Hyperion was a concept for a horizontal rocket launch system developed in the 1960s by the inventor Philippe Bono. The idea was for a single-stage vehicle that could carry 18,100 kilograms of payload or up to 110 passengers into orbit or any location on Earth in 45 minutes. The unique launch method involved accelerating the device to a speed of 300 meters per second on a 3-kilometer long sled. After that, it would climb 1 kilometer up the mountainside, providing an acceleration of 3 g. This launch mode not only reduced the weight of the device but also made it fully reusable. However, Hyperion required a 1.7-kilometer-high mountain, which limited its practicality and made it mainly an experimental concept.