Since the first humans stepped foot on the moon in 1969, space exploration has made significant progress. A number of companies are now working on commercial space aircraft that will allow people to travel to and from space more conveniently and economically. Here are some of the most promising Space Plane under development right now:
It’s worth noting that many of these space planes are still in development and are not yet operational.
Commercial space plane
Spaceship Two
Spaceship Two: Developed by Virgin Galactic, Spaceship Two is a space plane that will be able to carry six passengers and two pilots to the edge of space. It will be launched from a mothership called White Knight Two, which will carry it to an altitude of around 50,000 feet before releasing it to begin its journey to space.
White Knight 2
The White Knight Two is a mothership developed by Virgin Galactic for its Spaceship Two space plane. It can carry up to 17,000 kg of payload to an altitude of 50,000 feet and is powered by 4 turbofan engines. With a length of 78 ft 9 in and wingspan of 141 ft 1 in, it has a service ceiling of 70,000 ft. The White Knight Two is an important part of Virgin Galactic’s efforts to revolutionize commercial space travel.
Lynx Rocketplane
Lynx: Developed by XCOR Aerospace, the Lynx is a two-seater spacecraft that is designed to take off and land like an airplane. It will be capable of reaching suborbital altitudes and will be able to fly multiple times per day.
Dream Chaser
Dream Chaser: Developed by Sierra Nevada Corporation, the Dream Chaser is a reusable spacecraft that is designed to take off and land horizontally on a runway. It will be capable of carrying both cargo and people to and from low Earth orbit and will be able to fly multiple times per year.
Skylon
Skylon: Developed by Reaction Engines, the Skylon is a hypersonic plane that is designed to fly at speeds of up to Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). It will be capable of carrying both cargo and people to and from space and will be able to fly multiple times per day.
Rocketplane
Developed by Rocketplane Global, the Rocketplane is a reusable spacecraft that will be able to carry both cargo and passengers to and from space. It is designed to take off and land horizontally like an airplane, making it more convenient and cost-effective to operate than traditional rockets.
