Nobody ever thought of this before?

[Tallpine]

Launching satellites from jets:

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/04/22/fighter-jets-could-launch-us-military-satellites-into-space/?intcmp=obnetwork

Oh yeah - there was a guy named Goddard who mounted the rocket engines much like that.

 

[lee n. field]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_%28rocket%29

[birdman]

Pegasus, and about a million design studies.
And the big missile under an F-15, that would be F-15 ASAT.
As for the forward engines...that's...odd.  I mean there are some advantages, but usually it overly compromises exit area and adds drag.

[bedlamite]

There are better options than fighter jets:

[230RN]

Soon after the V-2s-captured-from-Germany days, they used to launch Aerobee  and Deacon rockets from balloons.  They called them the obvious: "Rockoons."  Some of them were set to go straight up and punch right through the balloon.

The original concept was developed by Cmdr. Lee Lewis, Cmdr. G. Halvorson, S. F. Singer, and James A. Van Allen during the Aerobee rocket firing cruise of the U.S.S. Norton Sound on March 1, 1949.

Terry, 230RN

[K Frame]

Rockoons?


THAT'S RACIST!

[Devonai]

Some of them were set to go straight up and punch right through the balloon.
Terry, 230RN

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levonorgestrel

[geronimotwo]

they're going from a 100lb payload to a 5000lb payload?  that seems like quite a jump.

[230RN]

Rockoons?

THAT'S RACIST!

Well, they couldn't call it a "ballet," now, could they?
 

[birdman]

they're going from a 100lb payload to a 5000lb payload?  that seems like quite a jump.

Two totally different systems. 
The 100lb payload is the little rocket under a f-15, the 3-5000 is a TSTO reusuable spaceplanes.

[AJ Dual]

LET'S JUST REVIVE THE  HOTOL, HERMES, SKYLON, SAENGERII!

AND THEN MAKE A HUGE SPACE STATION OUT OF USED SHUTTLE ET'S WITH COWS AND CROPS INSIDE! WE'LL GET SYD MEAD TO PAINT IT ALL FOR OMNI MAGAZINE!

YEAH!