Someday, there may be plane-like vehicles that take off from a runway and fly high above Earth, bringing people to work in space, to stay at a space hotel, to visit a Moonbase, or to board another ship for a journey to a neighboring planet in the Solar System. Well, that time is coming, and it's coming sooner than you might think!

"Spaceplanes From Airport to Spaceport presents a coherent, lucid, and optimistic picture of the future of the near future. Space vehicles may soon take off from international airports and refuel in space. New technologies could allow flights to take off regularly between the Earth and the Moon. The technical details presented explain precisely how all this can be accomplished within the next few decades.This book also explains why the Space Tourist market could easily become the single most important factor in the mid-term future development of space transportation. In a few years it will be possible to board a spaceplane and fly into Earth orbit, and perhaps visit a space station. Later development could include refuelling in orbit to take a tour of cislunar space. The book's solid engineering foundation will be of interest to both space exploration enthusiasts and future space travelers."

Rocketplanes at the Airport.- Why Spaceplanes?.- Rocket Science: Wings Added.- Missiles and Modules.- Crawling into Suborbit: The Baby Spaceplane.- Going Ballistic.- Piggyback to Orbit.- Advanced Propulsion.- Single Stage to Orbit: The Advanced Spaceplane.- Destination Moon: The Lunar Spaceplane.- Strategies for Success.- Spaceplanes at the Spaceport.