Way back at the beginning of this blog, I came across a launch concept that proposed using microwave energy to lift a rocket into space. It was a doctoral thesis by Kevin Parkins, who went to work for NASA, if I am not mistaken.
Anyway, I wondered at the time if the hydrogen would catch fire in the atmosphere and go "boom".
It struck me recently with the LANTR concept, (which proposed using an afterburner on a nuclear thermal rocket), could be used as an inspiration to improve upon Parkins' concept. After all, if you can put an afterburner on a nuke, you can do it on a microwave-powered rocket too.
There would be more thrust, but less ISP. Now, if you were to make it an airbreather on part of the way up, you could compensate for the lower ISP and accomplish orbit with less mass. At least that's the proposition.
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