Sea dragon and Big Dumb Booster.

> >
> > In the Early 1960's, Aerojet designed a BDB (sea dragon) capable
of
> putting
> > 550 tonnes into LEO
> > http://www.friends-partners.org/mwade/lvs/searagon.htm
> >
> > I have been looking at various designs and BDB concepts. If we
> were to
> > design a BDB today, how would we design for minimum cost? I
suppose
> that we
>
> Minimum cost BDB is a STS derived HLLV. Scrap the orbiter,
replace
> with cargo container and expendable engines. This would require the
> least ammount of R&D and testing compaired to building a new launch
> system from the ground up (no pun intended).

Also, the launch infrastructure is already in place. New launch
system = brand new VAB, transport, launch gantry, roads, pipes, fuel
depo's, launch control centers, data lines, power lines, ect. STS
HLLV would require very little in augmentation to the assembly
building and launch gantry.

king_rodent (putting the eek in geek)