[AR] Re: Zubrin,

  • From: Henry Spencer <hspencer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: Arocket List <arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2019 14:44:21 -0400 (EDT)

On Fri, 23 Aug 2019, William Claybaugh wrote:

All of which can be avoided by building a conservative NTR of around 800 seconds Isp and testing it at around 1000 km altitude...

On Tue, 27 Aug 2019, Henry Spencer wrote:
This, alas, I lack confidence in...

Oops, forgot the P.S.: even assuming that this rash development strategy works, there is still the question of whether Isp=800s is actually a useful system, given a very heavy engine, the complications and mass overheads of LH2, and high development and production costs. Is a stage built using this engine really sufficiently better than an aggressive chemical-rocket design to be worth the extra trouble and expense?

At 2000s, I could buy it; at 800s, I have real doubts.

Henry

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