Speculative post about Stoke space and the Blue Origin Pedigree

12/22/23: Update to yesterday's post:

Trying to develop this idea a bit further with stuff out there that already exists. Let's take the Stoke space upper stage/lander and mate it with a Ramjet being developed by Hermeus. Hermeus is developing their hypersonic plane that can take off on a runway like any other plane. But what if the plane could glide back to the runway and land, while at the same time deliver a payload that could get to orbit?

The Hermeus engine could be mated with something that looks like an X-15, but is airbreathing like their hypersonic plane. It isn't what Hermeus is developing, it's just an idea. Let's say you could place the Stoke spacecraft on top of it, but instead of launching vertically, it is dropped like the X-15 was. But dropped from what? How about a Stratolaunch-like system?

Here's a recent development on Stratolaunch:







There could be a problem mating it with the Stratolaunch. You need ground clearance, and you need to mate it with the cross-member that connects each side of the Stratolaunch. To do this, make a cylindrical rocket shaped vehicle that holds the Hermeus' air breathing engines, and attach the Stoke space's 2nd stage to the top of it. There needs to be some fairing that keeps it aerodynamic, as it will go to hypersonic speeds.

Attach some fairing to it, and this will enable it to clear the ground on the Stratolaunch, while retaining aerodynamic features. The fairing can come off when it does its hot staging maneuver on stage separation for the Stoke Space module. In this configuration, the Stoke space vehicle would be a third stage. All three stages could return to the facility for re-use.

If all this could be managed, then the system would be launched off the ground with Stratolaunch, then it would be dropped at subsonic speed. The Hermeus engines will power up at subsonic speed, and then proceed to hypersonic speed. At hypersonic velocity, the Stoke Space module would execute a hot staging separation, while discarding the fairing. This would leave an aerodynamic enough vehicle that could return to the runway, as would Stratolaunch. Stoke space's vehicle would proceed to orbit, and then reenter and land as per its design.

end update:

The original post is below:

Stoke space is developing a spacecraft that looks a lot like the one depicted here.

Now what if this could be combined with the hypersonic vehicles discussed here.

How would that work? Let's say these hypersonic planes can reach Mach 10. Also, let's say that the hypersonic plane was used as a booster that could return to the launch site and land like a plane. Let's also say it would release the second stage in a "hot staging" separation like SpaceX is developing with its SuperHeavy booster. Also, let's say that this complexity could be managed. A tall order, but let's say it could be done.

The rocket equation can estimate a spacecraft's size assuming a 20 ton dry mass. The wet mass would come in at about 125 tons in order to reach orbit. It would land like SpaceX's first stage booster at the launch site for a fast turnaround. Bolt it onto the plane from the nose end. The design would include a way to stay aerodynamic after the stage sep. Yes, this is complex, but let's say it could be done.

The idea is to minimize the total mass taking off to space. It might mass out at less than 500 tons counting the hypersonic spaceplane booster. That's less the early versions of the Falcon 9, and would be fully reusable with a fast turnaround.

The Blue Origin Pedigree part was for a SSTO vehicle. This wouldn't be that, as the booster would separate at Mach 10. That would be part of the minimization part. Less fuel to carry means a smaller spacecraft that gets to orbit. The Blue Origin pedigree vehicle would need a lot of fuel to launch from the ground. The booster would help keep it as small as possible.

Let's also assume that a 20 ton empty weight would be sufficient for fuel tanks and a crew hab. Not asking for much am I?