I wonder how plausible this idea is. Could an RLV such as the Falcon 9's upper stage be modified to bring a module such as an LDEF back to Earth intact?
Quote from: 2552 on 02/09/2010 12:56 amI wonder how plausible this idea is. Could an RLV such as the Falcon 9's upper stage be modified to bring a module such as an LDEF back to Earth intact?Why bother designing a multi$$$$$$$$billion 25 ton downmass craft if one astronaut can disassemble an LDEF into a dozen parts (provided it is from the start designed to be disassembled), which then can be returned piecemeal?