Re: SpaceX Aims For 2009 Re-usability Demo



dumpster4@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Would a winged booster (or boosters) would make more sense
than a winged orbiter like the Shuttle? I know various flyback
booster schemes have been proposed over the years. But
would that be economically preferable to parachuting a non-
winged booster into the ocean for recovery via boat?

If you are going to try to use flyback boosters, this is about the only design for one I ever saw that looked like it would make sense: http://www.buran.ru/htm/strbaik.htm
http://www.mati.ru/english/index.php?path=science/fsp
It's the "Baikal" booster design.
The top-mounted wing swings 90 degrees to lie along the side of the body during ascent, then opens after its fuel is expended to let it glide back down; propulsion is provided by the nose-mounted jet engine(s) as it flies back to the launch site to land like a conventional airplane.
The downside is that it looks like a winged erect penis, but that will show the manliness of the boosters using it. :-)

Pat
.