Towed Glider Air-Launch Concept

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center is developing a novel space access, rocket launching technique called the Towed Glider Air-Launch Concept. The idea is to build a relatively inexpensive, remotely or optionally piloted glider that will be towed to 40,000 feet by a large transport aircraft. The glider will carry a booster rocket capable of launching payloads into low Earth orbit.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=158494721