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
hybrid aircraft, spacecraft, 
Sänger, Soviet Shuttle, Hopper, Tupolev Tu-2000, sub-orbital, Space Shuttle orbiter, Space Rider, spacecraft, Skylon, Avatar, Hermes, Ekran, Dream Chaser, Dong Fang Hong 2, cosmoplan, Buran-class orbiter, BOR-4, Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, 

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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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  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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  cosmoplan ⓘ
  type of spaceplane

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  Dream Chaser ⓘ
  American reusable automated cargo lifting-body spaceplane

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  Hopper ⓘ
  proposed ESA orbital spaceplane

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  Sänger ⓘ
  spaceplane designed in 1960s-1995

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

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

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

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	spaceplane, reusable spacecraft, space shuttle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Space Shuttle orbiter	crewed spacecraft, spaceplane, reusable spacecraft, space shuttle	Wikidata
class	space object		Avatar	spaceplane, reusable spacecraft	Wikidata
class	space object		cosmoplan	spaceplane	Wikidata
class	space object		Dream Chaser	cargo spacecraft, spaceplane, reusable spacecraft	Wikidata
class	space object		Hopper	spaceplane	Wikidata
class	space object		Sänger	aircraft, 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
class	space object	1980	BOR-4	spaceplane, test article	Wikidata
class	space object	2010	Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle	robotic spacecraft, reusable spacecraft, spaceplane	Wikidata
class	space object	2020	Skylon	spaceplane, reusable spacecraft	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