4 ms·

The one that had the biggest influence on the design of the shuttle was probably the plan to launch into a polar orbit, rendezvous with a satellite, capture it,

by messe 5y ago

The one that had the biggest influence on the design of the shuttle was probably the plan to launch into a polar orbit, rendezvous with a satellite, capture it, and land as it swung around for the next orbit. This require massive cross-range capability, in order to be able to glide back to a suitable landing site in the US, putting lower limits on the size of the wings.

echelon 5y ago
The classified autonomous X-37 [1] has a cargo bay [2] and there are (were?) plans to scale it up to double the size to accommodate larger payloads and crewed missions [3]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-37 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-37 [2] https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36440/this-is-our-first-look-at-the-secretive-x-37b-spaceplane-with-its-cargo-bay-doors-open https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36440/this-is-our-firs... [3] http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/aerospace-engineering/spacecraft-design/boeing-x-37c/ http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/aerospace-engineering/spa...
- spookthesunset 5y ago
  That X-37 photo in the wiki article had me go down the "payload fairing" rabbit hole. Still don't quite know what the "bubble wrap" is on the inside. I assume it is part insulation to protect from extreme heat and part, well, bubble wrap. According to wikipedia those things cost around $6 million to manufacture and spacex was the first to ever bother retrieving them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payload_fairing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payload_fairing
  - aksss 5y ago
    Gosh, the section on "Mission failures caused by payload fairings" is understandable but not something I've ever heard of before. The launch crew error of failing to remove two lanyards.. ugh. To be "that guy" must've sucked.
adolph 5y ago
Scott Manley has a wonderful explainer on it "The Most Important Space Shuttle Mission Never Happened": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q2i0eu35aY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q2i0eu35aY
walrus01 5y ago
they spent a huge amount of money building a launch facility for it at Vandenberg that was never used. Got cancelled after the Challenger exploded.

by messe 5y ago

echelon 5y ago

The classified autonomous X-37 [1] has a cargo bay [2] and there are (were?) plans to scale it up to double the size to accommodate larger payloads and crewed missions [3]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-37 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-37 [2] https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36440/this-is-our-first-look-at-the-secretive-x-37b-spaceplane-with-its-cargo-bay-doors-open https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36440/this-is-our-firs... [3] http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/aerospace-engineering/spacecraft-design/boeing-x-37c/ http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/aerospace-engineering/spa...

spookthesunset 5y ago
That X-37 photo in the wiki article had me go down the "payload fairing" rabbit hole. Still don't quite know what the "bubble wrap" is on the inside. I assume it is part insulation to protect from extreme heat and part, well, bubble wrap. According to wikipedia those things cost around $6 million to manufacture and spacex was the first to ever bother retrieving them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payload_fairing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payload_fairing
- aksss 5y ago
  Gosh, the section on "Mission failures caused by payload fairings" is understandable but not something I've ever heard of before. The launch crew error of failing to remove two lanyards.. ugh. To be "that guy" must've sucked.

adolph 5y ago

Scott Manley has a wonderful explainer on it "The Most Important Space Shuttle Mission Never Happened": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q2i0eu35aY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q2i0eu35aY

walrus01 5y ago

they spent a huge amount of money building a launch facility for it at Vandenberg that was never used. Got cancelled after the Challenger exploded.