A Swiss company has revealed plans to put small satellites into orbit without a conventional rocket.

The SOAR rocket plane hitches a ride on the back of a modified Airbus A300 up to an altitude of 10,000m and then separates from the aircraft before its engines kick in.

The new plane would cut costs dramatically and could allow many more companies, countries, and even universities to launch their own satellites.

Al Jazeera's Tarek Bazley reports.