Space shuttle for space tourism and first stage of a TSTO.
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From: Pat Flannery on 9 Jan 2010 04:23 Jeff Findley wrote: > Vital Partnership, NASA and the USAF, Preserving a Legacy (on top of a > picture of the shuttle at the launch pad) > http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100104-030.pdf > > Check out the picture of what the inside of the building would look like > (page 9), which is prominently displaying Atlantis in the middle of the huge > Space Gallery. Impressive, no? Yeah, that would be a good place to display it. I wonder where they dug up a Titan I at? Pat
From: Pat Flannery on 9 Jan 2010 04:39 Jeff Findley wrote: > Can't seem to find pictures of the mating operation... My Google-Fu is powerful: http://home.att.net/~dblawren/images5/piggyback.jpg Pat
From: Robert Clark on 9 Jan 2010 11:24 For the space tourism use or hypersonic transport use, note that Virgin Galactic is charging $200,000 just for space tourism and they believe they can make a profit based on a $150 million development cost, while carrying only 6 passengers per flight. Carrying 100 passengers in my scenario would allow you to reduce the price significantly which would actually increase revenues at this high number of passengers with additionally, as I'm arguing, a lower development cost. Note also this would allow a hypersonic transport role for a large number of passengers in the airliner capacity range which actually would probably be a larger market. Imagine trips to Asia instead of taking a whole day only take 90 minutes. Note too this large number of passengers, at this short transport time anywhere in the world raises the possibility of military applications. For the first stage booster use, it's very important to remember the Air Force believes using such reusable first stage boosters can cut launch costs by 50%. Now notice the similarity of the Lockheed first stage booster proposal to the space shuttle orbiter: Plans for future re--usable space launch X-plane hatched. Posted by Guy Norris at 3/31/2009 3:41 PM CDT http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/space/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&newspaperUserId=04ce340e-4b63-4d23-9695-d49ab661f385&plckPostId=Blog%3a04ce340e-4b63-4d23-9695-d49ab661f385Post%3a515cca66-2055-4902-bce3-400832bdc2a4&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest A more detailed discussion: USAF Seeks Reusable Booster Ideas. May 14, 2009 By Graham Warwick "The plan is to conduct an integrated demonstration of technologies and processes culminating in a subscale X-plane vehicle that would fly by 2017-18 and take the concept to a technology readiness level of 6, ready to enter full-scale development. "AFRL has several ground-based experiments already under way involving structures, controls and systems for an operationally responsive launch vehicle. The work is focused on a reference concept for an unmanned vertical takeoff and horizontal landing reusable booster capable of turnaround in 24-48 hours and launch within 4-8 hours of a request." http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=space&id=news/Reuse051409.xml This is speaking of only of a subscale demonstrator by 2017-2018. I'm arguing that by using already produced airframes such as the shuttle orbiter or Buran you could have *full scale* demonstrators at a markedly reduced price in a shorter time frame. Note too the sort turnaround time and quite short preparation time to a launch would be quite important for a hypersonic commercial transport or military transport role. A detailed report on the Air Force's "Reusable Booster System" program is given here: Spacelift Development Plan. http://www.acq.osd.mil/nsso/conference/briefs/HampstenSDP%20Public%20Release.ppt Notice the similarity of the first stage boosters to the shuttle orbiter in the diagram on page 8. Bob Clark
From: Robert Clark on 10 Jan 2010 10:03 Nice video lecture here by Derek Webber of Spaceport Associates on the market possibilities of suborbital space tourism and hypersonic point-to-point transport: 05 August 2009 Updated FastForward Study Group overview presentation, Derek Webber video presentation on suborbital/point-to-point transportation. http://www.sei.aero/com/news/newsindex.php?id=14 He discusses a market study he took part in by Futron/Zogby from 2002 on suborbital space tourism at a price point of $100,000. Virgin Galactic will charge $200,000 but Webber concludes the market in the U.S. alone might be $1 billion - $2 billion. It looks like at an initial investment of $150 million, Sir Richard Branson might have known what he was doing. The market study is available here: Space Tourism Market Study. http://www.futron.com/pdf/resource_center/white_papers/SpaceTourismMarketStudy.pdf Bob Clark
From: J. Clarke on 10 Jan 2010 13:58
Robert Clark wrote: > Nice video lecture here by Derek Webber of Spaceport Associates on > the market possibilities of suborbital space tourism and hypersonic > point-to-point transport: > > 05 August 2009 > Updated FastForward Study Group overview presentation, Derek Webber > video presentation on suborbital/point-to-point transportation. > http://www.sei.aero/com/news/newsindex.php?id=14 > > He discusses a market study he took part in by Futron/Zogby from 2002 > on suborbital space tourism at a price point of $100,000. Virgin > Galactic will charge $200,000 but Webber concludes the market in the > U.S. alone might be $1 billion - $2 billion. It looks like at an > initial investment of $150 million, Sir Richard Branson might have > known what he was doing. > The market study is available here: > > Space Tourism Market Study. > http://www.futron.com/pdf/resource_center/white_papers/SpaceTourismMarketStudy.pdf If the proposal here is to somehow use Space Shuttle orbiters as passenger vehicles, can you get insurance on something that NASA considers to no longer be flight-worthy? |