WIG-craft Assistance for an Aerospace Plane in Its Horizontal Launch and Landing

Abstract

It is shown in the paper that the vertical launch vehicles could not provide presently the essential reducing of the launch cost because it is not easy to make all their stages reusable. That is why it is necessary to check the opportunity to provide the development of the multistage space launch system, all stages of which are winged and really reusable. Integrated launch systems that include aerospace plane (ASP) and a heavy ekranoplane as a booster are analysed and recommended for realisation.