Manned Solid Fuel Rocket

[dman]

Anyone ever consider possibility of creating and flying a spacecraft using solid fuel rocket?

Solids have ben used in manned flight - as boosters (SRB) in Space Shuttle
and as auxiliaries (launch escape, retro rockets) in early space program

Solids have advantage of being cheap with few or no moving parts Solids
can be built very large (10 ft diameter) 3 million Lbs thrust

Problems with solids is have much lower ISP than liquids, lower controlability
(once ignited can not be shut down and not throttleable like liquids),
high acceleration (High G loads) and low burn times

Would it be fesible to use a home brew fuel like GALCIT (Potassium perchlorate oxidizer Asphalt & oil fuel) as used in the JATO

What would be size limit of using Galcit fuel ??

 

[Notebook]

There was this:

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachem_Ba_349"]Bachem Ba 349 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df-50yROvFs

Correction: thought it was solids only, had a liquid one also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj91NXnzuUI 3 minutes in.
Manufacturer lost interest in the project.


This also, though it was air launched.
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokosuka_MXY7_Ohka"]Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]


N.

 

[dman]

Also the Japanese OHKA (Americans called it BAKA or stupid)

Japanese Kamikaze airlaunched from bomber

Problem was trip was rather short and one way!!!!

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokosuka_MXY7_Ohka"]Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

[C3PO]

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ares_I"]Ares 1[/ame]
SS1 and SS2
Copenhagen suborbitals

 

[dman]

Ares 1
SS1 and SS2
Copenhagen suborbitals

Ares was cancelled several years ago

SS1 (Space Ship 1) and SS2 (Space Ship 2) along with Copenhagen Suborbital
design are hybrids - solid fuel, liquid (Nitrous Oxide N2O) oxidizer

The Copenhagen Suborbital was more of an experimental sounding rocket rather
than human carrying launch vehicle

 

[C3PO]

Anyone ever consider possibility of creating and flying a spacecraft using solid fuel rocket?

I sorry if I took your question too literally, but those were all manned craft that solid fuel certainly was considered. Only Ares-1 was planned with a pure solid fuel/oxidizer mix.

The two other craft mentioned in the thread weren't spacecraft at all, and were cancelled years before Ares-1.

 

[N_Molson]

and as auxiliaries (launch escape, retro rockets) in early space program

They still are. The Atlas V first CCB has 8x solid retrorockets that clear it away from the Centaur. Also, Orion which flew in December has a solid-fueled LES. And so do all the Soyuz spacecraft since 1967 of course. I don't know the Chinese Shenzhou but I'm sure it works the same way. Solids are the best when you need to unleash a lot of power in a very short amount of time, and they are easy to store, too.

Now I'm a bit scared to see this thread in "Amateur Rocketry". Strapping an alive human subject to a hand-made solid rocket booster doesn't seem a very good idea :shifty:

 

[dman]

I was considering something along lines of the "LITTLE JOE" test vehicle

It was used to test components for the Mercury/Apollo programs -mostly
for the launch escape and parachute systems

It was based on the Castor Solid rocket (same ones used as boosters for the Delta) - initially 4, later supplemented by 4 Sergeant rockets

Was capable of throwing a capsule up to 100 miles altitude

 

[C3PO]

Now I'm a bit scared to see this thread in "Amateur Rocketry". Strapping an alive human subject to a hand-made solid rocket booster doesn't seem a very good idea :shifty:

It my get you a Darwin award.

 

[Andy44]

Now I'm a bit scared to see this thread in "Amateur Rocketry". Strapping an alive human subject to a hand-made solid rocket booster doesn't seem a very good idea :shifty:

Mythbusters gave it a shot...

 

[dman]

Was thinking about something more advanced than some hand packed gunpowder rockets ..........

 

[Ghostrider]

Strapping an alive human subject to a hand-made solid rocket booster doesn't seem a very good idea :shifty:

Oh, come on. It's going to be fun.:lol:

 

[C3PO]

Oh, come on. It's going to be fun.:lol:

Darwin award winners usually are. :thumbup:

 

[Urwumpe]

Working with any solid rocket motor should be a matter of professionals, not amateurs. Those are really bombs that can explode controlled and uncontrolled (Even the small ones you use for model rockets are not harmless)

 

[Ghostrider]

Darwin award winners usually are. :thumbup:

Where's your sense of adventure? Who wouldn't ride, like, the Manned Sugar Shot to Space? Who wouldn't hurtle (hoo-ha, I have used the Word of the Year) through the heavens on a blazing trail of candy-flavored flame, and then land safely among adoring crowds, savoring that moment of triumph before some friendly persons in white come to take you back to the safety of your padded cell?:lol:

 

[C3PO]

What do you think Kerbals are for?

 

[MaverickSawyer]

What do you think Kerbals are for?

Great, now I have to go do a Booster to Orbit design... :lol:

 

[N_Molson]

Great, now I have to go do a Booster to Orbit design...

Now that is a really cheap launch solution :yes:

 

[dman]

Darwin award winners usually are

Hey, Hold my beer while I do this......

 

[Artlav]

Hey, Hold my beer while I do this......

And the cases of "what could possibly go wrong?"