High altitude aircraft

Claim 1

AN AIRCRAFT CAPABLE OF SATELLITE OPERATION COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INTERCONNECTED FUEL CONTAINERS FORMING THE AERODYNAMIC FUSELAGE OF SAID AIRCRAFT; FORWARD AERODYNAMIC CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID AIRCRAFT IN THE EARTH''S ATMOSPHERE; REAR AERODYNAMIC CONTROL MEANS FOR ALSO CONTROLLING SAID AIRCRAFT IN THE EARTH''S ATMOSPHERE; A PILOT''S COCKPIT PLACED BENEATH AND TO THE REAR OF SAID INTERCONNECTED FUEL CONTAINERS; PROPULSION MEANS PLACED BENEATH SAID FUEL CONTAINERS AND BEHIND SAID PILOT''S COCKPIT HAVING A PLURALITY OF ENGINES IN LETTERBOX BANK FOR PROPELLING SAID AIRCRAFT FROM EARTH INTO ORBIT AND BACK TO EARTH; EACH ENGINE OF SAID PLURALITY OF ENGINES COMPRISING A FIRST COMBUSTION CHAMBER, A HEAT EXCHANGER, A LIQUID HYDROGEN FUEL PUMP FOR PUMPING FUEL THROUGH SAID HEAT EXCHANGER THEREBY INCREASING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID HYDROGEN FUEL WHILE CONDENSING AIR INTO LIQUID AIR IN SAID HEAT EXCHANGER AND FOR PUMPING SAID HEAT FUEL INTO SAID FIRST COMBUSTION CHAMBER; A LIQUID AIR PUMP FOR PUMPING SAID LIQUID AIR TO SAID FIRST COMBUSTION CHAMBER FOR COMBUSTION WITH SAID HYDROGEN FUEL; A FIRST EXHAUST NOZZLE WHEREBY SAID ENGINES OPERATE AS LIQUID AIR CYCLE ENGINES DURING LOW ALTITUDE FIGHTS; MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE AIRCRAFT AT ALTITUDES BEYOND THE EARTH''S ATMOSPHERE; AND MEANS FOR MOBILE SUPPORT DURING TAKE-OFF AND LANDING WHEREBY THE AIRCRAFT EMPLOYS A CONVENTIONAL RUNWAY FOR TAKE-OFF, FLIES INTO ORBIT, AND RETURNS TO THE RUNWAY FOR A CONVENTIONAL LANDING.