TWiS 228: What's a HOTOL? - Britain in Space

In the 1980s, as the US space shuttle was just starting operations, the UK embarked on an ambitious project called HOTOL—short for Horizontal Take Off and Landing, a radical, air-breathing spaceplane design. Political and funding shifts in the UK ultimately derailed the project, despite the promising technologies it pioneered. The idea was later restarted as Skylon, with key individuals and refined technologies at its core. This project, too, struggled, ultimately shuttering in 2024. Despite this, the promise of rapid, reusable spaceplanes that can launch and land at airports is still coveted by many countries, and efforts continue. Join Rob Coppinger, author of the definitive book on the topic and editor of the UK's "Spaceflight" magazine, as he tells this fascinating story.

Headlines:

• New Crater Discovered on the Moon • Boeing Starliner Gains New Life with NASA Support • Starship Flight 14 Gears Up for Launch

Main Topic: British Spaceplanes – HOTOL and Skylon

• Rob Coppinger Shares Inspiration and Career Path • Origins and Vision Behind HOTOL • HOTOL vs. the Space Shuttle: Concepts and Challenges • Funding Issues and UK Government Decisions • Evolution from HOTOL to Skylon and Reaction Engines • Technological Innovations: SABRE Engine and Reusability • International Context: Other Spaceplane Projects • Current Status and Future Prospects for UK Spaceplanes • Lessons in Vision, Imagination, and Persisting with Big Ideas

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Rob Coppinger

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