Winged, first stage of a launch vehicle using aerial refueling and existing engines. Takes off from runway; rendezvous with tanker to load oxidizer; then flies to Mach 12/150 nm to release Star 48V second stage and 450 kg payload. In comparison to Black Horse, uses existing engines and a much more achievable mass fraction by only flying to half orbital speed.

LEO Payload: 450 kg. to: 200 km Orbit. at: 0.0 degrees. Liftoff Thrust: 40,998 kgf. Total Mass: 43,160 kg. Core Diameter: 4.6 m. Total Length: 48.0 m. Flyaway Unit Cost $: 4.10 million. in 1985 unit dollars.

• Stage Number: 1. 1 x Black Colt Gross Mass: 40,482 kg. Empty Mass: 8,283 kg. Thrust (vac): 40,998 kgf. Isp: 353 sec. Burn time: 275 sec. Diameter: 4.6 m. Span: 24.4 m. Length: 39.6 m. Propellants: Lox/Kerosene No Engines: 1. NK-31

• Stage Number: 2. 1 x PAM-D Gross Mass: 2,141 kg. Empty Mass: 232 kg. Thrust (vac): 6,848 kgf. Isp: 292 sec. Burn time: 88 sec. Isp(sl): 0 sec. Diameter: 1.2 m. Span: 1.2 m. Length: 2.0 m. Propellants: Solid No Engines: 1. Star 48

• 213 - Zubrin, Robert M, and Clapp, Mitchell B, Black Horse Web Site, "Black Horse: One Stop to Orbit", . HTML when accessed: http://www.im.lcs.mit.edu/bh/analog.html