A spaceplane is a winged vehicle that acts as an aeroplane while in the atmosphere and as a spacecraft while in space.[1]: 11 Most concepts were only capable of sub-orbital spaceflight.
| Type | Country | Class | Role | Date | Status | No. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASSET | USA | Rocket launch | Experimental | 1963 | Prototype | Uncrewed reentry test vehicle. | |
| Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar | USA | Rocket launch | Experimental | 1963 | Project | Crewed | |
| Boeing X-37 | USA | Rocket launch | Utility | 2010 | Prototype | Robotic orbiter operated by the United States Armed Forces. | |
| BOR-4 | USSR | Rocket launch | Experimental | 1982 | Prototype | Uncrewed reentry test vehicle. | |
| Buran Shuttle | USSR | Rocket launch | Utility | 1988 | Prototype | Crewed orbiter, launched by the Energia rocket. Only one robotic flight was made. | |
| Dawn Aerospace Mk.2 | The Netherlands / New Zealand | Suborbital rocket launch | Experimental | 2020 | Prototype | Uncrewed suborbital space plane. Horizontal takeoff and landing. | |
| Dream Chaser | USA | Rocket launch | Utility | 2004 | Project | Uncrewed orbiter, originally intended as a crew vehicle. Launched by a Vulcan Centaur rocket. | |
| HOTOL | UK | SSTO | Utility | 1988 | Project | 0 | Airbreathing rocket engine. |
| Interim HOTOL | UK | Air launch | Utility | 1991 | Project | 0 | Launched from the Antonov An-225 Mriya, the Buran air lift carrier aircraft. |
| Martin X-23 PRIME | USA | Rocket launch | Experimental | 1966 | Prototype | Uncrewed atmospheric re-entry test vehicle | |
| North American X-15 | USA | Air launch | Experimental | 1959 | Prototype | 3 | Air-dropped from a Boeing B-52. |
| Sanger Silbervogel | Germany | Composite | Bomber | 1944 | Project | 0 | Sub-orbital. Mockup and wind tunnel models only. |
| Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne | USA | Composite | Transport | 2004 | Prototype | 1 | First civilian-funded reusable spacecraft, lifted by White Knight to about 14 km |
| Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo | USA | Composite | Transport | 2010 | Prototype | 2 | For Virgin Galactic commercial testing.[1]: 24 |
| Skylon | UK | SSTO | Utility | 1993 | Project | Continuation of cancelled HOTOL.[1]: 21 | |
| Space Rider | ESA | Lifting body | Experimental | 2021 | Project | Robotic, orbital | |
| Space Shuttle | USA | Rocket launch | Utility | 1981 | Retired | 4–8 | Crewed orbiter. |
| XCOR Lynx (formerly Xerus) | USA | Suborbital | Experimental | 2008 | Project | 0 | Horizontal takeoff and landing.[1]: 25 |
| VORTEX | France, Germany | Rocket launch | Dual-use | 2025 | Project | Robotic, orbital |
See also
References
- UK Government Review of Commercial Spaceplane Certification and Operations: Technical Report (PDF) (Report). Civil Aviation Authority. July 2014. CAP 1189. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2026-04-17. Retrieved 15 October 2026.