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What features would need to exist to make Ultra Heavy Lift Vehicles (ULV) work? What is Ultra Heavy Lift? What would be useful in terms of payloads and features?<br /><br />I'd categorize any rocket that can deliver over 200 tonnes IMLEO as being Ultra Heavy Lift, with the best proposals in the 400-500 ton to LEO range. This includes proposed, but never built rockets such as Boeing's LEO, Bono's ROMBUS and the gold-standard of ULV designs, the SeaDragon.<br /><br />We've discussed updated SeaDragons before, what got me thinking about ultra lift again was a conversation I had during the X Prize. A group of us were talking about reentry shapes and their tradeoffs. One of the guys said that capsules could never be used for bringing experiments, crystals and proteins back. We also talked about biconics, AndrewSpace's oblong capsule etc. This got me thinking about what I really am interested in for spaceflight. First is of course more human spaceflight. Second is how to move 40' cargo containers from the surface to LEO. <br /><br />The craft would be generally similiar to SeaDragon and Rombus, either TSTO or assisted-SSTO (droptanks). It would launch and land on the ocean or outer harbors of major cities worldwide, providing fast transit of cargo and orbital delivery in one craft. This ULV fits into modern intermodal shipping as the fastest means of heavy cargo delivery possible. Needs chips for your PC factory NOW? Call the guys at Xtreme Package Delivery, they'll have it there in under 4 hours. The craft is serviced at sea by either a ship & barge like SeaLaunch or (ideally) as part of a floating SeaHub. The ULV is refuelled with LOX and fuel (RP1, H but LNG fits nicely in operations terms) and serviced afloat. Containers would be handled internally on tracks or by crane and passed off to automatic dockside cranes. The ULV is tugged or self-propelled on the surface, self-stable at sea, and puts a lot of mass in orbit. It seemlessly fits into modern shipping and provides <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>