[AR] Re: Radian One spaceplane
- From: Henry Spencer <hspencer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Arocket List <arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2022 18:45:00 -0500 (EST)
On Wed, 19 Jan 2022, Michael Clive wrote:
https://www.radianaerospace.com/#Radian-One ;...
Is the world craving an SSTO?
No, but the world isn't specifically craving multi-stage-to-orbit vehicles
either. The world would probably prefer SSTOs, simply because they cause
fewer complications, if they could be done without severe penalties in
capability or cost.
How feasible that is, is a matter of debate. It's most unfortunate that
there has not been a well-funded, sensibly-run attempt at an SSTO, even a
small one, which would go a long way toward resolving the question. (The
project that became DC-X was originally supposed to be orbital, no
excuses... but then somebody imposed a minimum-payload requirement on what
was supposed to be an X-plane! At which point there was wide consensus
that this looked too hard as a low-budget first step, so it ended up
suborbital.)
Pity that the US doesn't have a spaceflight technology-R&D agency, on the
model of the N.A.C.A., that could try it without having to worry about
whether the experimental vehicle could carry a 10,000-lb payload or run at
a profit. Lacking one of those, maybe Radian can make a go of it.
Could one design a reusable upper stage for a falcon?
Certainly. In fact, SpaceX originally intended to.
Will reusable heat shields ever work?
Not unless somebody actually *tries* to develop them. Several concepts
actually have already worked, but with enough issues that they're not
everything you could want. There are some other concepts that have been
waiting half a century for someone to try them; see above lament about the
lack of a non-profit agency to do such things. Low-mass low-maintenance
reusable heatshields are one area that very badly needs some organized
flight testing of unorthodox concepts.
Henry
Other related posts:
