Monte Davis wrote:

"Jeff Findley" wrote:

Furthermore, the shuttle morphed into the much larger vehicle we see today
in order to gain political support for the program (i.e. DOD payload and
cross-range requirements).

That was the largest single factor at work, but there were at least
two others.

One was a reluctance to accept just how much the mass costs of
reusability (wings, TPS, landing gear, heavier airframe) were cutting
into payload

[....]

Another, as it gradually became clear that we wouldn't come up with a
robust metal skin, was that a bigger planform with a bigger empty bay
*did* at least ease the heat loads on re-entry.

Indeed - many seem to miss that Shuttle was already growing for a
variety of reasons before NASA started romancing the DoD. (Mostly
because that shoots holes in the cherished 'DoD killed the Shuttle'
meme.) At most the DoD angle filled in some details, but not the
gross architecture.

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

http://derekl1963.livejournal.com/

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL