The default mission profile would be to rendezvous and dock with a refuelable tug on orbit (lofted initially by a Falcon 9, Atlas or Delta) which could then maneuver the capsule to the space station or a Bigalow inflatable module. The possibility seems intriguing, but I'm surely missing something.
Quote from: jak42 on 10/04/2008 01:36 amThe default mission profile would be to rendezvous and dock with a refuelable tug on orbit (lofted initially by a Falcon 9, Atlas or Delta) which could then maneuver the capsule to the space station or a Bigalow inflatable module. That is what you missed. It takes two launches/vehicles to do the mission. There isn't any benefit.
The default mission profile would be to rendezvous and dock with a refuelable tug on orbit (lofted initially by a Falcon 9, Atlas or Delta) which could then maneuver the capsule to the space station or a Bigalow inflatable module.
A $10 million USD rocket and a $1,000,000 capsule wouldn't be bad. Sort of like Billy Bob Thorton! What a blast!
There was a long thread on this subject recently...
If the Falcon 1E used a pressure-fed LH/LOX second stage, it could orbit a 3,000 lbm Mercury capsule.
But what would really be the business case for a capsule this small even if technically feasible?
Quote from: OV-106 on 10/09/2008 03:21 pmBut what would really be the business case for a capsule this small even if technically feasible?Same as for Virgin Galactic -- $20 million to say you orbited the Earth. Plus you get to keep your capsule.
Quote from: guru on 10/09/2008 03:07 pmIf the Falcon 1E used a pressure-fed LH/LOX second stage, it could orbit a 3,000 lbm Mercury capsule.Has anyone ever made an LH stage that small?
I think it would have some severe boil off problems...
And if they fueled the first stage with unobtanium it could out perform the Saturn V