Re: Cost of slowing down?

"tomcat" <jlavine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

:Mike Dennis wrote:
:> >>>>> I don't mean this as a personal slam, but common sense holds up to the laws
:> of physics and economics.
:
:If, in any way, the concept of a spaceplane using SSME's doesn't hold
:up to the laws of physics and economics, please give details.
:
:I maintain that I, tomcat, can build a sub-orbital spaceplane in 3
:years for 3 billion dollars, a SSTO in 5 years for 5 billion dollars,
:and a SSTP (Single Stage To the Planets) in 8 years for 8 billion
:dollars.

I maintain that you, tomcat, need to learn some physics and study a
bit of materials science.

:Sounds like common sense to me. I can't think of any way it doesn't
:obey the laws of physics and economics. You, of course, have to 'know'
:how to do it.

First you have to 'know' something about the laws of physics and
economics.

:You can't build it out of 'bailing wire and bubblegum', and that's part
:of the reason the price tag is in the billions.

You also can't build it out of wishes and airy-fairy dreams, which
seems to be your approach.

:You can't build it out of aluminum. The melt-point is too low.
:
:You can't cement on silica tiles, because they break and fall off.
:
:You can't use a jets, and scrams, and finally rockets, because that
:adds to much weight.
:
:You can't use thick iron plate because it is too heavy.

And you can't use chemical fuels for 'single stage to the planets'
because the mass ratios kill you.

--
"Ignorance is preferable to error, and he is less remote from the
truth who believes nothing than he who believes what is wrong."
-- Thomas Jefferson
.

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