Rusty wrote:


There may be better ways to put together a launch vehicle using
"shuttle derived". Take a look at Nasaspaceflight.com, it's called the
"Direct Shuttle Derivative":

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/for...ts=399&start=1





This is a direct link to the DIRECT website: http://www.directlauncher.com/
If one were only going to do lunar missions, that's a very
straight-forward concept (it resembles some of the Apollo concepts using
Saturn 1Bs or C-2s and orbital assembly), but it seems an awful lot of
rocket to just get a CEV into orbit, as well as doubling the chance of
SRB failure during a launch.
It's capabilities seem to be around halfway between a Saturn 1B and
Saturn V, and the question is do you want something in that size range
or two separate sized boosters?
You could build or add onto a medium-sized space station using these, or
carry good sized unmanned payloads, but this looks too small to build a
Mars ship with, and too large for simple crew/light cargo delivery to
the ISS.
If one were going to do lunar base resupply missions, this makes it look
like it takes two launches to get each cargo lander there.
Also, what's with the "Hurricane Safe Haven" in the VAB?
http://65.33.118.71/Direct/Pics/VAB_Config.jpg
About the last place I'd like to be during a hurricane is inside a big
building with six SRBs. One can picture the wind coming way up, then
there's a really funny sound, and you can hear things falling
over...then it gets really, really, hot. :-)

Pat