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of the exhaust at high ambient pressure and under-expansion at low ambient pressure; a fixed nozzle geometry cannot provide optimal exhaust expansion over the full range of ambient pressure, and represents a compromise solution. Rockets launched from high altitude can be optimized for lower ambient
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The principal advantage of a rocket being launched by a high-flying airplane is that it need not fly through the lower, denser atmosphere, whose drag requires a considerable amount of extra work to overcome. Higher densities at lower altitudes result in larger drag forces acting on the vehicle. In
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Air-launch-to-orbit offers the potential for aircraft-like operations such as launch-on-demand, and is also less subject to launch-constraining weather. This allows the aircraft to fly around weather conditions as well as fly to better launch points, and to launch a payload into any orbital
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that began in the late 1940s. This method, when employed for orbital payload insertion, presents significant advantages over conventional vertical rocket launches, particularly because of the reduced mass, thrust, cost of the rocket, geographical factors, and natural disasters.
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Propellant is conserved because the air-breathing carrier aircraft lifts the rocket to altitude much more efficiently. Airplane engines do not require on-board storage of an oxidizer, and they can use the surrounding air to produce thrust, such as with a
193:. This allows the launch system to conserve a significant amount of mass that would otherwise be reserved for fuel, reducing the overall size. A larger fraction of the rocket mass can then include payload, reducing payload launch costs.
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Air-launch-to-orbit also serves as alternative if conditions do not allow launching a rocket vertically from ground to orbit due to certain reasons, such as natural disasters (earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and volcanic eruptions).
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needed to achieve orbit. This results in a greater payload to fuel ratio which reduces the cost per kilogram to orbit. To further leverage the delta V advantage, supersonic air-launch-to-orbit has been proposed.
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Air-launch-to-orbit also works well as part of a combination launch system such as a reusable air-launched single-stage-to-skyhook launch vehicle powered by a rocket or jet engine.
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inclination at any time. Insurance costs are reduced as well, because launches occur well away from land, and there is no need for a launch pad or blockhouse.
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527:"Flight Mechanics of Manned Sub-Orbital Reusable Launch Vehicles with Recommendations for Launch and Recovery"
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antisatellite rocket, the first commercial air-launch-to-orbit took place on 5 April 1990 with a
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at altitude from a heavier conventional horizontal-takeoff aircraft, to carry satellites to
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Method of launching rockets at altitude from a conventional horizontal-takeoff aircraft
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pressure, thus achieving greater thrust over the entire operating regime.
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738:: "Ukrainian experts moved to develop the Svityaz system based on the
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633:"Startup Generation Orbit Launch Service Bets Big on 'Small Space'"
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698:"SNC, Stratolaunch expand on proposed Dream Chaser flights"
652:"NASA Awards First CubeSat-Class Launch Services Contract"
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An additional benefit of air-launch-to-orbit is a reduced
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crew-carrying spaceplane with rocket by
Orbital Sciences
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The first air-launch-to-orbit was a test launch of the
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Air launching has also been developed for sub-orbital
766:"Stratolaunch and Orbital – The Height of Air Launch"
541:"Conceptual Design of a Supersonic Air-launch System"
742:
Mriya (Dream) Cossack jumbo transport plane and the
671:"The world's biggest plane may have a new mission"
729:Russia, Kazakhstan to develop unique space system
621:fact sheet, Dec. 2, 2008 (accessed 22 Sept 2014)
571:Norris, Guy (15 February 2015). "Design Space".
816:Low Cost Launch of Payloads to Low Earth Orbit
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746:rocket", "The Ishim complex will include two
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459:Developed 2011-2012, In partnership between
144:$ 10 Million purse was won by a team led by
339:Orbit Boy microsatellite air-launch system
333:, Aerospace Industry Corporation of China
69:Learn how and when to remove this message
658:from the original on September 30, 2013.
80:
32:This article includes a list of general
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497:Launch vehicle types by launch platform
810:A Study of Air Launch Methods for RLVs
650:Diller, George (September 30, 2013).
307:NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
116:) is the method of launching smaller
7:
677:from the original on 20 October 2017
242:Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems
124:. It is a follow-on development of
573:Aviation Week and Space Technology
223:Aviation Week and Space Technology
38:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
796:
631:Leone, Dan (November 26, 2013).
301:Generation Orbit Launch Services
180:addition, thrust is lost due to
23:
776:from the original on 2013-06-08
708:from the original on 2014-11-28
669:Borys, Christian (7 May 2017).
593:from the original on 2015-12-08
553:from the original on 2015-02-10
696:Gebhardt, Chris (2014-11-26).
434:– contracted design/build for
351:75-percent-scaled Dream Chaser
310:Towed Glider Air-Launch System
1:
764:Bergin, Chris (2013-05-25).
612:Haas Orbital Rocket Launcher
575:. Vol. 177, no. 2.
101:satellites in the skies of
862:
754:Midas surveillance plane."
303:- contracted for NASA NEXT
169:Northrop Grumman Pegasus
266:(anti-satellite system)
252:, since 2018 Northrop)
156:from the purpose-built
53:more precise citations.
106:
805:at Wikimedia Commons
130:experimental aircraft
84:
502:Black Horse (rocket)
465:Stratolaunch systems
436:Stratolaunch Systems
391:Abandoned projects:
335:Antonov An-225 Mriya
836:Air launch to orbit
803:Air launch to orbit
770:NASASpaceFlight.com
702:NASASpaceFlight.com
441:Swiss Space Systems
283:Under development:
110:Air-launch-to-orbit
97:carrying the three
734:2013-02-09 at the
617:2012-07-22 at the
487:Buoyant space port
326:Aldebaran (rocket)
233:Air launch systems
160:carrier aircraft.
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99:Space Technology 5
801:Media related to
639:on April 7, 2014.
430:Orbital Sciences
150:Scaled Composites
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278:LauncherOne
250:Orbital ATK
138:spaceflight
51:introducing
830:Categories
780:2013-05-24
712:2014-11-27
681:20 October
597:2015-12-01
557:2014-12-03
513:References
432:Pegasus II
343:Proposed:
175:Advantages
146:Burt Rutan
103:California
59:March 2013
34:references
296:ARCASPACE
259:Retired:
93:launches
90:Stargazer
86:Orbital's
841:Rocketry
774:Archived
732:Archived
706:Archived
675:Archived
656:Archived
615:Archived
591:Archived
548:Archived
471:See also
292:CubeCab
191:turbofan
744:Zenit-2
673:. BBC.
492:Rockoon
419:Svityaz
385:Ukraine
368:Ukraine
331:Antonov
254:Pegasus
248:, then
205:delta V
118:rockets
95:Pegasus
47:improve
748:MiG-31
740:An-225
461:SpaceX
105:, 2006
36:, but
551:(PDF)
544:(PDF)
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414:Ishim
399:ALASA
396:DARPA
381:]
364:]
683:2017
463:and
444:SOAR
409:MAKS
374:Sura
357:OREL
319:CNES
315:CDTI
114:ALTO
323:DLR
148:'s
128:of
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