Airbus A300 + space shuttle = budget space flights?

[SteveJohnson]

"Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic could face some low-cost competition for space tourism and commercial suborbital travel, with plans for a modified Airbus jet to carry a compact space shuttle to the edge of space.

European consortium Swiss Space Systems (S3) aims to "democratise access to space", with a shuttle designed to sit six passengers piggybacking onto an Airbus A300 launched from base in the Canary Islands."

Airbus + space shuttle = budget space flights? - Flights | hotels | frequent flyer | business class - Australian Business Traveller

 

[samh004]

I don't understand how the shuttle is going to detach without taking out the tail of the A300? If it fires its engines it'll surely single the tail, and if it doesn't it'll crash through it

Also, not sure how they can claim "The goal is not tourism rather a high speed suborbital transport mode for everybody," when they only have 6 seats!

 

[Fruitcake]

I don't understand how the shuttle is going to detach without taking out the tail of the A300?

That bit is fairly easy - see 4:30 in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dijD4J3vX5Y&t=4m30s

 

[samh004]

Interesting. Thanks for that.