I like the re-use of major shuttle components. Should speed development up.
I like the re-use of major shuttle components. Should speed development up.
That Crew Veh looks like it's stacked on an SRB stage 1.
I see an apparent escape rocket assy on the cap.
This looks entirely ill-considered, as solids can't
be throttled or shut down, and in an emergency could
plow right into the capsule's escape assy.
Traditional laments about shutting down Saturn V
production may commence now.
NASA appears to be returning to yesteryear's designs
without applying yesteryear's safety standards.
I still hate the idea of using solid rocket booters to carry people. Something wrong with using power that can't be throttled.
Launching the crew separate from the bulk 'cargo' is a good idea. The crew rocket can forgo the solid propellant boosters. Strapping a pair of roman-candles to the side of a tank of liquid oxygen and hydrogen always seemed like a bad idea.
What I basically heard Griffin say when he announced that this was the direction he was going was that, since all of the vehicle's components were already man rated it would cut out more than half of the time / cost of developing a new launch vehicle.
The folks at T/Space (Burt Rutan, et al) who did the architecture for Moon/Mars suggested this, except they were also proposing a scaled up launch system similar to Space Ship One for getting the crew to and from orbit. Of course it would have been built and operated by private industry. I would love that, as it would instantly create a viable private launch industry.
From the T/Space web site:
The t/Space Concept / Updated July 14, 2005
Abstract: An Earth-to-orbit system capable of transporting four crew for $20 million per flight, with development proposed to be under a fixed-price NASA contract.
Download (pdf ~ 2398 kb)
A capsule at the top of an SRB?
WooHoo! Continuous 10 G's to orbit. Hope the astronauts survive.
Plus it fills the need for both a passenger vehicle and a useful cargo hauler.
What we have in the space shuttle is akin to a six door pickup truck. It can carry people and stuff, but it isn't the best for either job. :)
Yes, it should, but a snail-like pace is already built into the timeline.