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Old October 22nd 13, 09:09 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,sci.space.history,rec.arts.sf.science
Rick Jones
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Default SSTO's would have made possible Arthur C. Clarke's vision of 2001.

In sci.space.history Robert Clark wrote:
Elon Musk lecture at the Royal Aeronautical Society - YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB3R5Xk2gTY


About 30 minutes in, he gave the propellant fraction of the new Falcon 9
v1.1 as around 96%, or perhaps 95.5%. The 96% propellant fraction number
gives a 25 to 1 mass ratio. But at an Isp of 311 s for the Merlin 1D, the
rocket equation gives a delta-v of 311*9.81ln(25) = 9,800 m/s. Since the
delta-v to orbit is only about 9,100 m/s, this would allow a significant
amount of payload.
Then using the 9 engines and the full propellant load on the F9 first stage
would allow in fact not just a VTVL test vehicle, but in fact a fully
reusable and fully orbital vehicle.


Modulo the small matter of a re-entry shield no?

rick jones
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- Rick Jones
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