On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:05:37 +1000, in a place far, far away, Sylvia
Else <sylvia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> made the phosphor on my monitor glow
in such a way as to indicate that:
On the other hand, accelerating horizontally through the atmosphere
produces its own losses in the form of drag. So any rational launch
design will seek to find the optimum path between the two launch strategies.
Every analysis ever done on the subject indicates that the optimal
path is up out of the atmosphere with a rocket, and then a gravity
turn, again with a rocket.
Define "optimal".
Lowest cost. How do you define "optimal"?
Now cite the analysis that shows that vertical launch provides the
lowest cost solution.
There are many of them. I'm not aware of any that indicate otherwise.
Re: VTVL? ... stages, it's been remarked that when what you want to do is climb out of the atmosphere, a simple vertical takeoff rocket stage with no wings or airbreathing engines is the most efficient. ... Climbing out of the atmosphere is really a secondary goal. ... The problem with a vertical launch is that it imparts a velocity that is perpendicular to the one needed. ... So any rational launch design will seek to find the optimum path between the two launch strategies. ... (sci.space.policy)
Re: VTVL? ... Climbing out of the atmosphere is really a secondary goal. ... The problem with a vertical launch is ... design will seek to find the optimum path between the two launch strategies. ... path is up out of the atmosphere with a rocket,... (sci.space.policy)
Re: Branson and Bigelow to team up for a space hotel? ...lol.... their launch facility in the Marshall Islands might have been ... And it is a nice rocket for those 0.57 ... how a commercial company will minimise a large rocket launch cost.... (sci.space.policy)
Re: Skylon SSTO ... technical details of a foreign launcher project:... The opportunity to put their flag on a rocket... you want to start looking in the United States....orbital launch vehicle in the first place. ... (sci.space.policy)
