Political Crossfire Forums

It blew up.

Learning curve. These rockets are so complicated and difficult to manufacture that it's a miracle more don't fail.

Sonned

When we think stuff becomes routine, we get complacent.

i don't know why we don't seriously consider non-rocket based methods of getting in to space. even if just for cargo. we could develop a shuttle-like vehicle to be permenantly docked at the ISS to capture cargo as it enters LEO and begin doing all the crazy shit we've dreamed of like orbital shipywards, missions that don't require massive fuel payloads just to get off the ground etc.

i'm highly skeptical of SSRI spaceplanes ever being a thing. even assuming SABRE is viable, how useful will it be for bringing payloads in to orbit? i feel like an engine that has to walk such a thin line under so many different variables leaves little room for excess vehicle weight a la cargo holds. i know it's supposed to work with skylon but that thing looks like a complete pipedream.

no, i'm talking mass accelerators.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarTram