Archibald
Banned
Here's some randoms alternate space timelines (or ideas to develop)
Part 1
Single-stage-to-orbit
I've discovered recently that SSTO are doable since the 60's !
For example Saturn S-II and S-IVB were "potential SSTO" (among others rocket stages such as Titan first stage and Atlas, the 1.5 SSTO).
But these would be expendable SSTOs.
I mean that if you try to put a heatshield and a recovery system on these stages, there's simply no payload left.
Their payload is weak because there's no staging.
That's the reasons (along with the Shuttle) why they were not build in the 60's or the 70's.
Another way is the 1.5 SSTO such as Bono huge ROMBUS. This one had expendable drop tanks.
Now after putting a ROMBUS in low-earth-orbit replace its tanks by fueled-tanks carried by another ROMBUS. With its new tanks the first Rombus is free to fly to the Moon.
So we have two potential Space ATL here
- Bono's Rombus with two sets of expendable drop tanks (one for LEO, another for the Moon!)
- Bono - Garry Hudson' Saturn S-II or S-IVB SSTOs instead of the Shuttle in the early 70's.
Interestingly builder of the S-II was North American, which also build the Apollo capsule.
Douglas build Gemini and the S-IVB.
Imagine two kind of "manned SSTOs"
- a S-II with a reusable Apollo CSM on top
- a smaller, S-IVB with a reusable Gemini on top.
In brief, Saturn SSTOs could be build
- by Douglas or North American
- by a private firm led by Garry Hudson or Philip Bono.
Both stages used the J-2; a variant of this engine used the annular aerospike technology.
The J-2T-250k was tested in the early 70's.
This engine would help a lot improving performances of our S-II and S-IVB SSTOs... as Michel stated, aerospike tend to diminish fuel consumption of 30%.
Problem : these SSTOs are trapped in orbit because of course they have no heatshield nor recovery system.
But why not using these SSTOs to build modular "wet workshop" space stations ?
A first SSTO carry a multiple docking system for the following SSTOs.
Something similar was proposed in the 80's using Space Shuttle External Tanks.
(More Space ATLs to come)
Part 1
Single-stage-to-orbit
I've discovered recently that SSTO are doable since the 60's !
For example Saturn S-II and S-IVB were "potential SSTO" (among others rocket stages such as Titan first stage and Atlas, the 1.5 SSTO).
But these would be expendable SSTOs.
I mean that if you try to put a heatshield and a recovery system on these stages, there's simply no payload left.
Their payload is weak because there's no staging.
That's the reasons (along with the Shuttle) why they were not build in the 60's or the 70's.
Another way is the 1.5 SSTO such as Bono huge ROMBUS. This one had expendable drop tanks.
Now after putting a ROMBUS in low-earth-orbit replace its tanks by fueled-tanks carried by another ROMBUS. With its new tanks the first Rombus is free to fly to the Moon.
So we have two potential Space ATL here
- Bono's Rombus with two sets of expendable drop tanks (one for LEO, another for the Moon!)
- Bono - Garry Hudson' Saturn S-II or S-IVB SSTOs instead of the Shuttle in the early 70's.
Interestingly builder of the S-II was North American, which also build the Apollo capsule.
Douglas build Gemini and the S-IVB.
Imagine two kind of "manned SSTOs"
- a S-II with a reusable Apollo CSM on top
- a smaller, S-IVB with a reusable Gemini on top.
In brief, Saturn SSTOs could be build
- by Douglas or North American
- by a private firm led by Garry Hudson or Philip Bono.
Both stages used the J-2; a variant of this engine used the annular aerospike technology.
The J-2T-250k was tested in the early 70's.
This engine would help a lot improving performances of our S-II and S-IVB SSTOs... as Michel stated, aerospike tend to diminish fuel consumption of 30%.
Problem : these SSTOs are trapped in orbit because of course they have no heatshield nor recovery system.
But why not using these SSTOs to build modular "wet workshop" space stations ?
A first SSTO carry a multiple docking system for the following SSTOs.
Something similar was proposed in the 80's using Space Shuttle External Tanks.
(More Space ATLs to come)