Little is known about the cost of the extra heavy DOD/NROL satellites but the launch cost seems to be a rounding error in the total budget cost. (The several billion, perhaps even double digit, estimate -each- that get thrown around.) If those numbers are anywhere close to the truth cheap launch can't be a concern for the high end of the market.What could NG be used for? With the large fairing space infrastructure seems to be the thing. Expandable modules are nice but some parts are simply unwieldy. Looking pictures of ISS and MIR it seems that you could launch most modules with the bolt on accessories already in place. Almost 1 meter more radius is a whole lot of room.Over sized satellites is another option but I doubt it. The commercial companies really like to have at least two launch vehicles for their platforms.Moon landers and crew capsules are always an option. Still far fetched though.
Actually large fairings makes building those NRO GEO sats easier. Part of their cost is maintaining an industrial infrastructure for large unfurlable reflectors, and then manufacturing those reflectors. With a longer and larger fairing, simpler, less expensive solution could be envisioned.
Quote from: gosnold on 06/15/2017 08:19 pmActually large fairings makes building those NRO GEO sats easier. Part of their cost is maintaining an industrial infrastructure for large unfurlable reflectors, and then manufacturing those reflectors. With a longer and larger fairing, simpler, less expensive solution could be envisioned.I remember reading that was one of the things the Shuttle was to promise by allowing a communications satellites to be partly assembled in LEO.If they were not as contained by packaging a lot of the design becomes a lot easier and allowing them to use more standardized COTS parts vs designing one off components to make the mass/volume budget.
Quote from: Patchouli on 06/16/2017 05:05 amQuote from: gosnold on 06/15/2017 08:19 pmActually large fairings makes building those NRO GEO sats easier. Part of their cost is maintaining an industrial infrastructure for large unfurlable reflectors, and then manufacturing those reflectors. With a longer and larger fairing, simpler, less expensive solution could be envisioned.I remember reading that was one of the things the Shuttle was to promise by allowing a communications satellites to be partly assembled in LEO.If they were not as contained by packaging a lot of the design becomes a lot easier and allowing them to use more standardized COTS parts vs designing one off components to make the mass/volume budget.But that also has to be weighed against transport complexity. Payloads that large will be difficult to transport.Also, please don't fall into the trap of believing that larger and heavier payloads will somehow magically be cheaper. It was/is one of the main arguments of the Ares/SLS crowds, and it is based more on wishful thinking rather than any connection to reality.
In case of JWST not sure where all cost overruns went but having to squeeze it into 5m fairing probably didn't help. Extra savings of 8.4 fairing might of covered launch costs SLS if it had existed.