Quote from: yg1968 on 06/02/2012 03:20 pmThe video says "No solid strapons" and "no abort blackzones." They are responding to ATK on the black zones and taking shots at Boeing for the solid strapon (the CST-100 uses the Atlas V 412; DC uses the Atlas V 402). It also said, that their LAS didn't need that much thrust, because Atlas 402 has thrust termination. I wonder if this means that their LAS won't support an Atlas 412. That would be a huge risk on the mass margins. Meanwhile, CST-100 could simply do a 422. I.e., CST has the risk of being more expensive, while DC would be sort of incompatible. Am I reading this right?
The video says "No solid strapons" and "no abort blackzones." They are responding to ATK on the black zones and taking shots at Boeing for the solid strapon (the CST-100 uses the Atlas V 412; DC uses the Atlas V 402).
The HL-10, a forerunner of DreamChaser, had a needle-nose on it. I'd like to ask if DreamChaser could be given a needle-nose just for the purpose of putting a camera out there near its tip, protruding beyond the plasma envelope during re-entry, so that clear video footage of the descent from orbit could be taken.Would that be possible?
Quote from: TomH on 06/02/2012 05:01 pm SNC's DC provides a spacecraft that is much more dissimilar to Dragon than is CST-100. That is not a consideration.
SNC's DC provides a spacecraft that is much more dissimilar to Dragon than is CST-100.
Just so you know, we'll have two articles on SNC next week, following Lee Jay's visit to see Dream Chaser on behalf of NSF. Lots of good stuff coming!
Article for the PDR...http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/06/dream-chaser-passes-pdr-integrated-system-testing/Will give it a standalone as I want to build the threads for this vehicle and create its own section
The carrier rocket is lifting Dreamchaser to only about 80-90% of orbital velocity.Dreamchaser itself will act as 3rd stage, using own engines to reach orbit.