From: vince@offshore.ai (Vincent Cate) Newsgroups: sci.space.tech Subject: Re: Scalability of scaled's ss1/white knight combo? References: <44a10238.0306011854.3859824c@posting.google.com> <9186edb5.0306070914.2ce36d0b@posting.google.com> <3ee63703$1_1@news.estpak.ee> NNTP-Posting-Host: 207.42.133.230 "Kaido Kert" wrote in message news:<3ee63703$1_1@news.estpak.ee>... > Vince, how would SS1 fit into your single stage to tether model ? It looks really good to me. The SS1 is around 50% fuel when fired, for a theoretical (I mean if no gravity or air drag) delta-V of around 2 km/sec. Our SSTT only needs around 80% fuel for theoretical of about 5 km/sec. So SSTT is much closer to SS1 than a SSTO would be at around 93% fuel. Reentry at 4.5 km/sec and 100 km altitude is much easier than orbital reentry (I think like 1/8th the ablation or transpiration need). So the mass of water needed for transpiration is not so heavy as to really hurt. I like the idea of an aluminum nose to conduct heat to the transpiration water so we make plenty of steam to protect the rest of the vehicle. For the rest of the vehicle I like composite or aluminum. So evolving from the SS1 to SSTT seems very possible. Clearly designing for higher speed and transpiration would result in a different design, but I think a close relative of the SS1 could be made to work. - Vince ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vincent Cate Space Tether Enthusiast vince@offshore.ai http://spacetethers.com/ Anguilla, East Caribbean http://offshore.ai/vince ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You have to take life as it happens, but you should try to make it happen the way you want to take it. - German Proverb