Deriving inspiration from NASA's X-38 experimental plane, Dassault Aviation the French aerospace company is out there working on a new suborbital civilian spacecraft. This air-launched reusable hypersonic vehicle takes-off at a maximum speed of Mach 3.5 reaching an altitude of over 100km, meaning it touches the verge of space. The separation process of this 11-ton aircraft VHS derived from their VEHRA satellite launcher takes place some 25,000 feet above the ground. Despite the spacecraft-like nature that makes the six passenger experience weightlessness for good three minutes, the vehicle lands back swiftly like any other conventional aircraft.