In article . ath.cx,
noauth wrote:

"Robert Clark" wrote in message news:fcf73abc-
...
I.) In 2006, Aviation Week claimed in an article that the Air Force
had been
testing a two-stage-to-orbit fully reusable launch system:

Two-Stage-to-Orbit ''Blackstar'' System Shelved at Groom Lake?
Mar 5, 2006
By William B. Scott
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...el=awst&id=new
s/030606p1.xml

TSTO spaceplanes.
http://robotpig.net/aerospace/en_tsto.php


The reason why the U.S. has always kept this system a secret is
probably because it's a violation of the Salt-II FOBS treaty:

"Each Party undertakes not to develop, test, or deploy...)(c)
systems for placing into Earth orbit nuclear weapons or any other kind
of weapons of mass destruction, including fractional orbital missiles"

I'll bet that the SpacePlane had the capability to go into orbit with
nuclear weapons on board. Such a system could deliver a first-strike
within 5 minutes of the order being given if the vehicle was in a
favorable orbital position.

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WHY would anybody WANT to place nuclear weapons into orbit? That would
make them inaccessible for maintenance, etc. and impose limitations on
accuracy. ICBMs, bombers and SLBMs will perform the strike mission more
simply and are more accurate.

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