Spacely - 21/11/2005 3:30 PMIn the somewhat likely event that the SDHLV never gets made, is there any contingency to simply scale up the CLV? As is, the design can hoist 25 metric tons up there. Would we be able to strap a couple of them together for greater launch capacity, or do you think this innovation would end up costing roughly the same amount as the SDHLV?
Spacely - 21/11/2005 10:40 PMA lunar flyby vis-a-vis a stretched CLV might be just the thing to excite Congress and keep them from shuffling their feet on the SDHLV.
Avron - 22/11/2005 12:21 AMEdit: not happy with any compromises to a human rated vehicle vis CLV... let it just do the job its intended to do... we dont need more risks, if anything we should have learned from the STS program, is keep it simple, both in design and requirements.. Let the stick be "the stick", want more lifting capacity, build a launch system for that purpose...
Avron - 22/11/2005 1:21 AMTh only way to keep Congress from shuffling their feet on the SDHLV, is1) Fear -national security2) Loss - in any race i.e. national pride3) Public opinion4) Make sure everyone gets some of the pie ($$$) or at least a large majority.5) Great PR --- good pressThen again, thats democracy, one selects leaders who do what they want, but most of the time not what they promised at election time... Edit: not happy with any compromises to a human rated vehicle vis CLV... let it just do the job its intended to do... we dont need more risks, if anything we should have learned from the STS program, is keep it simple, both in design and requirements.. Let the stick be "the stick", want more lifting capacity, build a launch system for that purpose...
Spacely - 23/11/2005 7:51 AMWould a CEV-C cargo also be capable of launching unmanned probes?
bad_astra - 23/11/2005 12:49 PMBut that won't happen. We'll get maybe 4 or 5 SDHLV launches, if that, and then back to stationkeeping on Alpha. The current program is unsustainable, and IMO SDHLV is the key culprit.
HailColumbia - 23/11/2005 4:13 PMQuotebad_astra - 23/11/2005 12:49 PMBut that won't happen. We'll get maybe 4 or 5 SDHLV launches, if that, and then back to stationkeeping on Alpha. The current program is unsustainable, and IMO SDHLV is the key culprit.Why? why does everyone assume the SDHLV will unsustainable? Its more or less just the shuttle stack, but withtout the orbiter, which is VERY expensive to maintain. A magnum launch should only cost as much as a shuttle launch, maybe less. We launched shuttles at a much higher launch rate then what is planned for the magnum, and we did it for over 20 years, hardly "unsustainable" Why would you assume that using 3 launches per mission, plus FUEL DEPOTS would be easier to sustain?
Avron - 23/11/2005 11:14 PMWhy? why does everyone assume the SDHLV will unsustainable? Its more or less just the shuttle stack, but withtout the orbiter, which is VERY expensive to maintain. A magnum launch should only cost as much as a shuttle launch, maybe less. We launched shuttles at a much higher launch rate then what is planned for the magnum, and we did it for over 20 years, hardly "unsustainable" Why would you assume that using 3 launches per mission, plus FUEL DEPOTS would be easier to sustain?
HailColumbia - 24/11/2005 9:39 AMok, so your argument really isent that the program is unsustainable, its just that you dont like it. And space colonazation? You dont think we would need a heavy lift for that? building bases on the moon? What are we going to lift them with? hope?
CuddlyRocket - 23/11/2005 8:52 AMQuoteSpacely - 23/11/2005 7:51 AMWould a CEV-C cargo also be capable of launching unmanned probes?Yes. Pretty big ones as well! In fact any kind of satellite.You may need some modifications to the guidance computer.