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Given the constraints of reaching orbit, surviving reentry, and cross-range capabilities there's a general lack of variability in spacecraft design. Some of us
by dredmorbius 2y ago
Given the constraints of reaching orbit, surviving reentry, and cross-range capabilities there's a general lack of variability in spacecraft design. Some of us are old enough to remember promotional/propaganda materials concerning the original Boeing X-20 "Dyna-Soar" engineering designs from the 1950s which strongly resemble the subsequent US Space Shuttle, the Soviet Buran orbiter, and the Boeing X-37B and X-40:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-20_Dyna-Soar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-20_Dyna-Soar>
- euroderf 2y agoI recall reading that the Space Shuttle was a big improvement on Dynasoar. Perhaps that the Dynasoar was not a true "lifting body" ?
- dredmorbius 2y agoFYI I'm not familiar with this nor could I find anything. If you could surface a reference I'd be interested in details.
- euroderf 2y agoSomething I read a long time ago. No reference.
- dredmorbius 2y agoNo worries, thanks.