'We are going forward with research on a new Orient Express that could, by the end of the next decade, take off from Dulles Airport and accelerate up to 25 times the speed of sound, attaining low-earth orbit or flying to Tokyo within two hours.' With these words, President Reagan, in his 1986 State of the Union message, announced the beginning of the $3.3 billion effort known as the National Aerospace Plane Program, or NASP. With dozens of photographs, drawings, and tables, the book offers a thorough assessment of the program for the engineer and marketing executive alike. Author T.A. Heppenheimer separates the hype from the facts, and his conclusions are backed with scientific detail not found elsewhere.