Space Shuttle replacement project

[Fabri91]

Aren't there some chaps at Reaction Engines working on exactly this?

Granted, it's still quite far in the future, but the Skylon project, and more importantly it's engines, seem feasible.

 

[Pinguinboy]

maybe not a viable replacement, but maybe worth a look?

The MAKS is a great idea for low-cost launches, but it's payload capacity is quite small.

 

[garyw]

No,it won't. It could be done, like, tomorrow if it were tried.
The require engines and stages already exist.


Bob Clark

True but only if you want to put the rocket into orbit - The payload to orbit capability of an SSTO today is nothing and it is not reusable.

 

[T.Neo]

The payload to orbit capability of an SSTO today is nothing and it is not reusable.

No, it isn't "nothing". It's just a very small payload for a very large vehicle, and therefore impractical.

Reusability would kill your payload capability.

 

[garyw]

No, it isn't "nothing". It's just a very small payload for a very large vehicle, and therefore impractical.

Reusability would kill your payload capability.

Now are you splitting hairs. You could say that the Delta II SSTO capbility to orbit is just the second stage...

 

[T.Neo]

Now are you splitting hairs. You could say that the Delta II SSTO capbility to orbit is just the second stage...

I'm sorry, could you rephrase?

My point is that modern (or historical) weight-optimised stages combined with highly efficient engines can make orbit with a considerable payload, but such excersises are purely mathamatical novelties and not part of a potential for any viable launch vehicle design.

 

[HAL9001]

Smething funny:
I'm sure it's a mistake, but the TV in geermany one said a shuttle-klaunch wuld cost 1,2 MRD Euro (ca. 1,4 MRD dollar), wich is more than a saturnV-launch costs...
:lol::rofl::lol:

 

[Urwumpe]

Smething funny:
I'm sure it's a mistake, but the TV in geermany one said a shuttle-klaunch wuld cost 1,2 MRD Euro (ca. 1,4 MRD dollar), wich is more than a saturnV-launch costs...
:lol::rofl::lol:

Not a mistake. They used fixed costs for calculating the annual launch costs for the Shuttle. When you just launch twice per year, you have easily much higher costs than for the Saturn V.

But the Saturn V did also NEVER launch 6 times per year, like the Shuttle nominally does.

If you had the same launch rates as the Saturn V has, you had been easily at the same mission costs as the Saturn V.

BUT: When all runs smooth in a year, the Shuttle was about 10-12 times cheaper than the Saturn V.