"Scott Lowther" wrote in message
...
"Comments and criticisms"... Uh... Should I criticize your rocket
engine?

Go for it.

OK... Well... It sounds like a really neat system. The only thing that
raises my eyebrows is the part that constricts the nozzle for choosing
escape thrust vs. orbital entry thrust... What happens if there's an error
and that thing didn't come off? Wouldn't that mean you suddenly have a
rocket that delivers too much power, too quickly? Having engine problems on
ascent usually means too LITTLE thrust, not too much. I guess having a
jettisonable nozzle constriction is a lot less risky and complex than having
some way of throttling the engine mechanically, but I'd want to make really
sure that the mechanism for attaching/detaching that constrictor piece is
really simple and reliable.

That's up to other people to build though, right? If I understand this
right, it's the novel configuration of the rocket that you and your
co-workers have patented, and not actual hardware.

Any idea how big this thing would be? Is it a scaleable design?