Could we develop a space plane, something like a fighter jet that could make it to orbit with it's own fuel?

Question

The shuttle is huge. So it needs huge boosters. How much power could a small space jet need? Do we need to develop an advanced power source before such a plane could be made?

Answer 1

That would be really cool, and they have been trying for years, but so far no success. Rocket planes, like the X-15 and Burt Rutan's Space Ship one, have flown outside the atmosphere, but only at speeds less than 5,000 miles per hour (less than Mach 7). Since orbital speed is 17,500 miles per hour (Mach 25), both these rocket planes immediately start falling back down to the atmosphere as soon as the rocket propellant runs out, which it does in just a few minutes.

A jet powered craft could possibly achieve higher speeds, but unlike rockets, jets need to use air from the atmosphere to keep burning their fuel. While new experiments like the x-43 are testing very high speed jet engines, the problem of friction with the air remains. If you want to make it to orbit you need to get the full 17,500 miles per hour orbital speed, and at that speed the plane would melt from the same heating that the shuttle experiences during reentry. So the only way we know to get to space is to get above the atmosphere before the speed gets too fast, and no atmosphere means you need rockets that carry their own oxygen with them in huge tanks. It is very inefficient, but still the only way known to get to space.

Answer 2

Jet, I don't know, but a rocket plane is very possible, research X15 it did fly in sub-orbit and it is very very possible that bombers of the future will fly there... not fighters as fighters would probabbly give way to land to air missiles at those speeds and altitudes, no fighter could touch SR71 afterall..

Answer 3

the u.s. airforce is testing a jet fighter being capable of orbit
but that jet is classified information

they already have sub-orbital jets that go up to within 2 miles of orbit-u2 spy plane and the f11 tomcat

Answer 4

The reason that the shuttle's main fuel tank (that enormous yellow thing) is so big is because it's launched vertically. Launching horizontally makes MUCH more sense.
But Nasa seems to be like Oedipus. They figgure what was good enough for daddy, is good enough for them...

Answer 5

i thnk thats possible but will be very difficult for that craft to take off by itself.

it can be carried inside a bigger jet and then released at a very high altitude and from there it can go on by itself that way we can save lots of fuel(takeoff)

Answer 6

May be. If only we are able to use solar radiation as fuel.