WaveRider
A class of ground-to-orbit vessels common on Terra in the mid-21st century CE. A WaveRider was launched by the Kilimanjaro Laser Launch Facility, which used high-power lasers to vaporize a huge block of ice at the rear of the vessel. Return from orbit was accomplished by gliding.
WaveRiders remained in use until supplanted by fusion drive vessels in the 2050s. Most were subsequently refitted with fusion drives or, in the 2070s, with antigrav units.
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