By Steve Weintz
March 23, 2015
In the early Space Age, everything seemed possible — no matter how crazy.
Which is why, in the 1960s, one American engineer seriously designed a space rocket to transport troops wearing jetpacks. This far-out concept aimed to lob Marine jet-battalions into space and land them on the other side of the world in less than an hour.
It was all about ending what the U.S. military calls the “tyranny of distance.” That is, moving soldiers and material overseas in a short amount of time.
Today, the Pentagon invests billions of dollars in bases, cargo ships and heavy transport planes to give the military unmatched global reach. But it still takes hours — even weeks — to transport troops and equipment around the world.
Rockets and ballistic missiles cross those distances in minutes. What if — instead of warheads — they carried soldiers into battle?
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