The amount of energy required to lift an object to 50,000 feet altitude under mach 1 is insignificant compared to the amount of energy required to achieve orbit. You&#x27;re basically talking about making a rocket, but saving a very small amount of fuel by starting a little higher in the atmosphere. Then you double the delta-v required by having a dead stop in orbit. That much delta-v would require a very large multi-stage rocket indeed, which defeats the object of your exercise.