New design rates

Back in the the sixties there were three new spacecraft in 10 years. Now we
might get one in the next ten years. Is the difference just caused by
funding, or are there some other things that have changed this? Thanks,

David

David Findlay wrote:
Back in the the sixties there were three new spacecraft in 10 years. Now we
might get one in the next ten years. Is the difference just caused by
funding, or are there some other things that have changed this? Thanks,

If you mean manned ones, as I assume you do, then they were to gain
experience.
The ultimate goat was Apollo.
To ensure that it could be done safely, the lessons of Mercury and Gemini
neede to be learnt.

Funding is one change, the budget now is a small fraction of the budget then.
Having a clear goal is another.

We know more or less all we need to make a capsule/small spaceplane without
using brand new technology.
There is relatively little unknown.
Add to this that computer simulation is many orders of magnitude more
accurate than in the 60s due to increasing speeds, and that means you
need less incremental development.

In other words, the lack of a mission that stretches technology.
--
http://inquisitor.i.am/ | | Ian Stirling.
---------------------------+-------------------------+--------------------------
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David Findlay wrote:
Back in the the sixties there were three new spacecraft in 10 years. Now we
might get one in the next ten years. Is the difference just caused by
funding, or are there some other things that have changed this? Thanks,

Even disregarding the high fever that characterized space development
in the 60's, you'll find such a pattern is quite common in many
fields.

The madcap pace of change in consumer goods is an aberration.

D.
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