FUTURE MANNED LAUNCHER......

We need a 2-or-3-stage-to-orbit vehicle, possibly horizontally launched.
Each stage would (or could be) piloted and the orbital stage could be only
slightly smaller than the current shuttle - possibly resembling the Orion
orbiter of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The orbiter would have small jets so it would have a powered landing, and
something more durable than silica tiles to protect it during reentry.
We seriously need to spend several times more on manned spaceflight than we
have been - it would make a huge difference and the money really wouldn't be
missed.
With a decent-sized fleet (try 8-10) of these 3STO craft, we could move
forward in manned spaceflight, constructing a REAL space station (rotating)
which would serve PRIMARILY as a Space Operations Center, from which Lunar
Shuttles could be based and shuttled to and from the Moon.
This would facilitate the construction of a Lunar base, which would be used
not only for science, but also for collecting and cracking the Lunar ice,
and possibly for housing and maintaining a small fleet of Helium-3
harvesting vehicles.
Thus the water, LOX and LH2 would be shipped back to the rotating space
station, hopefully the first of many, for various and sundry obivious uses.
From there we need to construct and launch sections of a NERVA-type nuclear
rocket for a series of manned expeditions to Mars (none of this
"Phobos-First" crap, only Mars will satisfy - try Phobos as a secondary
excursion whle on a regualr Mars mission - nobody wants to travel all that
way only to set foot on Phobos or Deimos!), leading to a small manned
Martian base.
All this, and Fusion power plants for the generation of electricity back
home, can be and needs to be done!
................However all we seem to do is twiddle our thumbs.....

__________________________________________________ __________________________
__________________________________


"Joseph S. Powell, III" wrote in message
...
| We need a 2-or-3-stage-to-orbit vehicle, possibly horizontally launched.
| Each stage would (or could be) piloted and the orbital stage could be only
| slightly smaller than the current shuttle - possibly resembling the Orion
| orbiter of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
| The orbiter would have small jets so it would have a powered landing, and
| something more durable than silica tiles to protect it during re-entry.
| We seriously need to spend several times more on manned spaceflight than
we
| have been - it would make a huge difference and the money really wouldn't
be
| missed.
| With a decent-sized fleet (try 8-10) of these 3STO craft, we could move
| forward in manned spaceflight, constructing a REAL space station
(rotating)
| which would serve PRIMARILY as a Space Operations Center, from which Lunar
| Shuttles could be based and shuttled to and from the Moon.
| This would facilitate the construction of a Lunar base, which would be
used
| not only for science, but also for collecting and cracking the Lunar ice,
| and possibly for housing and maintaining a small fleet of Helium-3
| harvesting vehicles.
| Thus the water, LOX and LH2 would be shipped back to the rotating space
| station, hopefully the first of many, for various and sundry obvious uses.
| From there we need to construct and launch sections of a NERVA-type
nuclear
| rocket for a series of manned expeditions to Mars (none of this
| "Phobos-First" crap, only Mars will satisfy - try Phobos as a secondary
| excursion whle on a regualr Mars mission - nobody wants to travel all that
| way only to set foot on Phobos or Deimos!), leading to a small manned
| Martian base.
| All this, and Fusion power plants for the generation of electricity back
| home, can be and needs to be done!
| ...............However all we seem to do is twiddle our thumbs.....
|
|

Hmm, deja vuthingy...

Personally, I am not that convinced that anyone has found a cost effective
way to reuse a multi stage system yet. It certainly will not need a pilot in
each stage, even if you were going to do it that way. I'd reckon either an
unpilotted system or good ol parachutes and airbags for the lower stage.

However, which part of a launcher is worth getting back?...dunno.

As for the moon, and indeed even manned access to geosynchonous orbits, what
about the higher radiation for long periods?

This aspect makes me wonder whether going to Mars is feasible without a lot
of shielding of some kind.

As for whether you want to use a controlled landing or simply come back
safely, that is one that I suspect will run and run...

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:




---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.504 / Virus Database: 302 - Release Date: 24/07/03