August 9, 201510 yr The insulation on the shuttle tank is to keep the contents frozen, not to mitigate kinetic heating at high speeds. The ET, on the way up, hits maximum dynamic pressure at around FL550 and Mach 2, and then it's pretty rapidly into vacuum. It's not able to withstand sustained heating - as evidenced by it burning up on the way down. Cheers! Luke Hmmm, I would imagine ideas may consist of multiple insulation layers and doubled walled tanks where the cavity is depressured less than .001 Pa to mitigate heat entry. I think this what they do in labs. Would that be practical for Mach 4.5 flight? Daniel Moser
August 9, 201510 yr Too much BOOM! for a probable BANG! Too many different type engines. How long does it take to refuel this monstrosity and where? Not on my home airport. The vertical up would be a hard sell, imaging the vertical down? If they can't stop it imaging the size of the dent on mother Earth? Let's go back to drawing board and let's get real again, shall we? I choose to wait on Virgin. Cheers,
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