"SpaceShipTwo could be single stage to SUBorbit"
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From: Jeff Findley on 12 May 2010 09:40 "J. Clarke" <jclarke.usenet(a)cox.net> wrote in message news:hsdvvt01qd4(a)news5.newsguy.com... > There was indeed a plan to strap a bunch of solid rockets to an X-15 and > put it in orbit, with a heat shield. The Powers That Be decided that > humans couldn't function under the stresses of space flight though and > went with a fully automated "capsule". Would be a different world if the > X-15B had been flown and worked. I've seen this X-15B many times at the museum and the ablative coating is definitely not on the aircraft. http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=556 Note the appearance of the aircraft in the "HiRes" pictures. Also note the drop tanks in picture #1. Jeff -- "Take heart amid the deepening gloom that your dog is finally getting enough cheese" - Deteriorata - National Lampoon
From: Marvin the Martian on 12 May 2010 10:13 On Wed, 12 May 2010 05:57:02 -0700, Robert Clark wrote: > On May 10, 2:47 pm, Robert Clark <rgregorycl...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >> Interesting article here: >> >> SpaceShipTwo could be single stage to suborbit says ESA firm. By Rob >> Coppinger >> on April 29, 2010 4:24 PM >> "Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo could be a single stage to suborbit >> vehicle using liquid chemical propulsion according to independent >> research carried out by a company that has been contracted by the >> European Space Agency for suborbital and hypersonic transport studies." >> "... the UK firm came to the conclusion that the volume within which >> SS2 carries its solid rocket motor and nitrous oxide supply could >> equally hold a liquid chemical propulsion system capable of providing >> enough thrust for long enough for a horizontal take-off and ascent to >> 50,000ft and above without the need for >> WK2."http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/hyperbola/2010/04/spaceshiptwo- coul... >> >> If you also filled up the passenger compartment with fuel leaving only >> a pilot's cabin could it even become orbital? >> >> > The usefulness of just using a single stage for the suborbital flights > is to save on costs. Using two vehicles would cost twice as much to > develop and twice as much in per flight costs. When people say things like that, it is a good argument that there is no intelligence on the usenet. Multistage rockets to orbit are the used BECAUSE they are cheaper than a single stage to orbit, if you could even GET a single stage to orbit and back again. It just kinda makes you wonder about people.
From: J. Clarke on 12 May 2010 10:33 On 5/12/2010 9:40 AM, Jeff Findley wrote: > "J. Clarke"<jclarke.usenet(a)cox.net> wrote in message > news:hsdvvt01qd4(a)news5.newsguy.com... >> There was indeed a plan to strap a bunch of solid rockets to an X-15 and >> put it in orbit, with a heat shield. The Powers That Be decided that >> humans couldn't function under the stresses of space flight though and >> went with a fully automated "capsule". Would be a different world if the >> X-15B had been flown and worked. > > I've seen this X-15B many times at the museum and the ablative coating is > definitely not on the aircraft. > > http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=556 > > Note the appearance of the aircraft in the "HiRes" pictures. Also note the > drop tanks in picture #1. First, that's an X15A--no X15B was ever built or flown. Second, there was never any plan to "drop" the auxiliary fuel tanks. And apparently they have stripped it because it was white when I saw it many years ago.
From: Pat Flannery on 12 May 2010 14:42 On 5/12/2010 5:40 AM, Jeff Findley wrote: > I've seen this X-15B many times at the museum and the ablative coating is > definitely not on the aircraft. > > http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=556 They did manage to get the ablator off of the aircraft, it just took around forever to do...which ruled out its re-use on any future aircraft intended for multiple flights. Some more photos of the aircraft with its ablative coating here: http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2004/03/stuff_eng_x15.htm Mercifully, a white seal coat was put over the pink ablator before the pilots flew it, lest they be the subject of rude jokes at the officer's club afterwards. Oh well...at least a monkey didn't make the first flight. ;-) Pat
From: Robert Clark on 12 May 2010 11:49
On May 12, 10:13 am, Marvin the Martian <mar...(a)ontomars.org> wrote: > ... > > > The usefulness of just using a single stage for the suborbital flights > > is to save on costs. Using two vehicles would cost twice as much to > > develop and twice as much in per flight costs. > > When people say things like that, it is a good argument that there is no > intelligence on the usenet. > > Multistage rockets to orbit are the used BECAUSE they are cheaper than a > single stage to orbit, if you could even GET a single stage to orbit and > back again. > > It just kinda makes you wonder about people. This is for the *suborbital* XCOR flight which does cost half as much per passenger as the two-stage Virgin Galactic system. Bob Clark |