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Hello guys I didn't found any topics on Spaceplane in RSS mode, so I create this one I am playing RSS (Real solar system) on KSP 1.7.3, but not R . It is yet a big challenge to send a rocket or a spaceplane in orbit as you have to reach Mach 25 or more than 7500m/s to be free from gravity. Stock engines stock are not an option to send a rocket or a spaceplane in orbit and I use Real Scale booster engines and OPT mod engines. SSTO is impossible. What I decided is to create a Stratolauncher, then have a spaceplane on the top to launch it at the Stratolauncher ceiling at the quickest speed to achieve orbit. For planes OPT engines are very powerful and we can reach 48kms as ceiling. Then launching speed depends on the StratolauncherTWR and 5000m/s are reachable . To achieve orbit climb you can't rely on gravity turn, and you must use the PrimerVector method that Mechjeb is using in RSS/RO which is to adapt your speed vector to be as near as possible from your apogee (less than 15s is great) to achieve your orbit in only one burn......That allows to save a lot of DV. Atmospheric autopilot mod is a good mod to fine tune your speed vector while piloting your spaceplane to orbit. My first spaceplane is designed to reach the moon orbit. I built a ascent and a descent stage behind the cockpit to make this stuff detachable from the spaceplane core. So, the cockpit will land on the moon, then leaving the descent stage on the moon, it will climb back to orbit and dock to the spaceplane core. The shorter spaceplane will fly back to earth Meanwhile, using FMRS, the Stratolauncher will land to base. The base is Kourou. Here is my trip to Moon in RSS with The Stratolauncher, renamed StratoRaptor and the Spaceplane Raptor whose cockpit will undock and descent on the moon. We need to reach 25, around 7500m/s to leave Earth, which is impossible with an SSTO, even with OPT engines That's why I create the Startoraptor launching the Raptor Spaceplane. Weight of the raptor in charge is around 153T The 4 hybrid engines of the Raptor leaves 13000DV range in vacuum provided you give them 50 electric units/s during engines run The cockpit with its descent and climbing stages decoupling from the Raptor core are the Moon lander. Here is the service bay with 20 NearFututreElectrical RTGs to help the Hybrid engines in close cycle mod Here is the Stratoraptor 995T bicockpit plane with 80% fuel. 12 OPT J61 engines giving a TWR >3 at the engine ceiling around 48500m. That allows More than Mach 15 at launch Take off and heading 117° to be on lunar plan Climbing 70°, acceleration around 15000m and mach 2.5 Leaving 37000m under acceleration, we try to stay a near as possible from apogee: see the MechJeb PrimerVector concept in RSS/RO in the RSS RO wiki (very interesting) 43500m; Mach 13.5 less than 5s from apogee, great acceleration, we should launch at more than M 15 Launch at more than mach 15 StratoRaptor being in sub orbital flight with engines shut that 's an awesome optimal climb for the Raptor reaching 5000m/s a 52000m Approaching orbit with more than 10000DV Lunar transfert calculation Meanwhile with FMRS,we come back to the StratoRaptor which is 1200kms far from base. The best return flight to spare fuel is the following: vertical dive engines shut, then engines relight under 30000m, inverse Immelmann to climb to orbit we begin climb on the back around 13000m Then half barrel roll and climb to suborbital A second suborbital climb is necessary to avoid fuel shortage the shortest possible approach we try the runway which is very hard with such a big aircraft. Use of Atmospheric autopilot is a great help On the ground Here in lunar orbit, undocking the lander Lander retrobreaking Gear down fine landing Crew goes out to plan a flag Climbing back to cockpit for departure The descent stage stays on the Moon climbing to a 45kms orbit Back view from tanks and climb engines Calculation of docking point approach and angular alignment on the fuselage Cockpit docked and well aligned, Raptor is now shorter as we left the descent stage on the moon 7000 DV left for earth return 2mn HD vid for cockpit separation and landing https://youtu.be/Oub2VP7PagM 2mn HD vid Cockpit docking after moon climb https://youtu.be/K45A36cMzak 815 DV for earth injection Then 1800 Dv to get 8000kms apogee with 160 perigee Then still 1500Dv to circularize at 160kms break enough for re entry South burn aligng with the launch base, it's 1300 DV more due to overheat speed brakes are destroyed lighting engines in air breathing mode long final on Kourou runway Kourou which is an island like all other bases in RSS (I think it's a bug from the mod which is not updated for KSP 1.7) Landing fascing East, too long, pull up and landing facing west long landing and stop at the very end of the runway Conclusion I am happy with Stratolauncher to launch spaceplane. It works very well with OPT engines. Maybe it could be a good idea to gat a back inflatable shield on the spaceplane to spare aerobraking fuel I am planing a bigger Stratolauncher to launch a bigger spaceplane including cargo hold for a rover and more DV