I don't understand the math of this sort of launch vehicle. Any rocket launched at a high altitude still needs to accelerate up to orbital velocity, which is orders of magnitude more energy than is saved by starting out moving at a sub-sonic speed and a high altitude.
The layers of complexity here can't be worth it economically. Is this a solution in search of a problem?
The layers of complexity here can't be worth it economically. Is this a solution in search of a problem?