NASA Decider decides to throw away $200 million dollars per launch

Hyper wrote:
Thomas Lee Elifritz wrote:
Alan Anderson wrote:

Thomas Lee Elifritz wrote:

...incremental development demands
that I demonstrate pure SSTO before RLV.
That sounds one hundred percent backwards to me. Incremental
development should very quickly push you toward reusability first, and
performance later.
I don't see how reusability is possible without performance.

PMJI but the consensus is that you CAN build SSTOs, just not that great
from an economic POV. I recall a thread discussing S-IVB as a candidate
for such.

Wasn't much going on before Lindbergh, either.

On the other hand, data obtained from a reusable near-orbital SSTO
might help design a second generation that "goes all the way". There
are several proponents of such an X Programme. IIRC Mr. Hudson said
something about "coaxing" an X vehicle into orbit.

I intend to coax a cluster of engines back to the launch site.

The tankage into orbit is an added extra benefit of that.

Special Message to the Congress on Urgent National Needs

IX. SPACE

Apollo was a mere footnote to the war on commies, apparently.

"I believe we possess all the resources and talents necessary.
But the facts of the matter are that we have never made the
national decisions or marshalled the national resources required
for such leadership. We have never specified long-range goals
on an urgent time schedule, or managed our resources and our time
so as to insure their fulfillment."

First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to
achieving the goal, before two full hours are out, of sending a
cluster of reusable engines into space, and returning them safely
to the launch site. No single space project in this period
will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the
long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult
or expensive to accomplish.

The new decider has decided.

http://cosmic.lifeform.org