3 ms·
This is at least an order of magnitude more complexity and heat exchange than the Shuttle Main Engines (SME's) ever succeeded in doing. And were constantly main
by nickhalfasleep 9y ago
This is at least an order of magnitude more complexity and heat exchange than the Shuttle Main Engines (SME's) ever succeeded in doing. And were constantly maintained and babied by NASA staff for less than a dozen flights a year.
Cryogenic hydrogen is a really nasty chemical. It's so small it'll worm into your linings, plumbing, metal walls, and flake them apart with the temperature swings. Other combustible fluids condense on the outside of the plumbing if you're not careful.
- nickhalfasleep 9y agoNASA and the DOD tried to make this with Copper Canyon / NASP / X-30. They couldn't make it fly, and they had cubic billions of dollars to try with. Today, the children of Von Braun, tail-sitting rockets like the DC-X, which is Blue Origin and Space-X, are progressing towards the amazing reality of boring reliable transport to space without crazy wings and dwelling in thick atmosphere. https://thehighfrontier.blog/2016/01/02/reagans-impossible-dream-the-x-30-national-aerospace-plane/ https://thehighfrontier.blog/2016/01/02/reagans-impossible-d...