late 1980s

Since we don't already have a topic on this: http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a201669.pdf http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a442607.pdf A couple of quick observations on the second paper: "Of all the three White Papers discussed above, the 1987 document “got it wrong” the...

The recent discussion about HERMES on Ariane 4 triggered a memory of another reusable lifting vehicle planned to be launched by Ariane 4 – the PLATO Platform Orbiter. The PLATO concept of a small uncrewed winged reentry vehicle was developed by MBB-ERNO in the late Eighties to provide Europe...