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From: Hank.Walker@cmu-cs-unh.arpa@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: British Space Shuttle
Message-ID: <12817@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 25-Aug-84 11:25:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12817
Posted: Sat Aug 25 11:25:21 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 30-Aug-84 02:34:58 EDT
Lines: 10

A report on CNN tonight from ITN (private British TV) described a British
Aerospace/Rolls Royce plan to build a space shuttle called HOTOL.  The
fully-reusable shuttle is powered by three liquid-fuel engines, fuel type
unspecified.  The shuttle would take off horizontally on a tracked sled into
a 200mi orbit.  The sled's purpose is to support the weight of a
fully-fuelled shuttle.  Leftover fuel is used to make a rocket-powered
runway landing on conventional gear.  Has anyone heard anything else about
this?  The artist's conception was a lifting-body type vehicle.  I don't
recall any specifics on payload, but my impression is that it is smaller
than the US shuttle.  The initial design is unmanned.