RVD Lecture - Spaceplanes

In the 1930’s, daredevils made the first short flights in glider planes equipped with rocket engines. But even before that time, space pioneers as Tsiolkovski, Oberth and Goddard saw in spaceplanes a crucial factor in space transport. Recently, space planes are back and kicking as a method for suborbital flights, and new interests are shown in hypersonic aircraft and reusable launchvehicles with an advanced propulsion system containing both jet engines and rocket engines. Is the spaceplane finally becoming a big hit? This lecture will cover the entire history of the spaceplane, will analyze trends and records and will take a look at the future. The lecture will be given by Michel van Pelt, board member of RVD 10. He now works at ESTEC as Cost Engineer and Concurrent Design Facility Team Leader. He is editor of the NVR magazine “Ruimtevaart” and wrote multiple books, such as “Rocketing into the Future; the History and Technology of Rocket Planes”.