The Star-Raker - A 1979 Space Plane With 15 Engines, Massive Wings & Huge Ambition

The Star-Raker - A 1979 Space Plane With 15 Engines, Massive Wings & Huge Ambition

Channel:
United States Scott Manley
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Published on ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hscEMyELocY


Duration: 11:02
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The Star-Raker began life as an alternative proposal by Rockwell for the Space Shuttle, but in 1978 they fleshed out the concept as a cargo ferry to deliver tens of thousands of tons to orbit every year as part of a visionary plan for the US to build a network of space power stations to supply the nation's energy needs.
Star-Raker would have been 2000 tons at launch, over 100 meters long and powered by 10 multi-mode airbreathing jet engines, 3 hydrogen fueled rocket engines and a pair of orbital maneuvering engines. Ultimately it never flew but it was an interesting study in what it might take to build a single stage to orbit spaceplane with the technology of the era.

Largely inspired by Davis S Portree's research on the Star-Raker, I highly recommend his blog about space history
https://spaceflighthistory.blogspot.com/



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