Jul 28, 2021The Soyuz rocket, a legendary figure in the history of space travel, is a family of expendable launch systems crafted by Russia's premier space agency, Roscosmos. Since its inception in the swinging 60s, this formidable rocket has undergone numerous improvements and has established itself as one of the most widely used and trusted space launch vehicles in the world.With its versatility and dependability, the Soyuz has launched missions for a diverse array of organizations and nations, including the Soviet Union, Russia, the European Space Agency, and even NASA. Whether it's carrying crew and cargo to low Earth orbit, or transporting astronauts to the International Space Station, the Soyuz has proven its worth time and time again.Fueling this rocket's success is its power source: a mixture of liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene. The Soyuz's first stage boasts four liquid-fueled engines, while its second stage is powered by a solitary engine. The third and final stage employs a solid-fueled engine. This fuel combination, which has been utilized in many early and contemporary rockets, is known for its high energy output, making it the ideal choice for spacecraft propulsion systems. The efficiency, affordability, and reliability of the LOX and kerosene combination have made it a staple in various space programs, including the Soyuz rocket.
This is one of my all-time favorites and has over 4Million hits. Way over-the-top concept. EnjoyChrysler’s Space Shuttle Proposal: the SSTO SERV and MURPJun 3, 2020QuoteChrysler Aerospace was already contracted for the Saturn 1 and 1B First Stage so in 1971 they proposed an alternate shuttle program, the SERV and MURP SERV: the Single-stage Earth-orbital Reusable Vehicle had a 53 metric ton payload in a 7m x 18m payload bay 12 LH2/LOX aerospike engines were arranged around the rim of the base, covered by movable metal shieldsJet Engines, which were fired just prior to touchdown in order to slow the descentMURP, the Manned Upper-stage Reusable PayloadThe MURP was based on the HL-10 lifting body (Six Million Dollar Man test Vehicle) and a Larger Versionone larger (the D-34) could carry up to ten passengers
Chrysler Aerospace was already contracted for the Saturn 1 and 1B First Stage so in 1971 they proposed an alternate shuttle program, the SERV and MURP SERV: the Single-stage Earth-orbital Reusable Vehicle had a 53 metric ton payload in a 7m x 18m payload bay 12 LH2/LOX aerospike engines were arranged around the rim of the base, covered by movable metal shieldsJet Engines, which were fired just prior to touchdown in order to slow the descentMURP, the Manned Upper-stage Reusable PayloadThe MURP was based on the HL-10 lifting body (Six Million Dollar Man test Vehicle) and a Larger Versionone larger (the D-34) could carry up to ten passengers
Compared to nice, sleak, aerodynamic cylindrical rockets, the fat capsule shape looks dumb… BUT physics doesn’t *always* care if something is elegant or not, and at a large enough scale the aerodynamic drag isn’t a problem in spite of being fat. There is some appeal to it…
Quote from: Robotbeat on 05/16/2023 08:49 pmCompared to nice, sleak, aerodynamic cylindrical rockets, the fat capsule shape looks dumb… BUT physics doesn’t *always* care if something is elegant or not, and at a large enough scale the aerodynamic drag isn’t a problem in spite of being fat. There is some appeal to it…There will likely be very few "fat" rocket hardware, if any. Just how do you move a "fat" rocket core like for example with a travel cross section of 20 meter wide and 40 meters high around on land? Will need new transport infrastructure with any new "fat" rocket.
An-325: The Giant Carrier for Britain's Interim HOTOL SpaceplaneHazegrayart18 May 2023The HOTOL (Horizontal Take-Off and Landing) project aimed to develop a British unmanned re-usable spacecraft similar to the American Space Shuttle and Soviet Buran. It intended to be a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) craft capable of operating from runways. HOTOL planned to use a unique propulsion system that acted as both an airbreathing jet engine and a rocket engine.Alan Bond, a rocketry engineer, researched an airbreathing rocket engine concept in 1982. His idea addressed the challenge of carrying propellant onboard SSTO vehicles by using external atmospheric oxygen, combined with liquid hydrogen, for thrust until reaching Mach 5.5. Afterward, it would switch to conventional rocket mode using liquid oxygen.In 1985, Rolls Royce acquired Bond's engine rights and collaborated with British Aerospace (BAe) on the HOTOL project. However, difficulties arose due to the mismatch between the center of pressure and gravity during flight. The British government withdrew support in 1988, leading to the project's cancellation.Nonetheless, in 1990, the project experienced a resurgence when BAe approached the Soviet Union with a proposal to launch a derivative of HOTOL by piggybacking aboard the massive Antonov An-225 transport aircraft. This derivative, known as the Interim HOTOL, would forego the complex RB545 engines in favor of conventional rockets supplied by Russia. The Interim HOTOL would be mounted atop the An-225, originally designed to carry the Buran space shuttle, and ascend to an altitude of approximately 29,500 ft (9,000 m). Once released, the Interim HOTOL would ignite its rocket engines and be propelled into orbit while carrying a payload of 4.5 tons.Antonov also explored the development of an enhanced derivative of the An-225, called the An-325, equipped with two additional engines to accommodate a larger payload and potentially launch a larger version of HOTOL or a Russian vehicle. Unfortunately, the Interim HOTOL fared no better than its predecessor and was discontinued in 1992 due to a lack of interest from both the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK government.The HOTOL project showcased ambition and innovation but faced challenges in achieving its goals. Nonetheless, it contributed to subsequent developments such as Skylon, as the quest for efficient and cost-effective space transportation continues.
Mar 20, 2021HOTOL was a 1980s British project to build a totally reusable Space Shuttle. The project was cancelled and as it existed in the pre-internet age it's hard to find information about it.Whilst I was making my Spaceplanes video I came across a HOTOL brochure from 1985. I thought I would go through it and give an overview of this extremely interesting project.
Mar 23, 2022HOTOL was a 1980s British project to build a totally reusable Space Shuttle. The project was cancelled and as it existed in the pre-internet age it's hard to find information about it.In this video, with the aid of an original patent, I go back to basics to explain how HOTOL's unique rocket engine would have worked.
Apr 16, 2018The only orbital launch of a Buran-class orbiter occurred at 03:00:02 UTC on 15 November 1988 from Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad 110/37.[3][5] Buran was lifted into space, on an unmanned mission, by the specially designed Energia rocket. The automated launch sequence was performed as specified, and the Energia rocket lifted the vehicle into a temporary orbit before the orbiter separated as programmed. After boosting itself to a higher orbit and completing two orbits around the Earth, the ODU engines fired automatically to begin the descent into the atmosphere, return to the launch site, and horizontal landing on a runway.
Full Version: Feb 3, 2021, Shorten Version June 2, 2023Project Orion was a study of a starship intended to be directly propelled by a series of explosions of atomic bombs behind the craft (nuclear pulse propulsion)The project was eventually abandoned for multiple reasons such as the Partial Test Ban Treaty which banned nuclear explosions in space as well as concerns over nuclear fallout.The biggest design was the "Super" Orion design; at 8 million tons, 7250000000 Kilograms it could easily be a city. One design proposed by Freeman Dyson for the "Super Orion" called for the pusher plate to be composed primarily of uranium or a transuranic element so that upon reaching a nearby star system the plate could be converted to nuclear fuel.
Soviet Union's other Moon Rocket: UR-700A4 Jun 2023The regular UR-700 had a payload capacity of 151 tons to Earth orbit, surpassing both the N1 (97 tons) and the American Saturn-5 (127 tons). Additionally, Chelomei's engineers developed a larger follow-on version called Skhema "A" (Configuration "A"), which incorporated nuclear engines. This configuration featured a solid-core nuclear reactor and increased the payload capacity to as much as 250 tons into Earth orbit.The first two stages of the UR-700 with the "A" variant propulsion were similar to the regular UR-700. The six boosters in the first stage fed their own engines and simultaneously refueled the three boosters of the second stage. This ensured that the second stage had full tanks when it took over the powered ascent after the separation of the first stage.The "atomic" version of the UR-700 included third and fourth stages developed from scratch, equipped with RO-31 nuclear engines (also known as RD-0411). These engines burned cryogenic liquid hydrogen or liquid methane and produced a thrust of 40 tons. The third stage featured seven RO-31 engines, while the fourth stage had three. The third stage could be responsible for sending a spacecraft on an escape trajectory from Earth orbit, while the fourth stage could perform a braking maneuver near the Moon or Mars.
Dec 2, 2022The LK was a lunar module (lunar lander designed for human spaceflight) developed in the 1960s as a part of several Soviet crewed lunar programs. Its role was analogous to the American Apollo Lunar Module (LM). Three LK modules, of the T2K variant, were flown without crew in Earth orbit, but no LK ever reached the Moon. The development of the N1 launch vehicle required for the lunar flight suffered setbacks (including several launch failures), and the first Moon landings were achieved by US astronauts on Apollo 11. As a result, having lost the Space Race, both the N1 and the LK programs were cancelled without any further development.Sergei Korolev, the lead Soviet rocket engineer and spacecraft designer during the 1950s and 1960s, planned to adopt the same lunar orbit rendezvous concept as seen in the Apollo program. The lunar expedition spacecraft L3 was to consist of a Soyuz 7K-L3 Command Ship (a variant of the Soyuz) and an LK Lander. L3 would carry a two-man crew atop a single three-stage superheavy N-1 booster. A fourth stage, the Blok G, would push the L3 (LOK+LK) toward the Moon, with the Blok D as a fifth stage.LK compared to the Apollo Lunar ModuleBecause the payload capacity of the N1 rocket was only 95 tons to LEO, versus the Saturn V's 140 tons to LEO, the LK was created to be less bulky than the Apollo Lunar Module (LM):It had a different landing profileIt was lighter at only one-third the mass of the LMInitially, the LK was to have carried a single cosmonaut. A later variant would have a two-man crew; the LM took twoIt had no docking tunnel like the LM's; the cosmonaut would spacewalk from the LOK (Soyuz 7K-L3) to the LK and back.LK Lunar Lander, Soyuz-Lok,N1 Rocket service tower,3rd Stage n1 Models from Sketchfab user "Soviet Model Magic"
Jul 7, 2020Before the Stratolaunch was ever conceived, the Tupolev Bureau proposed a fully reusable replacement for the Buran Space ShuttleThe "OOS" Which stood for Odnostupenchati Orbitalni Samolyot, (one-stage orbital plane)Like the Stratolaunch system, The shuttle would ride under the Aerospace Transport System (AKS) A Dual fuselage version of the Antonov An-225 with between 24 and 40 Jet EnginesThe OSS would have a weight of 675 tons and the AKS would have a weight of 1000 tons for a total of around 1600 tons.
Jun 16, 2023The Atlas V rocket is a launch vehicle developed and manufactured by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. It is designed to deliver payloads into space for both government and commercial customers. The Atlas V has been in service since 2002 and has a strong track record of successful launches.Here are some key features and capabilities of the Atlas V rocket:Configurations: The Atlas V is available in several different configurations, which vary based on the number of solid rocket boosters (SRBs) and the type of Centaur upper stage used. The most common configurations include the Atlas V 401, 411, 421, and 551.Two-Stage Rocket: The Atlas V is a two-stage rocket, meaning it has two distinct stages stacked on top of each other. The first stage is powered by a Russian-built RD-180 engine, which burns a highly efficient combination of kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX). The second stage is powered by the RL10 engine, which uses liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) as propellants.Payload Fairing: The rocket's payload is encapsulated in a protective fairing, which shields the payload during the ascent through the atmosphere. The fairing comes in two different diameters: 4 meters (13.1 feet) and 5.4 meters (17.7 feet), depending on the payload requirements.Flexibility: The Atlas V is known for its versatility and can deliver a wide range of payloads to various orbits, including low Earth orbit (LEO), geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), and beyond. It has been used to launch satellites for communications, weather monitoring, scientific research, national security, and more.Reliability: The Atlas V has established a strong reputation for reliability and has achieved a high success rate throughout its operational history. It has been used for numerous critical missions, including launching spacecraft to Mars, delivering satellites to orbit, and supporting national security missions.
Jun 21, 2023Fireflash is an advanced supersonic airliner with impressive specifications. Speed: Fireflash is capable of reaching Mach 6 supersonic speeds, allowing for faster-than-sound travel.Passenger Capacity: Nuclear Powered 600 Seat JetlinerRange: The range of Fireflash is portrayed as a long-haul aircraft capable of traveling significant distances.Defensive Systems: Fireflash is equipped with defensive systems to counter threats, including anti-missile countermeasures and a reinforced hull.Advanced Avionics: The aircraft features advanced avionics and navigation systems to ensure safe and efficient travel.
Aug 22, 2022Our moon makes Earth a more livable planet by moderating our home planet's wobble on its axis, leading to a relatively stable climate, and creating a tidal rhythm that has guided humans for thousands of years. The moon was likely formed after a Mars-sized body collided with Earth and the debris formed into the most prominent feature in our night sky. It is the only celestial a body beyond Earth that has been visited by human beings.Earth's Moon is the fifth largest of the 200+ moons orbiting planets in our solar system.Distance from the Earth: About 239,000 miles."Year" (time to orbit the Earth): About 27 Earth days.Day: About 27 Earth days.Minimum temperature: -387 degrees Fahrenheit.Maximum temperature: 253 degrees Fahrenheit.Earth's only natural satellite is simply called "the Moon" because people didn't know other moons existed until Galileo Galilei discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610.
Jul 4, 2023SpaceX Starship, a remarkable creation from the visionary private space exploration company founded by Elon Musk, is an extraordinary feat of engineering that embodies the limitless potential of human ingenuity. The Starship represents a pioneering concept in space travel, providing an advanced, fully reusable transportation system designed to propel both crew and cargo beyond the frontiers of Earth's orbit and enable unparalleled point-to-point travel on our planet.This awe-inspiring spacecraft comprises two distinct but interdependent components: the powerful Super Heavy booster and the sleek, futuristic Starship spacecraft. The Super Heavy booster serves as the initial thrust mechanism that catapults the Starship spacecraft into orbit, while the Starship spacecraft itself is responsible for carrying both crew and cargo to their intended extraterrestrial destinations.Fashioned out of the ultra-durable stainless steel, the Starship spacecraft is a masterful creation of technological sophistication that can carry up to 100 people and accommodate a staggering payload capacity of up to 150 metric tons. The spacecraft boasts a bevy of cutting-edge features, including robust engines and state-of-the-art avionics systems that guarantee the utmost safety and precision in the spacecraft's landings on various extraterrestrial surfaces.SpaceX's relentless commitment to innovation and progress is evident in their extensive testing of the Starship prototype at their launch facility in South Texas. The company envisions a future where the Starship spacecraft serves as a vital tool for humanity's exploration of the Moon and Mars, as well as facilitating commercial point-to-point travel on our planet. With the Starship, SpaceX hopes to expand the horizons of space travel, making it more accessible and affordable for everyone and ushering in a new era of human achievement and exploration.
What Will Our Moon Look Like in the FutureQuoteAug 22, 2022Our moon makes Earth a more livable planet by moderating our home planet's wobble on its axis, leading to a relatively stable climate, and creating a tidal rhythm that has guided humans for thousands of years. The moon was likely formed after a Mars-sized body collided with Earth and the debris formed into the most prominent feature in our night sky. It is the only celestial a body beyond Earth that has been visited by human beings.Earth's Moon is the fifth largest of the 200+ moons orbiting planets in our solar system.Distance from the Earth: About 239,000 miles."Year" (time to orbit the Earth): About 27 Earth days.Day: About 27 Earth days.Minimum temperature: -387 degrees Fahrenheit.Maximum temperature: 253 degrees Fahrenheit.Earth's only natural satellite is simply called "the Moon" because people didn't know other moons existed until Galileo Galilei discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610.