QuoteImagine what Shuttle would have looked like if the SSME's were mounted on the bottom of the External Tank. It probably would have weighed half as much and taken one quarter of the time to process between flights.With exactly the same on-orbit capabilities and probably more payload! Buran ?
Imagine what Shuttle would have looked like if the SSME's were mounted on the bottom of the External Tank. It probably would have weighed half as much and taken one quarter of the time to process between flights.With exactly the same on-orbit capabilities and probably more payload!
Quote from: Archibald on 04/14/2009 07:36 amBuran ? Essentially -- "Buran with solid boosters".
Buran ?
In my opinion a good space plane doesn't carry much of a payload at all unless it's something like Skylon it should be in the mass range of Apollo/Orion and carry only people to LEO.It would be build with a lifting body design and be capable of lunar return, while it shouldn't have enough delta-v to do the burn itself. Instead it would utilise a tug for major orbital changes.Much along the lines of klipper.Why carry a plane up in space when what you want to carry is a station module. Just carry the station module and tug it where you need it. Only use a space plane when the space plane itself is the payload. Much like a reusbale Soyuz it's only purpose is to take people through the atmosphere and make the heat shield reusbale.
Quote from: Archibald on 04/14/2009 07:36 amQuoteImagine what Shuttle would have looked like if the SSME's were mounted on the bottom of the External Tank. It probably would have weighed half as much and taken one quarter of the time to process between flights.With exactly the same on-orbit capabilities and probably more payload! Buran ? Essentially -- "Buran with solid boosters".
I bet it cost a lot less too. How much was 20 billion roubles in US$ in the 80's? $1 billion?
Yah a station module can just have a basic attitude control system on it and then have something like Cygnus or the SS/L 1300 series tug grab it and take it where you want it.
Quote from: Patchouli on 04/15/2009 07:35 pmYah a station module can just have a basic attitude control system on it and then have something like Cygnus or the SS/L 1300 series tug grab it and take it where you want it.Too bad neither a "basic attitude control system" exists to just bolt onto things. Of course, neither a "Cygnus" nor any kind of tug exists either. You are one starry-eyed dreamer, aren't you?
The agena target vehicle can be sondiered a tug.
QuoteThe agena target vehicle can be sondiered a tug.In my own little alt-history, where the shuttle is canned by Weinberger in October 1971, the Agena become NASA FGB
In today's context, is there some reason why ATV isn't an ideal starting point for a tug?
Back in the day, I wanted the Titan Transstage made into a tug.
Jean-Loup Chrétien and Patrick Baudry, french first and second in space, should have the drive, he was approached to that at the time