Possibilities of New Business Growth: Unmanned Orbiter

 launch vehicles, space shuttle, spacecraft, spaceplane  No Responses »
Aug 282019
 

Continuing…

In 1985 Rockwell pondered the idea of an unmanned Orbiter. The US did not proceed with that concept, while the Soviets did with their Buran. It was an interesting notion and for the time reasonably advanced tech… but it’s clearly a very silly idea (even more so with Buran). The whole purpose of the Orbiter as compared to any other launch vehicle is to *return* stuff. With the Space Shuttle, the stuff it returned was sometimes payload, always avionics, engines and crew. Making the Orbiter unmanned means… why the hell are you launching a crew cabin? Buran was even worse; it didn’t even bring back the main engines.

 Posted by at 11:05 pm

Possibilities of New Business Growth: Stretched Orbiter

 launch vehicles, rockets, space shuttle, spacecraft, spaceplane  No Responses »
Aug 262019
 

Continuing…

In 1985 Rockwell suggested stretching the Orbiter to create a 75-foot-long cargo bay in order to carry longer – though clearly not heavier – payloads. Exactly what those payloads might be was not given, but they would presumably be sizable yet relatively light structures… deployable structures such as solar arrays and radar arrays seem not unlikely. Interestingly, the main landing gear were to be moved slightly forward, the nose gear well aft.

Up next: the “hump-backed” Orbiter, with the most amazing shuttle diagram EVAR.

Hey. Hey.

Tips


 

 

 Posted by at 10:04 pm

Possibilities of New Business growth: Higher thrust SSMEs

 launch vehicles, rockets, space shuttle  No Responses »
Aug 192019
 

Continuing. This time, discussion of possibilities of higher thrust SSMEs including the SSME-150 with an extendable nozzle. Once again this would be for increased payload capability, in particular 32,000 pounds to polar orbit from Vandenburg.

Hey. Hey.

Tips


 

 Posted by at 10:05 pm

Possibilities of New Business growth: Graphite structures

 launch vehicles, Monthly Historical Documents Program, Patreon, rockets, space shuttle, spacecraft, spaceplane  No Responses »
Aug 182019
 

Continuing. This time, discussion of possibilities of swapping out existing Orbiter structures with graphite composites. The advantage would be lowered dry mass of the Orbiter, leading to potentially higher payload performance. this would, presumably, be of interest for USAF launches from Vandenburg, a possibility that Challenger put to bed.

If this sort of stuff is of interest or use, why not help support the project? A monthly subscription to the APR Monthly Historical Documents Program would not only help support the project, it would also provide you with a monthly package of rare aerospace documents and diagrams.

 



 Posted by at 3:39 am

Rockwell: “Possibilities for New Business Growth,” 1985

 hypersonic, launch vehicles, nukes, research, rockets, space shuttle, space station, spacecraft, spaceplane  3 Responses »
Aug 152019
 

One sizable document I’ve scanned for preservation is a Rockwell presentation package from October, 1985, showing a large number of space programs that the company could capitalize on. These included everything from minor mods to the Space Shuttle to major changes… stretching the orbiter, stretching the tank, adding additional boosters. Heavy lift boosters to put SLS to shame; heavy lift SSTOs; small experimental spaceplanes; manned military spaceplanes; space-based weaponry; space stations; space based nuclear power.  Figured this stuff might be of some modest interest. So why not, I’ll post little bits of it from time to time.

Continue reading »

 Posted by at 4:13 am
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