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http://www.wvi.com/~lelandh/srbowl001.html
in the late 50's early 60's the Sr-71 was setup to launch a hypersonic UAV that would carry a wetfilm camera. The UAV would be launched from over 60'000 feet in which altitude the Ramjet could be effectively started. I know the M-21(modified SR71)D-21 combo was thrown out for a launch from a B-52 with a rocket assist to proper altitude(another famed vehicle shared this launch platform, The X-15) Just wondering if anyone thinks with 21st Century technology this could be done less expensively. Seems similiar to Space Ship One concept.
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I've thought about the air-launch idea for a two-stage spacecraft. It would require a Mach 4 staging speed and a fuel fraction of 65% in the orbiter. The problem with these ideas is always separation. It's much harder to separate two objects that are traveling at supersonic speeds instead of subsonic speeds. The airflow over a delta wing is supposed to be benign enough to allow staging, but a control failure on the parasite aircraft/spacecraft (such as what happened with the A-12 / D-21) will lead to the destruction of both vehicles. For that reason, bottom-carriage is preferred by most designers.
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why was it classified at all?
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The Tag Board, D-21 program was classified because a hypersonic UAV/DRONE with a camera has but one purpose, flying over the Soviet Union. But the reason I expressed interest is the SR-71 was launching these at over 80,000' at Mach 3, which would definitely help you get into orbit a little easier. And the SR-71 is fifties technology and D-21 is sixties technology(Also a ramjet)
We are only limited by our Will and our Imagination.
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