Launch a Rocket From a Space Plane Into Orbit

[Eumaeus]

Title says it all: Launch a rocket horizontally from a plane and then get the rocket into orbit. Bonus points if you can get your rocket to the Mun! Here is an example what I did:

http://imgur.com/a/O88jp

[sss]

I tried to do that.

it, DID get off the ground, but umm, it dosent fly very well.

[Eumaeus]

Yeah, it was surprisingly difficult to do. I wanted to mount the rocket on the bottom originally, but then I couldn\'t balance the plane.

[Volt]

I can do it, and I will post up a picture-diary of it soon, but I\'m having an awful lot of trouble with that bug where jettisoned planes pass on their sluggish performance and mass values to the piggyback craft.

[Optical9090]

Challenge Accepted:

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/forum/index.php?topic=12649.0

I enter with the X-66 Reya

[Extemporary]

It\'s way easier to have the rocket built into the plane, instead of attached to it.

This one just barely gets itself into a 70km orbit, but that\'s still something, and it\'s not bad aesthetically either.

I did use two NovaPunch decouplers, but that was just to maintain the look more than anything.

[zombiphylax]

SpaceX StratoLancher mock-up:

Easily gets into orbit with enough fuel for orbital rendezvous.

Craft file in this thread

[SteevyT]

Can it be a plane that launches rockets that propel a plane into orbit?

[Tosh]

This baby flew to Minmus. And returned back home.

[Eumaeus]

This baby flew to Minmus. And returned back home.

Cool! Just curious, would you be willing to include a craft file of it? I want to give it a shot!

[DonLorenzo]

Coincidentally spent the morning designing something like this, it did make me think about the real world use of spaceplanes.. In KSP at least it feels like less of a hassle to just slap more rockets under it

Anyway here goes the spaceplane: it takes off (barely!) on a set of six turbojet engine. Taking a 45 degree nose up course will get you up to about 15km on the last drops of jet fuel. Discard the engines and light the rockets. A set of parachutes will make sure that the discarded wings dont crash into the rocket. Use the rockets to get high up into the atmosphere, then ditch the top wings.

Top stage is the orbiter/lander/re-entry vehicle. It has copious RCS to perform minmus maneuvers and glides to a soft landing on kerbin. It has a full tank of fuel and a lander engine for maneuvers and maybe a mun landing. Atmospheric powered flight is also possible with it (just barely with a full tank, more easily with drained tanks).

I feel the second stage could perhaps use a third rocket, the desing isn\'t quite finished yet

[Eumaeus]

Yeah SteevyT! That is an awesome design. DonLorenzo, that is crazy it can go to the Minmun! I think I got the hang of flying it, but it blew up a few times before I got it into space

[CtrlAltEL1TE]

Rolling with a Humpback. The way its MEANT to be done! 8)

It gets into a low kerbin orbit. If yourcareful you have enough fuel left to de-orbit at base but if your not you gotta do it on RCS (either way you get home =P)

Craft is attatched.

Beware the big plane lurches and it difficult to land (it is possible though just dont go too nose up). Dont pull any crazy shit in it either as the spaceplane has a habit of flying off.

Detatch the spaceplane at about 10-12km up and fly straight up as you can (disable SAS). Achieve orbit, Return home. Been thinking of adding a mechjeb but havnt got around to it (its fully stock)

[GalaxyGryphon]

you guys are reminding me of mistel

[CtrlAltEL1TE]

you guys are reminding me of mistel

That was some mighty fine German engineering right there.

[Felix]

I recreated SpaceShipTwo. Thankyou for making me do this. It took about a half hour of solid fine tuning. But it was worth it. I\'m going to try and get it to the mun and KSC2

PICTURES.

Awaiting take-off

Solid boosters decoupled!

In orbit!

Yay for proof

Once I detached the WhiteKnight (The plane-fuel and wings) It went stupid fast. before I did it was flying at about 300m/s. once I detached the Whiteknight, it was hurtling at about 1500 m/s after not too long.