LEO to GTO and further

[mikeeosa]

Hi, I'm new here and new to space launches, vehicles, and everything space related ... BUT I want to learn, I have a question that might have been answered here but cannot find it.

I am a "trekkie" fan so yes a dreamer

I want to know two things.

1. If I had a very aerodynamic 80 Ton space craft and wanted to use let say a bunch of Saturn 5 rockets stuck together around it or even a few Falcon Heavy rockets, let's say 4 around the ship, could these rockets lift the craft into LEO, assuming my craft was not causing too much drag or be too un-aerodynmic (if I can say it in those words)

2. Is it possible that the ship, after loading etc. could then be launched from LEO to the Moon or Mars or Pluto or wherever, or is it better to load such a ship in GTO rather than LEO because it would take less fuel.

If this is a stupid question, or posted in the wrong area ... I apologise.

Live long and prosper!

[aero]

Welcome to the forum.

The answer to your question is (yes, no, or maybe). There are other parts needed for your question to have a real answer.

You can learn the parts needed to make a reasonable question by studying the rocket equation, it is very simple and gives the most optimistic answer. Other factors just take away performance from the rockets. Find the rocket equation using an Internet search on, of all things,
"the rocket equation."
Wikipedia gives a good introduction, and NASA also has a tutorial web site.

After you understand the rocket equation, (again, it is very simple), you can calculate the answer for almost any rocket using a spread sheet such as Microsoft Excel.

Note that you'll need reach a delta V of about 7.2 kilometers per second to establish a low Earth orbit, and the exhaust velocities of the engines you mentioned are both about 3 kilometers per second. You'll need these numbers to use the rocket equation.

[mikeeosa]

Thank you AERO.

I will look into the equations today.

In your message you say the first is possible, I know the Shuttle was very heavy so it might as well be then possible.

the second not or maybe ...
I would have thought we had a solution to do long burns to reach outer space. Example we orbit earth for months loading the ship with food, equipemnt then leave GTO and fly towards a destination like Mars.
The reason I looked at this scenario is there is not allot of resistance in space apart from earth's gravitation that has an effect on the ship leaving ... like a tug of war we just need to pull that little bit harder ...

Let me look at the first step (rocket equations) to start understanding first, the ask again if I need to