In the year 1960, Philip Bono, a highly specialized Space Vehicle Design Specialist affiliated with the Boeing Airplane Company, formulated a conceptualization of a pioneering manned spacecraft intended for Mars. The outward visage of this spacecraft was fashioned in a manner which exhibited similarities to the X-20A Dyna-Soar single-seat orbital glider concurrently under development at his organization on behalf of the United States Air Force. However, Bono's cerebral rendition of the Mars glider embodied noteworthy dimensional dissimilarities when compared to the Dyna-Soar -- namely, it was of an enormity that was capable of accommodating an eight-man "expeditionary force," and nearly 40 tons of supplies and equipment. The prodigious Mars glider boasted a flat-bellied physique that spanned a monumental 125 feet in length, and an impressive 95 feet across its delta wings.The Mars glider, once fully assembled and loaded with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants, stood at a towering height of 248 feet, weighing in at an impressive 4150 tons. This colossal spacecraft was encompassed by six elongated outboard booster rockets, designed to enshroud and conceal the short booster, living module/rocket stage, and the majority of the aft portion of the glider.Bono's original vision of the Mars glider was equipped with scientific instruments that would enable it to scrutinize the Red Planet's surface and atmosphere. This glider would harness the power of its wings to generate lift, and it would have been controlled remotely from the mother ship. The spacecraft would have been launched from a mother ship which was stationed in orbit around Mars.Even though the Mars Glider concept never came to complete fruition nor was it ever launched, it nevertheless played a consequential role in the technological advancements of other Mars exploration technologies. Additionally, this epoch-making conceptualization inspired a plethora of forthcoming space exploration concepts.Epic Unease by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...Artist: http://incompetech.com/
I don't know how this guy is able to do this stuff. He's not selling ads, and clearly these videos are a lot of work. Truly impressive.
Apr 18, 2023The fundamental concept behind the STAR program was to maximize efficiency while minimizing cost. To achieve this goal, the craft was designed to be as small and inexpensive as possible, with only one crew member onboard. The crew compartment itself was unpressurized and only large enough for a seated astronaut, who would be required to remain in their spacesuit throughout the duration of the mission. Notably, the craft lacked key features such as hydraulics, an ejection seat, or even landing gear. Instead, it would utilize a parawing to glide back to Earth and touch down on land.Despite its Spartan design, the STAR was intended to function as an orbital runabout, capable of carrying out a variety of missions. The craft was eight meters in length and only a meter and a half tall at its aft end, tapering down to a fine point at its nose. To optimize its transportability, the nose was designed to fold back at a hinge four meters down from the tip of the STAR, creating a compact package just four meters in length. In terms of deployment, the Shuttle was expected to lift the STAR into orbit, potentially even multiple at a time, and deploy them from its cargo bay. Once in space, the STAR would set off on its designated missions, either returning to the Shuttle or making its own way back to Earth. If the STAR needed to reach higher altitudes beyond its on-board propellant capacity (which was estimated to be around 1650 kilometers), a truncated Centaur stage equipped with a single RD-10 engine - known as the Centaur-SP - could be attached to the STAR for increased thrust. This configuration would fit into the Shuttle's cargo bay, allowing for transport to geosynchronous orbit and beyond.
I gotta admit that this one is just bizarre. And despite the description, it's hard to understand exactly what this thing was supposed to do. Why?<snip>
I gotta admit that this one is just bizarre. And despite the description, it's hard to understand exactly what this thing was supposed to do. Why?I sure hope that astronaut pulled his head in before reentry, though.
Quote from: Blackstar on 04/19/2023 02:00 pmI gotta admit that this one is just bizarre. And despite the description, it's hard to understand exactly what this thing was supposed to do. Why?I sure hope that astronaut pulled his head in before reentry, though.That 60g reentry load on a typical ICBM RV is probably a bit uncomfortable for that guy, too.
Remember reading about something like this in a Sci-fi magazine during the 80s. Basically adapting a slight scaled up ICBM reentry vehicle for nukes to be a crew capable reentry vehicle. The flight characteristics of the reentry vehicle is well understood and tested.IMO, the vehicle could be use as a supplemental lifeboat for a space station in LEO. Of course you will need some kind of EVA suits for the whole crew. Which means you could use this vehicle as lifeboats on the Shuttle.The use of the vehicle docked to the cut down Centaur is more interesting. In theory you could use it to transfer between the Shuttle in LEO and an orbital platform in a higher orbit. It will be cheap since the flight controls are presumably in the Centaur and no other modifications is required other than more consumables for the single crew. Think there is enough delta-V left in the Centaur for a reentry burn after reaching the higher orbital platform.Of course the vehicle concept is a bit crazy.
<snip>If you need to move astronauts to a different orbit, then you design a vehicle for that. You wouldn't also need to bring them back to Earth on that same vehicle.<snip>
Dec 15, 2020Rotary Rocket Company was a rocketry company that developed the Roton concept in the late 1990s as a fully reusable single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) crewed spacecraft with a rotating annular aerospike engine to pump fuel and oxidizer to the rim by the rotation and a helicopter rotor on top used for landing.The design was initially conceived by Bevin McKinney, who shared it with Gary Hudson.
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
Jun 1, 2022Douglas Aircraft's SASSTO, short for "Saturn Application Single Stage to Orbit", was a single-stage to orbit (SSTO) reusable launch system designed by Philip Bono's team in 1967. SASSTO was a study in minimalist designs, a launcher with the specific intent of repeatedly placing a Gemini capsule in orbit for the lowest possible cost. The SASSTO booster was based on the layout of the S-IVB upper stage from the Saturn family, modified with a plug nozzle.
Japan's Tourism Reusable Rocket. The Kankoh-maru (観光丸, Kankōmaru)Hazegrayart7 May 2022Kankoh-maru is a single-stage reusable orbital passenger aircraft is a proposed vertical takeoff and landing (VTVL), single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO), reusable launch system that has been studied by the Japanese Rocket Society since 1993.According to a document from July 1997, it would have been manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.The passenger capacity is 50, which is the same as that of a sightseeing bus, and the crew is a pilot and a stewardess, 2 each. The rooms are two-story, with the seats facing outwards and circular so that all passengers can sit and look out the window. The cockpit and the entrance to the space hotel are on the 2nd floor, and the 2 entrances and exits for takeoff and landing and the toilet are on the 1st floor. The weightless swimming space is a stairwell on the 1st and 2nd floors and has large windows. The entrance on the 2nd floor is doubled, and you can do outside activities if you wear a space suit.
Oct 10, 2022Philip Bono's study of a reusable Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO)The Douglas Aircraft Reusable One-Stage Orbital Space Truck (ROOST) The reentry and recovery system for the ROOST booster would gradually deploy and inflate with hot gases to gently land like a hot air balloon.
Aug 1, 2022Neutron is a medium-lift two-stage launch vehicle under development by Rocket Lab. The vehicle is being designed to be capable of delivering an 8,000 kg (17,600 lb) payload to low Earth orbit in a reusable configuration and will focus on the growing mega constellation satellite delivery market. The vehicle is expected to be operational sometime in 2024. It uses LOX and liquid methane propellant on both stages of the vehicle.On 28 February 2022, Rocket Lab announced that Neutron will launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) within NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on the eastern coast of Virginia. It was also announced that the company will build a 250,000 square feet manufacturing and operations facility adjacent to the Wallops Flight Facility. The ground was broken for this facility on 11 April 2022. As of December 2021, Rocket Lab is planning for the first launch to take place no earlier than 2024.
The MAKS Spaceplane: Multipurpose aerospace system (Russian: МАКС)2020 31 AugThe MAKS (Multipurpose aerospace system) (Russian: МАКС (Многоцелевая авиационно-космическая система)) was a Soviet air-launched reusable launch system project that was proposed in 1988, but cancelled in 1991. An offshoot of the ENERGIA-BURAN program it had two RD-701 rocket tri-propellant engines based on RD-170 engine from the first stage of ENERGIA rocket and using an Antonov An-225 as a mobile launch platform
