Zoom to space

DARPA and various companies including Scaled Composites are
looking at a carrier aircraft that would fly to Mach 3.1
and 200,000 feet(!) to deploy a two-stage rocket which
would carry up to 50-130 kg into orbit.

The rocket itself is not unusual, it's the aircraft.
Four souped up F-100 engines being injected with water
and LOX, something that might almost embarrass a SR-71.

It's this weeks AW&ST cover story. Read it he

http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow/new...wst_story.jsp?
id=news/09223top.xml

--Damon