In article ,
Reunite Gondwanaland (Mary Shafer) wrote:
Has anyone ever put anything into orbit with a single stage? I know
we've managed SSTS, Single Stage To Space, but I don't think we've
managed SSTO.

No actual SSTOs, yet. There have been several SSTO-capable expendable
rocket stages built, but nobody has ever thought it worthwhile to actually
fly one of them as an SSTO. The S-IC and the Titan II first stage were
both in the right ballpark, although both would need less engine thrust,
and at least the Titan stage would need throttleable engines. Mitch
Burnside Clapp's analysis said that straightforward Atlas and Delta
variants could do it too.
--
spsystems.net is temporarily off the air; | Henry Spencer
mail to henry at zoo.utoronto.ca instead. |