Re: Stick - Saturn IB Reprise?
- From: "Ed Kyle" <edkyle99@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 26 Sep 2005 08:24:09 -0700
Michael Gallagher wrote:
> On 20 Sep 2005 12:03:43 -0700, "Ed Kyle" <edkyle99@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >I'm thinking about how SRB "Stick" compares to Saturn IB
> >at: "www.geocities.com/launchreport/weblog.html"
> >
> > - Ed Kyle
>
> I've been noting those parallels myself, albiet not in so detailed a
> fasion. But with NASA apparently returning to Apollo style systems,
> it leads one to wonder if there was any point to doing the Shuttle at
> all, in spite of its accomplishments. STS may have been a good idea
> at the time, but how much could we have accomplished if we'd stuck
> with what we had?
>
> Also, while the 1B doesn't look like it could orbit a CEV as is, could
> strap on solid boosters have made up the difference?
Yes. Upgraded Saturn IB derivatives were studied to death.
Options included up-thrusting the H-1 engines and stretching
the second stage, adding four Minuteman solid motors, or
using two Titan III solid motors (that rocket could have
orbited 33 tonnes or so). NASA also came close to developing
a Saturn IB/Centaur that could have performed deep space
missions. But money for the upgrades was always missing.
At one time too, before Saturn IB existed, there were plans
for a Saturn C-2, which would have inserted a big liquid
hydrogen second stage between the S-I and S-IV stages of
the Saturn C-1 rocket. It would have been about as
powerful as a Stick. Launch Complex 37 was originally
built to handle Saturn C-2 rockets.
At the time, in the midst of Vietnam and social upheaval,
expendable launch was seen as a massive waste - nevermind
what the engineers said. The problem was that it was
hard for the engineers to explain the truth to the public.
When you tried to explain that it was cheaper to throw
the hardware away, the typical reaction would be to ask
why we were spending money on such stuff at all.
So NASA offered Shuttle as a way to save money. It was
the only program that NASA could win funding for at the
time. That they made it to work was something, but the
idea clearly had flaws from the start.
- Ed Kyle
.
- Follow-Ups:
- Re: Stick - Saturn IB Reprise?
- From: Rand Simberg
- Re: Stick - Saturn IB Reprise?
- Prev by Date: Re: manned crew expolration cancelled
- Next by Date: Re: How did NASA get it so wrong
- Previous by thread: Re: Stick - Saturn IB Reprise?
- Next by thread: Re: Stick - Saturn IB Reprise?
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
