[ExI] Launching Satellites from Airplanes DARPA

[BillK]

Launching satellites from launchpads is cool and everything, but if
DARPA has its way the military could soon be launching small
satellites from airliners, granting the Pentagon the ability to put
satellites aloft from virtually any airfield and at a fraction of the
cost.

<http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-11/keep-steady-stream-satellites-going-darpa-wants-launch-sats-jet-airplanes>

Airborne launch platforms cruising at just 25,000 feet would place the
initial launch at an altitude that’s above much of the Earth’s denser
atmosphere. Such a system would also provide the launch
vehicle--likely something very much like an aerially launched
missile--with an initial velocity, so the rocket wouldn’t be starting
from a standstill. That should trim the cost-per-pound of
payload--DARPA hopes to cut costs by two thirds, from up to $30,000
per pound now to less than $10,000 per pound in the future.
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BillK