Andi Kleen wrote:

Pat Flannery writes:

Like his Voyager aircraft that circled the globe unrefueled, the whole
design is optimized to perform one task only.

"Optimizing for" usually implies a single goal as target. If you try
to do many different things at once you end up with a inefficient
design. Good example is the shuttle.

Um, no. You can try to be too many things at one time (the Shuttle),
but it's quite possible for one basic design to accomplish many
things.

In fact, the design is inferior in performance to the X-15 of over 40
years ago.

Just done in a small fraction of the cost of the X15 and able
to carry more people.

ROTFL. I *love* how everytime someone points out the low performance
of the SS1 as compared to the X-15, or how it only spends a couple of
minutes in 'space' as compared to the Russian 'tourist' flights....
Someone else always parrots the 'its cheaper though! and privately
built! and carries people!" as though that changes things.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.