Patrick Underwood wrote:

Robert Kitzmüller wrote in message ...
Patrick Underwood wrote:
Energia-derived hardware is in use today by Lockheed, in the form of
the RD-180 Atlas engine, and by Boeing, as the Zenit Sea Launch
booster. The lox/kerosene engines are robust, efficient and familiar
to American engineers. The RD-0120 cryogenic engine is comparable in
performance to the SSME, but simpler and more rubust.

[deleted]

A Saturn V-class launcher really may not be necessary. It may prove
much more cost-effective to use heavy EELVs and on-orbit assembly, I
don't know.

A Shuttle-class 2-stage VTOL RLV can do the job, with the addition of an
LEO refuelling capability. Just refuel the Orbiter stage in LEO and it
can do the TMI/TLI burn.

Regards

Robert Kitzmueller

Patrick