percent power. The voice came again. LAC compression nominal. The liquid air cycle equipment would be using the cryogenic hydro¬gen fuel to chill and liquefy the rush of incoming air; oxy¬gen would then be injected into the scramjets at pressures impossible to achieve in conventional engines.
With a sigh he eased back lightly on the throttle grip in his left hand. As he felt the weight on his chest recede, the pressure in his G-suit automatically let up. He smiled to think that a less experienced pilot would now be slumped in his seat, head lolling side to side, eyes wide open and blank, his bloodless brain dreaming of a lunar landscape. He knew; he'd been there often enough himself. In the old days.
System monitors commencing full operation.
Good. From here on, the fuel controls would be handled by the in-flight computer,