Originally Posted by
PEI_3721
Why not. The technology associated with the X15 enabled many aspects of what is being considered. ,...
Never underestimate human iginuitiy.
Weelll...
Supposing for a moment that this machine will be capable of achieving mach 4 at say somewhere like 20km high,
and of then pulling into a steep climb. Considering what they achieved with the MiG-25 prototype, that shouldn't be out of the question. Then the engines might continue working, at progressively reduced thrust, till somewhere between 35 and 40km, as they have before on the F104 and MiG, briefly. From there, the plane might coast ballistically to somewhere like 100km high (check the potential and kinetic energies, even allowing for air friction) sort of like the Virgin Galactic rocket plane is supposed to.
But it'll then be operating in deep vacuum, where no aerodynamic steering will be effective, so it would effectively drop down like a stone until it reached a sufficiently dense atmosphere again; by which time it would likely be torn apart by friction, unless designed for such stunts.
To summarize, human ingenuity yes, but Russian hyperbole too.