Quote from: clongton on 06/25/2012 12:05 pmA winged or lifting body shaped spacecraft is ill suited for any kind of BEO operations. The question is not "can they safely reenter at BEO velocity", but "why should we deploy them BEO at all"?Your asking the wrong question. If you were riding back to earth which way would you wish to land?
A winged or lifting body shaped spacecraft is ill suited for any kind of BEO operations. The question is not "can they safely reenter at BEO velocity", but "why should we deploy them BEO at all"?
To answer your question, I would prefer the more comfortable return to surface at a 1-g load afforded by a winged or lifting body shape, but if that same spacecraft executes a long term BEO mission, I would trade the comfortable ride down, which lasts only half an hour, for comfortable living space while on the BEO mission for several months.
If it's to be dormant it should be as light as possible to reduce the mission fuel requirements. ISTM that is easiest to accomplish with a capsule.
Quote from: docmordrid on 06/28/2012 12:22 amIf it's to be dormant it should be as light as possible to reduce the mission fuel requirements. ISTM that is easiest to accomplish with a capsule.That is correct. All the material it takes to make the wings or lifting body shape is wasted mass in a BEO spacecraft.
It's a showstopper. The aerobraking must be single-pass.