3 ms·

I really like the Atlas V re-usability proposal: http://www.ulalaunch.com/uploads/docs/Published_Papers/Evolution/EELVPartialReusable2010.pdf http://www.ulalaun

I really like the Atlas V re-usability proposal: http://www.ulalaunch.com/uploads/docs/Published_Papers/Evolution/EELVPartialReusable2010.pdf http://www.ulalaunch.com/uploads/docs/Published_Papers/Evolu... After stage separation, it detach the entire engine block (where most of the cost is), and a helicopter captures the parachute mid-flight! (See figure 2 from the PDF)

tankenmate 12y ago
The issue with this though is it goes most of the way back to the STS; i.e. multi-month turn around instead of days/weeks. It saves manufacturing time and materials costs (not entirely due to fatigue checking etc), but does little for integration and turn around costs.