Spaceplanes - The Ultimate Journey

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This is a vision of the future, a Maglev launch system that will transport ordinary people to the edge of space, and back again. This spacecraft will open the universe to all, it’s a dream of those who will design and build the next generation of space planes.
In the very near future space tourism will become an everyday activity, the corridors of space will become as busy as the airways of today. The environment surrounding our Earth will become the largest construction site ever. Dozens of space stations will orbit our planet, these weightless cities will launch and maintain thousands of communications satellites and provide a stepping stone for deep space exploration. A fleet of commercial spaceplanes will transport passengers and cargo quickly and cheaply. As more and more spaceplanes ferry components up from Earth for use in space we will build larger and more complex space stations, floating gateways to the universe.
But is the future already here?
A spaceplane is a vehicle that operates as an aircraft in Earth's atmosphere, as well as a spacecraft when it is in space. It combines features of an aircraft and a spacecraft, which can be thought of as an aircraft that can endure and manoeuvre in the vacuum of space or likewise a spacecraft that can fly like an airplane. The spaceflight is then followed by an unpowered glide return to landing. Only five spaceplanes have successfully flown to date, having reentered Earth's atmosphere, returned to Earth, and safely landed, the X-15, Space Shuttle, Buran, SpaceShipOne, and X-37. All five are rocket gliders, only rockets and rocket-powered aircraft have thus far succeeded in reaching space.

[@MakeItWithCalvin]

I grew up watching this stuff on TV back when TLC was "the learning channel" and Extreme Machines was still being shown. Brings back a ton of memories!

[@wesleymccurtain166]

I heard you!

[@communistjesus]

Calvin Witt back when TLC was "the learning channel"

[@madzangels]

Well, there it is

[@btpcmsag]

Calvin Witt 3 years ago I grew up watching this stuff on TV back when TLC was "the learning channel" and Extreme Machines was still being shown. Brings back a ton of memories! Strange -- Bugs Bunny, the Flintstones, Rocky & Bowinkle, Gigantor, Felix the Cat -- now THAT'S memories!

[@josephglatz25]

I remember seeing this on Discovery Wings when I was a kid. I was so stoked whenever it came on.

[@myfavoritemartian1]

A true Space Plane would take off from a runway also! Rocket powered is OK. The shuttle was not reusable, it was refurbishable at a great cost. The tiles were not dependable. It was susceptible to damage. (easily damaged) The shuttle killed more people than any other launch system the US has ever used. The shuttle was a pork barrel project everyone approved of because the manufacturing money was spread around the country. If the Saturn 5 was kept in service, as materials got better and computers developed, it could have evolved into a reusable, economical launch platform. And we never would have surrendered our Space leadership. (except for corrupt, crooked, short sighted selfish politicians- The American public never lost our Space interest as they like to broadcast. We were victimized by the Industrial Military complex and greed.)

[@spaceman081447]

At 3:10, the narrator says that, "This [the Space Shuttle] is our first true spaceship. I don't think that's true. To my way of thinking, a true spaceship would be (1) a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) ship that would be completely reuseable with (2) horizontal take-off and landing (HOTOL) capability so that it could operate out of existing airports - at least the larger ones. Oh, and it should have a quick turn-around time - say, a week or less.

[@martens57]

it also carried more people than any other

[@TheBasqueWasp]

Finally someone who gets it as it is: space program is corrupted

[@wilmersandstrom2826]

@@spaceman081447 I disagree on the SSTO part. Even ship on earth use tugboats to get the in and out of dock. A good spaceship should be something that enables quick, rapid, reliable, and cost effective access to space. Both in cargo mass, size or passangers.

[@MimeHTF5]

It also transported more people then every other other US Spacecraft

[@robvilla622]

At 43:20 the narrator said the SRBs were as tall as the Washington monument? The Washington monument is 555 ft tall. The SRBs are 149 feet tall. Just a little off on that fact!!!

[@DanTastic66]

I like the Maglev launch concept

[@michaelszczys8316]

I’ve been watching the ISS go overhead for over 15 years. One time there were two of them close together. One was the Shuttle. One of the last flights

[@bruce92106]

Whoa homey this is gotta be some early 90s stuff LOL

[@BugSplat]

Imagine watching this in 100 Years! :)

[@nightlightabcd]

Imagine watching this in four years!

[@SmoochyRoo]

@@nightlightabcd I'm watching this 4 years after your comments were posted, sad to say nothing like this has happened _yet_

[@bigfishmafia3531]

Panthera Draco Caprus Migallae * 4 months

[@JessicaTG2008]

This won't happen in 100 years either.

[@albertjackinson]

@@JessicaTG2008 It might. In fact its quite likely things like these predictions will happen by then.

[@emmanichol3613]

I’m reading a book about anti gravity I can’t seem to put it down!! 😂

[@antinwo3664]

lol

[@samanli-tw3id]

It’s 2021 and a real spaceplane is yet to be flown.

[@hectorkeezy1499]

And along came Space-X, and taught every space agency a lesson..

[@frankmarburger6587]

You're right awesome take politicians out of the equation makes it more efficient and maybe we can actually do more science love it thanks you're awesome

[@fl00fydragon]

By using technology that was developed and proven by nasa in 1991 but was scrapped because an aerospike SSTO would be better. Untill the bush administration cut it at 95% completion. In fact, even though aerospike engines are superior spacex will not touch the thing unless NASA, ESA, ruscosmos, JAXA, etc. prove the technology for them. They're not innovators, they're adopters.

[@stocky9218]

Lol and how they have a flying water tank as of last night

[@martens57]

you must remember that space x (I'm a fan) doesn't use direct funding from the public and they are free to operate in a different way then NASA!

[@fl00fydragon]

@@martens57 Look up at the billions they saved by utilizing technology that was a product of public R&D and then how much money they have been given in the form of bailouts and tax cuts/returns. If the public kept stock solely from the latter practice it would have the bulk of both spacex and tesla.

[@ghostman9028]

Damm i saw this before you tube was invented.

[@potfried2.0]

The nasa channel back on the day showed these or similiar.

[@keirfarnum6811]

Ghostman Makes you feel old, don’t it? I know it does me.

[@Jorge01234]

Same here.

[@koge_hun7265]

1997!!!

[@chillenchilla4]

need more stuff like this x-15 and other early space planes as well

[@Jorge01234]

I've learned and seen more about the space shuttle from this 20 year old documentary than anything else until this day. Best documentary series ever (Extreme Machines). This was my favorite I always looked forward to watching.

[@opticsrus9981]

You mean 22 year old documentary. lol. But I feel your pain with the absence & quality of good documentaries to watch these days.

[@Cybernaut551]

1900: We'll have flying cars in the future 1981: Lo, and Behold! The Space Shuttle.

[@DJenser]

37:10 Well, that may have been true when this episode was produced some 20 years ago... Nowadays, the smartphone on which I'm watching this video has more processing power. Wrap your heads around THAT, people!

[@barrybend7189]

What's more shielded from radiation.

[@debbies3763]

BUT CANT RUB MY BALLS AND MAKE PANCAKES YET? BUT IM SURE THERE WORKING ON IT.GEORGE CARLTON.

[@brookestephen]

Maglifter and Venture Star were cancelled?! Only Dreamcatcher is left.

[@ableland64]

After getting out of the Air Force serving as a electron tech I went into the tv repair business. I was at a tv repair call watching the launch I saw the shuttle blow up. I will always remember that.

[@guyfaulkes3035]

Wow - a doc about space flight from the 1990s. Making predictions that are totally off-base.

[@ursa_margo]

Yeah, who knew, right?

[@bobjordan69]

I feel like it could have been more right if the US and Russia had given more of a fuck in the years since. They just seemed to lose interest TBH

[@sycodeathman]

DC-X was a program competing with the X-33, which itself was the predecessor to Venture Star. DC-X had nothing to do with the Venture Star program, which should be apparent in their completely different designs.

[@vaos3712]

Love it love it love it! Its just sad that ...... it's looking less and less like a true Space plane will ever happen in my life time :(

[@jdsspaceplanelaboratories4679]

Well, I really think that using the SCRAMJET engine would simplify the problem of getting a spaceplane to orbit as they could work even at high altitudes and speeds (maybe over Mach 20). I am just wondering if they could add this technology to Kerbal Space Program ;-) :-D

[@_vdm_]

F8D Origamer's Spaceplanes SCRAMJETs wont work by any means we understand right now. Unless someone pulls a rabit out of the hat. They work at high altitudes, but not at the highest altitudes.Not to mention the amount of fuel they burn. As far as i know, the only reason NASA and airforce is working on this is for weaponry. (they are a lot faster then an ICBM). Id love to be proven wrong though. :)

[@_vdm_]

***** If we have learned anything the last 60 years is that the governments should not be relied on for further space access. *sadface*

[@fathertime1331]

+SuperHappySquid Really? That's the only waste in gov't? People like you are the problem. Save me your speech how we'll conquer human conflict by unilaterally disarming ourselves. Your hero just made sure there will be a nuclear arms race in the most dangerous region on the planet. You think it will stay contained in that region? 911 is calling you.

[@ramonlegaspi5847]

G

[@DJenser]

44:44 I remember standing on the football field of my middle school in Florida that morning, watching this unfold before my eyes. Me and about 50 other kids at P.E. stood completely silent with our mouths hanging open for about 5 minutes, trying to make sense of what we'd seen. There was a weird sense of unreality about it that I couldn't shake for the rest of that day.

[@izzysykopth]

I think anyone alive remembers where they were... For me our cable was out and the wanna be rock star I was was listening to KLOS Los Angeles practicing guitar when they made the announcement... My sis worked on the SSME for HR Textron. I worked on the shuttle's gantry crane at Palmdale. For us it hit close to home. When the cable came back on every channel was playing the accident over and over... I'll never forget it...

[@pobembe1958]

Venture star....Planned to be operational by the year 2004..Say What???

[@LAprodz]

+pobembe1958 they lied

[@williamdwyer5439]

+pobembe1958 Us Americans are far more interested in unnecesary wars than space exploration...and to think, we don't really have any major enemies anymore. Except for the ones we want...as enemies, that is.

[@alexandrearrive6199]

FYI, Venture Star never flew because the NASA administrator insisted on using main fuel tanks made out of carbon fiber, a technology that had yet do be developped i those days. After almost a decade of development, the tanks were finally ready, but the program had been canceled for political reasons in 2001, two years before its supposed main flight (note that the COPVs would have been ready if the project had been maintained).

[@Ole_CornPop]

It's a secret military project now.. hince spaceforce.. Russia almost checkmated us so there wasn't any other option.

[@morgangrey4020]

This was before free thinking and being creative was being punished in high schools and college....now their only interest lie in finding if they are a man or a woman or something else.

[@porter4216]

Planned to be ready in 2004, Watching in 2019................still waiting.

[@cdreid99999]

Thank dick cheney

[@111danish111]

Serious development might just take place in early 2030s or even late 2020s as after the BFR matures . A single stage bfr/starship is essentially a single stage to orbit space plane . It could be a reality within 20 years. There are other projects too. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-stage-to-orbit?wprov=sfla1 Under Current Development section

[@coreykelly9189]

Good Narrator... Getting excited at the right time's .... PRETTY GOOD!!!! Nothing worse then a mono-tone Narrator!!!

[@davidvonch8223]

I was reading a popular science magazine at the VA hosptial about 9 yrs ago and a smaller version of this ship was shown and had an interesting article. In the same same magazine they were playing in the military with headgear that would mentally send messages to allies during wartime.

[@diabeticalien3584]

Sad that the Space Shuttle was such an operational failure. The scientists and engineers knew what to do but as usual, the US gov't had to muck it up :) thanks Nixon

[@WeTestGadgets]

Actually it wasnt..wasn't... 150 or so flights and we only blew up 2? I would say that's pretty damn good. When you stick people on a literal ICBM sh!t happens... And only one was destroyed going up due to Failure in the rocket itself.. And that could been prevented of they had just waited for it to warm up or go on a warmer day.. The second during the MOST dangerous part "re-entering"

[@g_y.rtz420]

Its funny how republican presidents are garbage in general yet trump still won in 2016 yea your country is fucked

[@bennymutant]

Wtf! I thought the Buran test flight footage was never released! Thank you -

[@MS-mm3ss]

Watching this is so sad. we have gone so far backwards since this video was make almost 20 yrs ago. War is the only thing we seem to be able to make anymore.

[@user-earthandfire]

+Mike Sasse yeah.. I agree, but we are sooooo good at it :(

[@nightlightabcd]

Well, we did build the ISS to!

[@martens57]

@Charles Yuditsky WE won the Vietnam war! The south Vietnamese lost it when we gave it over to them!

[@guidocorrea3282]

thanks to this show i am a mechanical engineer today

[@Sssssssslf]

This is scary to think this was filmed almost 20 years ago, it seems like it was barely yesterday

[@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245]

How the mid 90’s saw the future (colorized)

[@adamrspears1981]

History of the space shuttle. This should be the title.

[@blancaroca8786]

Yeah there isn’t much about other simple people dedicated stuff only the people+cargo extremely challenging one.

[@RXTRUX1]

I have a button that shows the pre-politician version of the Shuttel; Instead of a tank and solids it shows a fully reuseable booster plane.

[@martens57]

the shuttle was all compromise!

[@spaceman081447]

At 3:10, the narrator says that, "This [the Space Shuttle] is our first true spaceship. I don't think that's true. To my way of thinking, a true spaceship would be (1) a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) ship that would be completely reuseable with (2) horizontal take-off and landing (HOTOL) capability so that it could operate out of existing airports - at least the larger ones. Oh, and it should have a quick turn-around time - say, a week or less.

[@caav56]

So... Skylon?

[@Justwantahover]

It's not really about space planes, just the history leading up to it.

[@Zoomer30]

Wow, those clips of the Shuttle liftoffs were intercut with scenes from FRF engine tests (you can tell because the OMS engine nozzles have white covers on them.)

[@Tomasous]

I remember eating lunch in Brooklyn when the shuttle blew up and I turned to the guy in the sandwich shop and said " did that really happen?" We were stunned. To think that as of this recording it would happen again :(

[@jeffhall2958]

I remember, while living in Simi Valley California in the early 70's, the warnings from NASA - (ie: "Rocketdyne" ??? - spelling maybe ???), above Simi Valley on the mountain tops, where these rocket engines were first tested. We were warned of the great noise that would follow. At that time I was an adolescent between 4 and 7 years of age. Later, when I was 19 yrs old, I witnessed the catastrophe that happened in 1986, while in college in Maine, as a physics major in thermodynamics. As the first woman was to go into space and make history, that space shuttle's systems failed and blew up. The experts said it was a failed O-Ring on one of the solid rocket boosters. I remember it vividly, as I was watching it live while having breakfast in the dorm cafeteria with my friends. This was a sad day for America and most definitely NASA. Too bad we didn't learn from our mistakes and continue the space program. NASA has turned out to be yet another bureaucratic failure looking for funding for erroneous science experiments with no real gain for America's future. Now we rely upon a private citizen to do more than NASA has done in 20 years for our future. My greatest hopes go out to Elon Musk!

[@martens57]

who do you think gave Mr Musk his start? NASA!

[@agustinvenegas5238]

freak fact: big bird was allmost on board the challenger on that tragic day but got swaped for a teacher, who of course sadly died after the incident

[@rboosterman9944]

Spaceplane boosters don't work. The ideal shape for an orbital booster is the coke bottle. A lightweight container full of heavy liquid. Minimized surface area, maximized volume. The ideal shape for planes is the feather. A large surface area with minimal volume. The shuttle couldn't even have its own main engine fuel inside. It had to hold its majority propellants in a separate bullet-shaped external tank. The X-33 was an attempt to build a spaceplane booster with its own main fuel tanks inside. But the weird shape needed to make the tanks fit inside a plane that can land on a runway caused failure. The X-33's rival vehicle in the 90's, the bullet-shaped DC-X, successfully flew as reusable rockets should and as God and Heinlein intended... VTVL. It's not a surprise that SpaceX copied DC-X's method and has success with it.

[@caav56]

>as God and Heinlein intended Is it fellow Atomic Rocketeer I see there?

[@chrisnewman7281]

Edge of space? interesting concept

[@jetli8703]

Older than 2002. But interesting.

[@wildmantis1]

C'mon NASA....C'MON NASA!!!!!! What's the holdup????

[@qantj]

wildmantis1 The entire NASA budget is less than one years of the US military's.

[@wildmantis1]

Not surprised.....

[@montymonty5040]

1 Month of US millitary spending equals 1 and a Half year of NASA Budget.

[@hatman4818]

+wildmantis1 Nasa: 17 billion dollars a year Defense: Almost 700 billion dollars a year Nasa can't do shit with its current budget because voters like you make sure Nasa is the first thing to get cut in economic hard times. Meanwhile, our military has over 2,000 mothballed M1 Abrams tanks sitting in the desert, the result of over-production.

[@Howyaduing]

+qantj vulpis only when we get in contact with aliens will NASA get the proper funding

[@DES1GN3R007]

10:05 and here i thought space X was the first to land like that

[@Dingobigboy357]

Meme ḍǿƗJPG blue origin did it before space x too

[@fullerexplanations7872]

@@Dingobigboy357 A month before only lol but yeah... its pleasing to know there is competition in the private sector not just countries

[@dennisnorsherd523]

15'000 miles per hour! wow! fast.lol it was told on tv back when I was in my 30's that the power in a shuttle unit has the power to light up Manhattan island for 7 1/2 min. now that's powerful.

[@voyaging07]

Cool doco from the 70's man

[@btpcmsag]

yeah like hey wow tubular man, it's like totally vintage man, like gag me with a spoon it's so bitchen

[@Steve-vl5mg]

Just remember every time they make one of these "prediction" videos IT (NEVER) turn's out the way the "over drama" video says it will ..NEVER.

[@NSG-kc6zl]

This was a tv program and they didn’t account for future events like the program being cancelled, people not wanting another spaceplane because they accociated it with the “deadly” shuttle because of how many people it killed(14 compared to apollos 3), and how dangerous it actually was

[@brunobenzoni2273]

molto bello ed esaustivo.

[@tunkunrunk]

mag lifter is the future , it doesn't use dangerous explosive fuel that can kill astronauts

[@florvasquezr]

How old is that video? 90's?

[@lordmortos979]

The space shuttle is really more of a glorified glider. Boosters get it up to space but on decent it just glides down.

[@scottprendergast2680]

6:06 Daft punk Get lucky

[@bobcratchet3736]

Scientists are now predicting that the future will look far more futuristic than they originally predicted.

[@sowards66]

More about future space planes and less about space shuttles, would have been appreciated.

[@1WaySafe]

Great work!...this , this is world minds and resources , it is like seeing the world anew.

[@artismbyjoey779]

Could we get a Jumbo Space Jet?

[@Racecarlock]

One day you're defending the whole galaxy, and the next you're sucking down darjeeling with...

[@InquisitorMatthewAshcraft]

Optimus prime narrating....cool

[@Matx5901]

First minute: "the edge of space" whaou !, "deep space explorations" whaou ! Second minute : I quit!

[@abhiaerospace]

what are we waiting for....lets get this thing build.......we have all that is needed

[@princessbuttercup8954]

I wish I was smart enough to be an astronaut or work on the projects nasa does. Sigh.

[@Jorge01234]

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. -Vincent Peale Go to college/university and study for whatever it is you want to do with NASA. Don't give up. There are also many people out there willing to help you. School grants, etc. Borrow books from the library or read scientific journals online or wherever available. Study, study, study! Math, Science, Technology. A lot of astronauts have Multiple degrees in the Sciences, Medical and or Technology fields. NASA usually hires students as interns from universities to help them with important projects such as writing flight control software or other important tasks.

[@ryanmacs2486]

Try starting with aviation. Civil Air Patrol has a cadet program if your a youth. Hang out at your local airport and just ask anybody working anywhere near the industry. Nobody wants to see you fail. Nobody wants you to give up on your aspirations. If you can watch a dorky documentary like this and think it's cool, you are smart enough to take even a tiny step in the direction you want. After that take another step. Positive mental attitude in the face of adversity will carry to far into the stars.

[@Edzhjus]

Ancient Alien artefacts probably can be studied and used to make such spacecraft.

[@hgrgic]

Excellent

[@michaelszczys8316]

I always thought it would be sweet if they flew the Space Shuttle to the moon and carried a lunar module in the cargo bay

[@spaceman081447]

TO Michael Szczys: In order for the Space Shuttle to go to the moon and return, it would have to (1) not jettison the external tank (ET) and (2) be refueled while it's in orbit. That's assuming that a refilled ET would provide enough delta-v (change in velocity) for a translunar injection (TLI), attaining lunar orbit and a transearth injection (TEI; the trip home).

[@jjac451]

THIS WAS GOOD THANKS.

[@larrybooth1771]

Useing the vertical incline thing or Nag lifter is the best way to go. Unless you are not telling us something about the physics of leaving Earth's atmosphere.

[@fredo_jacob]

15:35 When it goes from November 30th to December 1st

[@Monty-sd6tc]

2015: Space shuttle has been retired Buran doesn't exist Venture star canceled Hermes cancelled Skylon is far from completion Dream chaser is being lifted by helicopters Lynx is far from completion Space Ship Two has exploded Anything else I forgot?

[@btpcmsag]

Monty 4248 "Anything else I forgot?" -- Yeah, you forgot hyperloop, Tesla Semi (SEM-eye), and www.GravityControl.io

[@othtorpotato9960]

2018: The entire world is giving up on spaceplanes because of how limited their use is compared to reusable multistage rockets

[@caav56]

@@othtorpotato9960 Skylon is still undergoing, though, as well as Dream Chaser. Spaceplanes have gentler rides in general, so, I guess they have their uses for fragile cargo and squishy humans.

[@othtorpotato9960]

@@caav56 dreamchaser is still launched on a multistage rocket though

[@frankmarburger6587]

Love it maybe in the year 3000

[@iawiamusic]

this is awesome!

[@citizenblue]

Wonder if Elon watched this when it was first released...

[@culturalfusion]

I do so wish we would have continued funding projects along this path instead of refocusing NASA not once but three times since the shuttle was decommissioned. It felt like going backwards and it slowed down development.

[@aerostructures814]

excellent spaceplane

[@leopoldogonzalez2146]

simply awesome simply awesome

[@ronaldwhite1730]

Thank - you .

[@That1ufo]

1997 When TLC was good.

[@blancaroca8786]

The fact the solid boosters “can’t be stopped” had nothing to do with the accident?

[@brodyrufus7428]

About a third of the way through this video the pleasant sounding narrator states: The first "space plane" will be fully operational by the year 2004. Oh, well thank you; I haven't had a good laugh like I did after hearing that in quite sometime! Unfortunately, Makes me think that despite the everything machine with which I watched this video and use to comment on it, human society's cultural apex probably already occurred before I was even born, 1969.

[@johnadams5489]

Dreams of visiting deep space may end up just that, a Dream. With current propulsion systems, traveling to Mars and back in a weightless environment would take too long. Human bones weaken and cannot bear weight when in a weightless environment for long periods of time. Even astronauts and cosmonauts that have spent 2 years in the space station found they couldn't stand and walk when they returned to earth.

[@muniryahya5874]

Is there any hope to get another world like earth?

[@MattNeufy]

“Planned to be operational by the year 2004” nah 2018 here, I’d say Falcon Heavy is taking us in the direction we need to go

[@IARRCSim]

Elon Musk's timing for everything is impressive.

[@teltri]

Space Shuttle is no longer operational.

[@HotelPapa100]

Once more: "Friction". No, not friction. It's compression of the gas by the hypersonic body which creates most of the heat.

[@trespire]

X-15 pilots WERE the first astronauts.

[@slowpoke3102]

1 was killed by pilot error...

[@trespire]

Slow PokeX-Plane test pilots were brave men.

[@michaelszczys8316]

According to Right Stuff movie Chuck Yeager was first astronaut. Neil Armstrong did same thing with X-15 drove it to edge of space

[@spaceman081447]

@@michaelszczys8316 That's not quite true. Yeager was the most respected test pilot. In fact, the test pilot community looked down on earliest flights that sent monkeys into space, calling them "Spam in a can." The boundary between the atmosphere and space is kind of nebulous. See below: The Kármán line is an attempt to define a boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space. (1) Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI; English: World Air Sports Federation): 100 kilometres (62 miles; 330,000 feet) (2) US Air Force and NASA: 50 miles (264,000 feet; 80 kilometers) According to the USAF and NASA definition, Neil Armstrong did not fly the X-15 into space, although some other pilots did. The highest that Armstrong flew the X-15 was 207,500 feet (about 39 miles). References: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n_line en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_X-15_flights en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_X-1_flights

[@michaelszczys8316]

Okay, well they were both bad-ass none the less. I think the only thing kept them from flying away into orbit was their balls of steel

[@arabcraze]

how to see international space station from EARTH IS IT possible to see ?

[@nightlightabcd]

This is hilarious! Dozens of space stations! Dozens of space planes! This is entertaining science fiction, at least!

[@charlesforeman9438]

Space travel by 2004 , good job no one bought the ticket & still waiting at the station for it isn't it. Wow these years go past so bloody quickly

[@Borkicorn]

makes me wana play kerbal space program

[@albertjackinson]

Makes me want to play Simple Rockets 2.

[@Dino-fz6ub]

Great Documentary. The narrator is a freekin WAD! dude needs to back it down a few notches. 😒

[@DJenser]

The launch system of the "mag lifter" will need to be perfected before it becomes viable. Too slow, and it becomes a literal catapult, hurling the plane like a projectile into a nearby farm or hill. Too fast, and the G-forces create what I like to call the "chunky salsa effect". With current electromagnetic rail systems, arcing between the rails causes deformation that requires replacement after every use. We still have a way to go. The current EM catapults on the Gerald R. Ford are fine for launching a small aircraft at flight speed, but getting a large cargo or passenger plane to an altitude safe enough to fire it's scramjets is another matter entirely. The power requirements are ludicrous at our present level of development. Plus, the plane would still need to carry enough fuel to reach hypersonic speeds, which both affects and is affected by its mass. Currently, that's still something only the government has the budget to pursue, and ours just isn't willing to fork over that kind of money at the moment.

[@keirfarnum6811]

D Jenser LOL! “Chunky Salsa Effect”! That’s one way to put it.

[@donogoobo9992]

If you are so proud of that thing, hire Spacex to build you a new up to date shuttle.

[@tongtong8251]

This documentary show how Space X wasn't the thing that NASA want they just came back to space mission after spaceshuttle

[@michaelbarb4003]

As long as we depend on ancient technology to explore space, man will sit on his little patch of dirt, so until we have the ability to replace rockets with something more efficient like anti-gravity or a magnetic drive, well it is nice to dream.

[@nealthedeal1]

were did all our dreams go make space great again.

[@cavereric]

I think they should have evolved. Ford comes out with new new models every year. NASA should be able to disassemble the old one and build a new about every 5 years? Maybe put it on top so it can not have a midair collision with itself.

[@martens57]

which Ford model has 2.5 million parts?

[@pho.phonic]

This is the kind of video your substitute astronomy teacher would play.

[@clausejoke1985]

your not "you’re"

[@pho.phonic]

W B Thank you. I’m usually pretty good about spelling but not in this case. You are substitute teacher?! Wtf does that mean? 😂😁

[@venkateshbabu5623]

The best propulsion systems are laser energetic and magnetic splitting.

[@frankmarburger6587]

Does it cost 20 billion dollars a piece for the shuttle or for the whole program

[@bonnielamb2419]

Well it's 2021 is this being used or way better planes