Re: Instant Shuttle turnaround ?

"Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)" <mooregr_deleteth1s@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:ruudndvUatf_QKvUnZ2dnUVZ_u-dnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxx:


Would a "new generation" Shuttle have a shorter turnaround, if new or
improved systems were available? Probably, but it depends on the
individual systems--particularly the thermal protection system has
been very sensitive and requiring detailed inspection and
maintenence. A different type of technology seems essential for the
TPS, perhaps a whole new Shuttle design fundamentally different from
the existing system.

If I were building a Mark II shuttle, I'd focus on the engines,
OMS/APU/RCS subsystems and the toilet. (Folks left out the toilet!)

The TPS I'd work on improving, but at this point for something that
large, not sure how much you could improve it.

It's far better than it was, that's for sure.

While the ideal Shuttle replacement has usually been conceived as
SSTO, that's too expensive to develop--even now I don't think the
technology is available at even unreasonable cost. But a fully
reusable TSTO ought to be relatively easy, and most of it off the
shelf.

My preferred idea for a "new Shuttle" would be along the lines of two
essentially identical airframes; one a kero-lox booster with minimal
TPS if any at all, and the other a hydrogen-lox orbiter with metallic
shingles instead of ceramic tiles. They'd launch in tandem and the
booster would return to launch site. No solids and no linear aerospike
engines; conventional RD-180 or RD-191 and SSMEs/RL-10 engines, and
alcohol/LOX/peroxide thrusters. Otherwise it's just a scaled up
X-33-like 'Bimese' concept as has been proposed several times over the
decades.

The booster ought to have fast turnaround, but it'd be cheaper and
thus a stable of two or three boosters per orbiter could be just as
workable.

The orbiter will be the weight sensitive part because it'll have to
be more complex and carry a robust TPS plus a useful payload bay.

The orbiter shouldn't be any larger than needed to support ISS; use
the boosters with an unmanned conventional cylinder tanks to launch
heavier/bulkier payloads. I wouldn't rule out an unmanned orbiter
to haul water/propellants/whatever--that'd save weight and improve
payload.

No hydraulics either; fully electrical systems powered by fuel cells
are mature enough technology. I think everything else in current use
is good enough, or make stuff like the toilet a plug-in module.

This still wouldn't be airline-type operations, but it'd be a lightyear
ahead of current Shuttle systems.

Of course no one's developing such a system; any new launch systems are
conventional derivatives of known technology such as SpaceX is doing
with Falcon and Dragon--because it's probably cheaper to develop.

But I think we're really going to miss Shuttle's capabilities, and that
will eventually drive development of new Shuttle-like systems.

--Damon
.

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