Unconventional Liftoffs: The Hydrofoil Albatros Rocket

1974 Russian Space Shuttle Design Concept Alexeyev Sukhoi Albatros 3 Stage Rocket System At its core, the vehicle was conceptualized as a multi-stage system, with the initial stage featuring a hydrofoil weighing approximately 1800 tons and stretching 70 meters in length. This hydrofoil, designed by Alexeyev, served as a precursor to a full-fledged ekranoplan. Its purpose was akin to the Space Shuttle’s external fuel tank, carrying a substantial payload of 200 tons of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Liquid Hydrogen (LH2). These propellants were intended to fuel the motors of the second stage. Mounted atop the hydrofoil, the second stage, estimated at 210 tons, utilized the LOX and LH2 from the first stage to accelerate the entire assembly to a remarkable speed of 180 km/h over a span of 110 seconds. This acceleration occurred along the surface of the Caspian Sea, or alternatively, the Aral or Lake Baikal, effectively utilizing the vast water bodies as makeshift runways. After reaching the desired spee