6 ms·

For comparison, The Delta IV Heavy costs ~$350 million to send 28,790 kg into LEO, or 14,220 kg into GTO. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_IV_Heavy https://

For comparison, The Delta IV Heavy costs ~$350 million to send 28,790 kg into LEO, or 14,220 kg into GTO. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_IV_Heavy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_IV_Heavy the Saturn V, the rocket that sent men to the moon could send 140,000 kg to LEO and 48,600 kg on a translunar injection, which is a higher orbit (i.e. takes more energy) than a geostationary transfer. It's estimated that it cost upwards of a billion dollars per Saturn V launch. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_V https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_V Basically, this is a powerful and freaking cheap rocket.

rebootthesystem 11y ago
Is there an easy to understand resource somewhere that covers issues related to the rocket equation, inclination angles, low and geosynchronous orbit requirements? I would like a better understanding of the math and physics of what it takes to get a vehicle up to various altitudes and orbits.
- rplnt 11y ago
  Not the answer you are looking for, but KSP[1] taught me about rockets, orbits and whatnot more than schools did. It's fun, accessible.. but won't really teach you exact math and physics (but might encourage you to do so). 1. https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/ https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/
  - baq 11y ago
    it'll teach you that 'more boosters' is really 'exponentially more boosters' which gets unfeasible fast.
    - m_samuel_l 11y ago
      everything is feasible in ksp with enough struts.
- Gravityloss 11y ago
  Not maybe easy but I'd start from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta-v#/media/File:Delta-Vs_for_inner_Solar_System.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta-v#/media/File:Delta-Vs_f... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohmann_transfer_orbit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohmann_transfer_orbit edit: More in-depth: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/aeronautics-and-astronautics/16-346-astrodynamics-fall-2008/ http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/aeronautics-and-astronautics/16-3...

rebootthesystem 11y ago

Is there an easy to understand resource somewhere that covers issues related to the rocket equation, inclination angles, low and geosynchronous orbit requirements? I would like a better understanding of the math and physics of what it takes to get a vehicle up to various altitudes and orbits.

rplnt 11y ago
Not the answer you are looking for, but KSP[1] taught me about rockets, orbits and whatnot more than schools did. It's fun, accessible.. but won't really teach you exact math and physics (but might encourage you to do so). 1. https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/ https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/
- baq 11y ago
  it'll teach you that 'more boosters' is really 'exponentially more boosters' which gets unfeasible fast.
  - m_samuel_l 11y ago
    everything is feasible in ksp with enough struts.
Gravityloss 11y ago
Not maybe easy but I'd start from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta-v#/media/File:Delta-Vs_for_inner_Solar_System.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta-v#/media/File:Delta-Vs_f... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohmann_transfer_orbit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohmann_transfer_orbit edit: More in-depth: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/aeronautics-and-astronautics/16-346-astrodynamics-fall-2008/ http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/aeronautics-and-astronautics/16-3...