Mitsubishi single-stage-to-orbit HOTOL spaceplane
byVahe231991on 20 May, 2023 03:36
In the 1990s, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries proposed a gigantic single-stage-to-orbit HOTOL spaceplane measuring 308 feet (94 meters) long and weighing 770,000 lb (350,000 kg) fully loaded with provisions for a crew of ten. Power for this spaceplane would be provided by a LACE (liquified air-cycle engine) for low speeds and in vacuum (operation as a rocket engine in vacuum) as well as scramjet for high-speed within Earth atmosphere. The Mitsubishi SSTO HOTOL spaceplane would have been larger than the Tu-2000 SSTO vehicle and British HOTOL, although slightly smaller than the Sänger II project.