spaceplane

A spaceplane is a vehicle that can fly and glide as an aircraft in Earth's atmosphere and function as a spacecraft in outer space. To do so, spaceplanes must incorporate features of both aircraft and spacecraft. Orbital spaceplanes tend to be more similar to conventional spacecraft, while sub-orbital spaceplanes tend to be more similar to fixed-wing aircraft. All spaceplanes as of 2024 have been rocket-powered for takeoff and climb, but have then landed as unpowered gliders.

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Wikimedia, Wikidata
S; air-space craft; space plane
spacecraft, hybrid aircraft, 
BOR-4, Buran-class orbiter, cosmoplan, Dong Fang Hong 2, Ekran, Hermes, Skylon, spacecraft, Space Rider, Space Shuttle orbiter, sub-orbital spaceplane, Tupolev Tu-2000, Hopper, 

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Location: KML, Cluster Map, Maps,

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  Buran-class orbiter ⓘ
  reusable spacecraft component of the Energia-Buran vehicle

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  Dream Chaser ⓘ
  American reusable automated cargo lifting-body spaceplane

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  Space Shuttle orbiter ⓘ
  reusable spacecraft component of the Space Shuttle system

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  Avatar ⓘ
  Indian concept for a crewed single-stage reusable spaceplane

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  Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle ⓘ
  model of American uncrewed military spaceplane

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  BOR-4 ⓘ
  series of subscale spaceplanes used to test heat shield technologies for the Soviet space program

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  cosmoplan ⓘ
  type of spaceplane

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  Hopper ⓘ
  proposed ESA orbital spaceplane

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  Sänger ⓘ
  spaceplane designed in 1960s-1995

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  Skylon ⓘ
  Skylon is a design for a single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane by the British company Reaction Engines Limited (REL)

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  Soviet Shuttle ⓘ
  

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  Space Rider ⓘ
  ESA uncrewed space vehicle

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  sub-orbital spaceplane ⓘ
  spaceplane that does not reach orbit

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  Tupolev Tu-2000 ⓘ
  Russian hypersonic aircraft

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  Hermes ⓘ
  proposed spaceplane by the European Space Agency

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Frameless

This Picture shows the Pushpak Test VEhicle of the RLV-TD program of ISRO, on Display in Trivandrum

This Picture shows the Pushpak Test VEhicle of the RLV-TD program of ISRO, on Display in Trivandrum

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
class	rocket		Buran-class orbiter	reusable spacecraft, space shuttle, spaceplane,	Wikidata
class	rocket		Dream Chaser	cargo spacecraft, reusable spacecraft, spaceplane,	Wikidata
class	rocket		Space Shuttle orbiter	crewed spacecraft, reusable spacecraft, space shuttle, spaceplane,	Wikidata
class	space object		Avatar	reusable spacecraft, spaceplane,	Wikidata
class	space object		Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle	reusable spacecraft, robotic spacecraft, spaceplane,	Wikidata
class	space object		BOR-4	spaceplane, test article,	Wikidata
class	space object		cosmoplan	spaceplane,	Wikidata
class	space object		Hopper	spaceplane,	Wikidata
class	space object		Sänger	aircraft, spaceplane,	Wikidata
class	space object		Skylon	reusable spacecraft, spaceplane,	Wikidata
class	space object		Soviet Shuttle	spaceplane,	Wikidata
class	space object		Space Rider	reusable spacecraft, spaceplane, uncrewed spacecraft,	Wikidata
class	space object		sub-orbital spaceplane	spaceplane,	Wikidata
class	space object		Tupolev Tu-2000	spaceplane,	Wikidata
class	space object	1975	Hermes	spaceplane,	Wikidata
commons	image		This Picture shows the Pushpak Test VEhicle of the RLV-TD program of ISRO, on Display in Trivandrum		Commons
commons	image		This Picture shows the Pushpak Test VEhicle of the RLV-TD program of ISRO, on Display in Trivandrum		Commons