NASASpaceFlight.com Forum
General Discussion => Q&A Section => Topic started by: aero on 10/21/2012 05:04 pm
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If lower launch vehicle costs led to higher launch rate, at what point would launch pads and ranges become a limiting factor? Launch rate doubling, 5 times, 10 times, not a constraint?
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If lower launch vehicle costs led to higher launch rate, at what point would launch pads and ranges become a limiting factor? Launch rate doubling, 5 times, 10 times, not a constraint?
Depends on each launch vehicle and many other factors
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In a traditional stack the vehicle on the launch pad architecture, it becomes a problem when the launch rate exceeds the time needed to stack, check out, launch and refurbish the pad.
This was exactly the problem Von Braun and his guys in the Launch Opperations Directorate were trying to solve when they came up with the mobile launcher concept used at LC-39. It might take 6 months from start to finish to process a Saturn V, but only the last 5 or 6 weeks of that need to be at the pad. They could theoretcly launch once every month with 2 pads if they had enough MLs to keep things flowing. Of course, the launch rate never got that high.
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The type of launch vehicle determines the underlying base factors. Higher launch rates doesn't always means success ratio to come upon.