David Spain wrote:

As far as a hypersonic transport you'd need 3 orbiters or a crew
compartment capable of flying 7 people, unless they're riding in
a can atop the thing.

Oops, I meant *next to* the thing...

Now picture a SR-71...now picture a SR-71 with a SRB strapped to its
back, a big LOX tank attached under either of its engine nacelles, and a
SSME converted to LOX/JP-7 in its tail...now picture that riding on a
giant take-off trolley, with a trained Chimpanzee in the cockpit...but
not just any Chimpanzee...a Chimpanzee that has been genetically
modified with Bald Eagle DNA to give it an intuitive ability to
understand flight... ;-)

Pat