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IIRC Nasa seriously investigated building a vehicle like this, but found that SSMEs were way too expensive for use in a disposable rocket. There are other engin
by quux 16y ago
IIRC Nasa seriously investigated building a vehicle like this, but found that SSMEs were way too expensive for use in a disposable rocket. There are other engines that will do the job and are much cheaper.
- deleted 16y ago[deleted]
- rbanffy 16y agoTrue. The SSMEs are more complex and expensive than disposable engines. IIRC there is no large cargo vehicle in the current NASA plans. That's a bit sad. I won't be able to take my son to watch a shuttle launch and it's very likely he won't be able to take his kids to watch anything the same size.
- InclinedPlane 16y agoWhy do you imagine that NASA is the only entity capable of such a thing?
- rbanffy 16y agoI don't see much demand for launchers that large. While the LEO payload capacity of a shuttle is large, comparable to, say, a Delta IV Heavy or the largest (not yet flown, AFAIK) Angara, the total vehicle weight is much larger. A shuttle launch is equivalent of hauling 100 tons to LEO (30 of payload and 70 of shuttle). That's some serious fireworks.