The crash of Columbia may help some things. I think we are all
willing to admit that manned flight hasn't been going anywhere,
figuratively or actually, for a very long time. Something needs to be
done.
design, would make the entire solar system reachable. The issue
remains about launching fissionable material. Here is the lemonade.
Uranium is available in asteroids. This would create a justifiable
need for a manned program if we want to mine and process the stuff in
deep space. What could be more secure? Even if there was a mishap it
would be years, if ever, that any radioactive material would be near
Earth.
Perhaps the solution is finding cheaper ways to build Saturn 5's.
> Uranium is available in asteroids. This would create a justifiable
> need for a manned program if we want to mine and process the stuff
> in deep space. What could be more secure?
stuff far from Earth, kinda knocks the wind out of the "what if your
nuke rocket blows up on launch and scatters radioactive stuff all
over the Earth" sail.
> Perhaps the solution is finding cheaper ways to build Saturn 5's.
I'd be interested in this. Couldn't the "Saturn VI" whump even
heavier payloads now, with the use of modern, light materials. And
that isn't nuclear, which again knocks the wind out of "cantaminate
the Earth" sails.
Xenophile (who wonders what nuke can do that solar and/or beamed
power can not)
--- In ssi_list@... "Xenophile "
>
> > Uranium is available in asteroids. This would create a justifiable
> > need for a manned program if we want to mine and process the stuff
> > in deep space. What could be more secure?
>
> Well, getting the fissile material from asteroids, and keeping the
> stuff far from Earth, kinda knocks the wind out of the "what if
your
> nuke rocket blows up on launch and scatters radioactive stuff all
> over the Earth" sail.
>
> > Perhaps the solution is finding cheaper ways to build Saturn 5's.
>
> I'd be interested in this. Couldn't the "Saturn VI" whump even
> heavier payloads now, with the use of modern, light materials. And
> that isn't nuclear, which again knocks the wind out of "cantaminate
> the Earth" sails.
>
> Xenophile (who wonders what nuke can do that solar and/or beamed
> power can not)
is soluble in aqueous solutions having high partial pressures of
CO2. On Earth, "roll front deposits" exist where a change in the
oxidation state of the aqueous solution (ground water with dissolved
uranium and vanadium minerals) precipitates Uraninite and Karnitie.
Having said that, we know very little about the oxidation state of
Martian Ground water or the existence of uranium on Mars. But, there
exists (we suspect), a mechanisim to concentrate uranium minerals
into economic deposits on the planet Mars.
> > Perhaps the solution is finding cheaper ways to build Saturn 5's.
what ever happen to the ruskies rockets with the super umph capability?
Off the shelf and relatively ready to go...
i was about to say the same thing. Its called Energia, dunno how to spell it though. It was designed to launch the Buran, so if it came to that we could mod either it or the shuttle to each other. Ideally though the shuttle is so old we need something new. Whatever happened to the Hermes that the ESA was working on?
> > Perhaps the solution is finding cheaper ways to build Saturn 5's.
what ever happen to the ruskies rockets with the super umph capability?
Off the shelf and relatively ready to go...
Was it designed for the Buran shuttle or was it really for a Mars mission and bigger space stations? I understood the configuration of the ruskie shuttle was similar to US with external thrusters, but being liquid rather than solid fuel allowing throttle control. The comparrison incargo lift capacityis like a 707 jet liner and the C5a Galaxy :-). ----- It was designed to launch the Buran,
> Was it designed for the Buran shuttle or was it really for a Mars mission
and bigger space stations? I understood the configuration of the ruskie
shuttle was similar to US with external thrusters, but being liquid rather
than solid fuel allowing throttle control. The comparrison in cargo lift
capacity is like a 707 jet liner and the C5a Galaxy :-).
Energia. It seems it was designed
to take up to 8. Here's some figures I collected via a quick troll through
Google:
Saturn V = 285,000 lb to LEO and 107,000 lb. to the Moon
Energia = 210,000 pounds LEO (8 Strap on boosters)
Energia = 100,000 pounds LEO (4 Strap on boosters)
Shuttle = 63,500 pounds LEO.
Delta IV = 28,950 pounds LEO
Ariane V = 39,600 pounds LEO
Proton K = 45,320 pounds LEO
Titan IV = 47,800 pounds LEO
There is a version of Energia that the Russians have designed that could launch 155 tonnes to LEO, about 341,000 lbs...
It looked like it was possible to 215 tons to LEO using the 700 series. I'll need to re look my older notes :-)
Buran
Ad Astra!