China develops hypersonic ski-jump technology for space travel

Chinese researchers say they have repurposed the traditional ski-jump method of launching a plane at sea for the hypersonic age, opening the way for easier, safer space travel.

Wang Yunpeng, an associate professor with the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Mechanics in Beijing, and his team used scaled-down versions of an orbital plane – similar to the space shuttle – and a hypersonic carrier to test the method at seven times the speed of sound.