ARGOSY: ARchtecture for Going to the Outer solar SYstem

[pmn1]

This has popped up on the Secret Projects form

-- Supernova launch vehicle, 2.2X scale-up of 1964 MSFC Post-Saturn technology. 2.2 million lb payload, 56 million lbf at liftoff, 45 million lb GLOW

-- Hypernova: 10X scale-up of Supernova, 22 million lb payload, 500 million lbf at liftoff, 450 million lb GLOW (2/3rd of Empire State Building); 1100 ft stack height, 288 ft diameter.

http://techdigest.jhuapl.edu/td2703/mcNutt.pdf

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/i ... 9.html#new

:shock:

 

[Valcan]

While i do agree we need a super heavy booster to get certain things into orbit i dont think building such a large rocket is neccessary or really feasable.

Though watching it go off would perhaps be one of the coolest things ever to watch.

What we need is one to stop using LEO as the staging area. And 2 to build a gas station in leo to boost ships up higher so that they dont have to use so much fuel to atain GEO.

From there we need a shipyard.

Use small low cost rockets like Falcon 1 and 9 to deliver the building materials and robotic asemblers.

Then use the shipyard to build manned space tugs. These tugs would either go to near earth asteroids to pull them into orbit around the station or to push mining barges out to such areas so that they could mine the materials from the NEOs. Call for a pickup and have the tug tow the materials away and bring more storage containers and supplies for the crew/crew change etc.

By doing this you would save a enourmous amount of money and time. The real COST for the space industry and exploration isnt really the materials its,

A) Gting everything out of earth orbit at the expense of huge amounts of fuel.

B) Cost of manpower in the form of the shuttle 30,000 employes per launch.(yea i know wtf)


Ultimately the real obsticalfor space flight isnt space itself but the act of leaving earth.

Yes i know i iz :ugeek:

 

[EarthlingX]

Valcan,
i agree, but McNutt's paper is very nice and i like those tables for optional targets, not to mention all those cool calculations.
Thing is, it can be done, question is, if it is the best way, i guess not, but good read anyway.