[amsat-bb] Efficient (?) Rocket launch idea

["William Leijenaar" <pe1rah@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi AMSATs,

I was just surfing on internet, looking about new technical things and just 
came to some idea.
I see that engineers try to find some solutions to keep the launch cost low, 
and I see ideas like "Air-breathing" engines that fly first horizontal to 
gain speed and finally go on vertical with a normal kind of rocket into 
space.

The problem however is the "air-breathing" engines, they are not to easy to 
make and need to speed up in the air. So I tought, why not use something 
like a steam-rocket, speed up on a runway, and at the end the runway goes 
vertical. Then the rocket can go on with its own rocket. Then it only has to 
keep speed till it is in space. In that way much less fuel is needed...

I can imagine that a huge satellite can not be launched like this, but maybe 
a small one can be done.
Maybe something for future amateur satellites, launched by ourselves :o)

Just an idea to think about,

73 de BV/PE1RAH,
William in Taiwan
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