Patent ID: 8800934

Claim:
A space access system, comprising: a single-stage reusable booster having a fuselage and being configured to maintain sub-orbital operation and limited to performing a single orbit of a planetary body and no more, the reusable booster including wings for landing in a horizontal orientation back at a launch site after launching from the launch site; a tri-propellant propulsion system included with the reusable booster and configured to shift from a tri-propellant mode of operation to a bi-propellant mode of operation, the tri-propellant propulsion system including: at least one tri-propellant engine; and at least one internal propellant tank mounted within the fuselage and being fluidly coupled to the tri-propellant engine; and no more than one payload having an upper stage for inserting the payload into a payload orbit, the payload being mounted at least externally on the fuselage or internally within the fuselage.