Re: SSTO - what's the point?

On Fri, 26 Aug 2005 09:13:49 -0500, richard schumacher
<no-spam@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>In article <1125062083.831910.82570@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
> "vello" <vellokala@xxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> That's for sure, reusable thing is at least in theory much less
>> expencive. But my problem was about SSTO idea - no matter reusable or
>> not, multistage composition will give much less dead weight on orbit?
>
>"Dead weight" in orbit is a good thing if it gives you greater
>reliability and lower system costs.

_If_.

>Propellants are the cheapest part
>of getting to orbit and back; losing 1% or so of your vehicles and
>payloads to staging-related accidents is ruinously expensive.

Not so. Before the modern era, that sort of loss rate (or worse) was
routine in transoceanic shipping, and people still managed to do it at
a profit.

In any case, as we have no examples of SSTO, pretty much all launch
vehicle losses can be spun as "staging-related accidents." This is
like observing that most airliner crashes are on landing, and on that
basis claiming that a cheaper and more reliable design concept for
airliners would have them perpetually airborne.

>A launcher using two parallel stages that has all engines running at
>liftoff is nearly as good as SSTO, with the enormous benefit that no one
>doubts that it can be done (because it has already been done).

That is 2STO, and it is not "nearly as good as SSTO." It is better.

-- Roy L
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: SSTO - whats the point?
    ... "Dead weight" in orbit is a good thing if it gives you greater ... payloads to staging-related accidents is ruinously expensive. ... liftoff is nearly as good as SSTO, with the enormous benefit that no one ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)
  • Re: Reuseable technology
    ... and after fifteen minutes you are at the station. ... >> you get to orbit the station will be pretty near where you are. ... Launch from the equator. ... An empty SSTO should be pretty fluffy too, ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: More ET foam woes
    ... >>>SSTO does not necessarily mean RLV. ... Multiple stages will give you more payload to orbit. ... Perhaps the idea isn't to re-use it as a launch vehicle, ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: The 100/10/1 Rule.
    ... orbit in orbiter space flight simulator for a little while now. ... the rocket itself into payload. ... but kT is playing some sort of game with SSTO. ... cannibalistic SSTO vehicle seems pointless. ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: More ET foam woes
    ... Multiple stages will give you more payload to orbit. ... If it has to do with straight stack conventional SSTO, ... > Perhaps the idea isn't to re-use it as a launch vehicle, ... But the cryogenic SSTO problem still remains to be solved. ...
    (sci.space.policy)