>>13302798The issue is in magnitude. The heaviest airplane cargo load was ~250 tons carried on the massive an225. Starship (2nd stage) weighs 1320 tons. So why not make a plane that can hold almost 6 times as much?
Most airplanes only travel at about 1,000 km/hr, but orbital speeds are about 30,000 km/hr. Airplanes cruise at about 10km, but space begins at 100km. So with air launch you’re at 1/30th the velocity and 1/10th the speed you need. And for that privilege you have to build a special very large/expensive airstrip and a special purpose airplane that’s far bigger than any plane ever built. This is why virgins plane launched vehicle or stratolaunch will never compete with reusable rockets like starship.
