I'd go for a station that would refuel, or transfer cargo & passengers from rockets/shuttle types from earth and those going/coming from higher stage orbits, L5, Luna, whatever.
On Saturday, March 7, 2015 9:27 AM, " [Traveller_TNE]" <> wrote:
I agree with your ideas for cheap spacecraft except for the vertical landing. Here I think I would go with horizontal landing. I can only think of two ways to break for landing, thrusters or parachute. I think I would rather deal with the shifting mass problem over having to haul fuel up to orbit just to bring it back for breaking thrusters. I also agree about the shuttle tiles, I was never happy with them, too vulnerable by far, but with Earth's TL at the time there was little option. Not sure that wood would work either but the idea of having a BBQ after landing is amusing. "Hey we made it back alive. Where the ship? Lets rip it apart I'm starving." I've always thought of the shuttle program as a prototype program and was basely late seventy's/early eighties tech program with some upgrades. I would dearly like to see a new "advanced shuttle program" with current tech. It would have to use off the shelf components and be built more like an aircraft production line than as a single unit which would help cut costs too. The big problem as you pointed out is, what to do with them once you have a fleet of twenty or so shuttles and several ones in other country's hands? Here with the US/USSR space race gone we would need some kind of need to put people into space to validate the shuttles viability {Off, did I just say that}. Exploration by robot rovers seems to be working well and tourists or people wanting to skydive from orbit will not be worth it or the occasional satellite launch. We would need orbital factory's, or off planet colonies to need the fleet for service. I get a little off topic here, but I can't resist. My idea for a first space station would be a habitation ring around a Zero-G factory with a shuttle docking bay one end and maybe a ore crusher/smelter on the other end.Roger #yiv0030652470 #yiv0030652470 -- #yiv0030652470ygrp-mkp {border:1px solid #d8d8d8;font-family:Arial;margin:10px 0;padding:0 10px;}#yiv0030652470 #yiv0030652470ygrp-mkp hr {border:1px solid #d8d8d8;}#yiv0030652470 #yiv0030652470ygrp-mkp #yiv0030652470hd {color:#628c2a;font-size:85%;font-weight:700;line-height:122%;margin:10px 0;}#yiv0030652470 #yiv0030652470ygrp-mkp #yiv0030652470ads {margin-bottom:10px;}#yiv0030652470 #yiv0030652470ygrp-mkp .yiv0030652470ad {padding:0 0;}#yiv0030652470 #yiv0030652470ygrp-mkp .yiv0030652470ad p {margin:0;}#yiv0030652470 #yiv0030652470ygrp-mkp .yiv0030652470ad a {color:#0000ff;text-decoration:none;}#yiv0030652470 #yiv0030652470ygrp-sponsor #yiv0030652470ygrp-lc {font-family:Arial;}#yiv0030652470 #yiv0030652470ygrp-sponsor #yiv0030652470ygrp-lc #yiv0030652470hd {margin:10px 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On Saturday, March 7, 2015 9:27 AM, " [Traveller_TNE]" <> wrote:
I agree with your ideas for cheap spacecraft except for the vertical landing. Here I think I would go with horizontal landing. I can only think of two ways to break for landing, thrusters or parachute. I think I would rather deal with the shifting mass problem over having to haul fuel up to orbit just to bring it back for breaking thrusters. I also agree about the shuttle tiles, I was never happy with them, too vulnerable by far, but with Earth's TL at the time there was little option. Not sure that wood would work either but the idea of having a BBQ after landing is amusing. "Hey we made it back alive. Where the ship? Lets rip it apart I'm starving." I've always thought of the shuttle program as a prototype program and was basely late seventy's/early eighties tech program with some upgrades. I would dearly like to see a new "advanced shuttle program" with current tech. It would have to use off the shelf components and be built more like an aircraft production line than as a single unit which would help cut costs too. The big problem as you pointed out is, what to do with them once you have a fleet of twenty or so shuttles and several ones in other country's hands? Here with the US/USSR space race gone we would need some kind of need to put people into space to validate the shuttles viability {Off, did I just say that}. Exploration by robot rovers seems to be working well and tourists or people wanting to skydive from orbit will not be worth it or the occasional satellite launch. We would need orbital factory's, or off planet colonies to need the fleet for service. I get a little off topic here, but I can't resist. 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