In such a scheme, a payload vehicle (holding, say, a satellite) would piggyback to high altitude aboard the scramjet, which in theory could reach near-orbital speeds.

Israel's first 24-hour, all-weather, high-resolution radar satellite, dubbed TechSAR, was inserted into orbit Jan. 21 by an Indian Polar satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

The satellite-based global-positioning system provides each vehicle with its location on the Earth’s surface, to within a few centimetres.