Hotol - Vintage Photograph

British Aerospace, Public Limited Company, Space & Communications Division, Ref: JEH/08/1986. Photograph: HOTOL. HOTOL (horizontal take-off and landing launcher) is an unmanned reusable single-stage vehicle for placing payloads in low-Earth orbits. It will be capable of lifting payloads up to 8000kg mass transported in a cargo bay 4.5m in diameter by 9m long. In effect HOTOL is an unmanned aircraft powered by an air-breathing and rocket propulsion system. It can take-off and land on runways from which the Concorde could operate. It is proposed as a more economical vehicle than the Space Shuttle for the task of launching spacecraft. Hotol can lift loads similar to those carried currently by Ariane, and would provide Europe with the facility it needs both to remain competitive with the US Space Shuttle in the future, and to retain its general capability in space. HOTOL will be able to operate at a lower cost than Space Shuttle, or other conventional launchers because: - It uses atmospheric oxygen as fuel during the initial flight phase resulting in a great saving in the all-up weight off the vehicle at take-off. Currently all spacecraft are launched by rocket-powered vehicles using fuels in which the oxygen content can account for as much as 85% of the total fuel weight at take-off. Fuel weight at take-off can be greatly reduced by using a combination of air-breathing and rocket propulsion to provide power. HOTOL's air-breathing engines drive it to Mach 5 at 26km (85,000ft) altitude before rocket power is required. - It is unmanned and, therefore, from the engineering point-of-view is a much simpler and less costly vehicle to design and build. - HOTOL is completely reusable having no costly expendable parts such as boosters, or external fuel tanks. HOTOL could be built and operational by the early years of the 21st Century. Later versions could carry men into orbit to service space platforms or other equipment in low-Earth orbits. For further information please contact: Mr. J.E. Humby, Public Relations Manager, British Aerospace PLC, Space and Communications Division, Argyle Way, STEVENAGE, Hertfordshire, SG1 2AS, Telephone: (0438) 313456 British Aerospace, Public Limited Company, Space & Communications Division, Ref: JEH/08/1986. Photograph: HOTOL. HOTOL (horizontal take-off and landing launcher) is an unmanned reusable single-stage vehicle for placing payloads in low-Earth orbits. It will be capable of lifting payloads up to 8000kg mass transported in a cargo bay 4.5m in diameter by 9m long. In effect HOTOL is an unmanned aircraft powered by an air-breathing and rocket propulsion system. It can take-off and land on runways from which the Concorde could operate. It is proposed as a more economical vehicle than the Space Shuttle for the task of launching spacecraft. Hotol can lift loads similar to those carried currently by Ariane, and would provide Europe with the facility it needs both to remain competitive with the US Space Shuttle in the future, and to retain its general capability in space. HOTOL will be able to operate at a lower cost than Space Shuttle, or other conventional launchers because: - It uses atmospheric oxygen as fuel during the initial flight phase resulting in a great saving in the all-up weight off the vehicle at take-off. Currently all spacecraft are launched by rocket-powered vehicles using fuels in which the oxygen content can account for as much as 85% of the total fuel weight at take-off. Fuel weight at take-off can be greatly reduced by using a combination of air-breathing and rocket propulsion to provide power. HOTOL's air-breathing engines drive it to Mach 5 at 26km (85,000ft) altitude before rocket power is required. - It is unmanned and, therefore, from the engineering point-of-view is a much simpler and less costly vehicle to design and build. - HOTOL is completely reusable having no costly expendable parts such as boosters, or external fuel tanks. HOTOL could be built and operational by the early years of the 21st Century. Later versions could carry men into orbit to service space platforms or other equipment in low-Earth orbits. For further information please contact: Mr. J.E. Humby, Public Relations Manager, British Aerospace PLC, Space and Communications Division, Argyle Way, STEVENAGE, Hertfordshire, SG1 2AS, Telephone: (0438) 313456

Dimensions: 25.4 x 31.7 cm

IMS SKU: SCAN-IND-04086377

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