The Real Space Glider

It was recently aired on the news that DARPAs new hypersonic glider failed during a test over the Pacific. Able to fly at 20 times the speed of sound after being launched from a rocket booster into the upper atmosphere, the Falcon HTV is a glimpse of the future of aeronautics. The classic wedge shape is very similar to space gliders and other ships seen in TV21 and other sci-fi genres. A long way from the bulky and boring space shuttle, the Falcon is the latest in a long line of vehicles capable of launch and reaching any point on Earth within an hour, thus giving the US first strike capability. The Dyna Soar was the first publically acknowledged project in this field and the Falcon has clearly come a long way since the early days of aeronautic design.