipTwo.

3 of 80 comments (clear)

  1. Now, seriously. by Chris+Tucker · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I can see the need for commercialized flights to sub-orbital and even to orbit.

    But really, what's next after this? I'd like to be able to get to the ISS for a not insane sum, like MAYBE 200 thousand dollars.

    But, failing that, OK, you're in orbit. Now what? I think that "space tourism" will only be genuinely successful is if there is a destination in orbit. The whole "space hotel" thing makes a LOT of sense in that it is a destination AND a safe haven if the vehicle can safely reenter.

    --
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  2. Re:Orbital? by TheKidWho · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I know, my comments are filled with wisdom.

    But mainly the lack of a heat shield would prevent them from ever achieving orbit and coming back in one piece.

    Never mind the fact that it basically looks like a commercial private jet "re engineered for orbital travel" AKA just a bunch of snake oil. Where are the technical details besides the marketing jumbo?

  3. Re:Orbital? by quetzalblue · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yeah, I thought so too. The tanks take up most of the "space plane". And you just stick a rocket motor at the end of the it and it goes whoosh into suborbit ? Possibly it just occured to me that maybe your tow plane comment is the missing piece of the puzzle : they'll tow it into orbit and then let it go there ! Then it can fart around all it likes since the problem of getting into orbit has been solved ! (that's sarcasm for you sarcasm-impaired out there).

    Kinda smell something funny in this one since if they plan on bringing satellites up on this plane, they'll need to be golf ball sized to fit in the pilot's pocket so he can chuck 'em out the window.

    I didnt realise that rocket technology had progressed to the point where you just strap on a rocket to a learjet and load up a couple of jerry cans of gasoline and away you go ! There was quite a lot of talk about cooling and weight of fuel to weight of vehicle etc while I was following the space-x stuff a few years back. This seems .. umm .. like a Hollywood design.