The Space Shuttle, Buran, X-37, and CCSHQ have all flown, so space planes are definitely a reality in the literal sense.
Will space planes be an economical design for transporting large quantities of cargo and crew to low Earth orbit? Maybe.
Dream Chaser is scheduled to launch sometime next year. It will be interesting to see how a modern space plane design stacks up against against traditional capsule designs (Soyuz, Dragon, and Starliner) and also to more innovative designs like Starship and SUSIE. The real test will be whether Dream Chaser can expand its market beyond the initial six CRS missions for NASA.
The Space Shuttle, Buran, X-37, and CCSHQ have all flown, so space planes are definitely a reality in the literal sense.
Will space planes be an economical design for transporting large quantities of cargo and crew to low Earth orbit? Maybe.
Dream Chaser is scheduled to launch sometime next year. It will be interesting to see how a modern space plane design stacks up against against traditional capsule designs (Soyuz, Dragon, and Starliner) and also to more innovative designs like Starship and SUSIE. The real test will be whether Dream Chaser can expand its market beyond the initial six CRS missions for NASA.
there are some recent developments (https://www.radianaerospace.com/ , https://www.polaris-raumflugzeuge.de/Technology/Light-Spaceplane-AURORA , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylon_(spacecraft) ) i hope they become realities soon.