Outer Space Piloting Question

[Decebalvs Rex]

Hello!

Out of boredom, a few questions struck my mind.

I was watching a documentary on TV wich presented the NASA situation and how they developed Saturn and Apollo rockets. I always loved Space Shuttles like Atlantis, it looks amazing.

Now the question is, if one would take for example, an F-16 fighter plane and remove the air intakes, provide those engines internal oxygen tanks for combustion, would they provide thrust in atmosphere and beyond?

 

This story short, would it be possible for a modified Space Shuttle like Atlantis to run on take off from an airport , fly towards the ISS and return back without a Shuttle Carrier?

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

 

[DocM]

An air breathing "combined cycle" (turbojet and scramjet) jet engine is under development by the US Air Force for the SR-72 hypersonic spyplane, but it's not a space vehicle.

 

Jet engines simply don't have the power to weight ratio of rocket engines, even if you feed them liquid oxygen. Not even close. You need a rocket engine for space, but that cat can be skinned many ways.

 

It's possible to get to suborbital space (350,000ft) using a runway launched rocket spaceplane, and such a vehicle is under development as the 3,500 mph XCOR Lynx, but it doesn't have the energy or fuel capacity to get to orbit. That requires more thrust and fuel to get to 17,500 mph. Lynx's follow-on vehicle is to be orbital. Lynx should fly late this year or early next.

 

 

 

An orbital, runway launched, spaceplane is under development in the UK by Reaction Engines Ltd. (REL) named the Skylon. It breathes air in the atmosphere, chills it to -150°F in a custom (and amazing) cooler then feeds it and liquid hydrogen to rocket engines. Stored liquid oxygen is used in space. This engine cycle has been looked at by the European Space Agency and the US Air Force Research Labs and given a thumbs up. This one is big league serious.

 

Edited March 27, 2016 by DocM