The Space Shuttle - Quite complicated!

[hidetheelephants]

Give over; the Virgin thing is a fairground ride and a technological cul-de-sac. Skylon, or more generally a spaceplane with SABRE technology, is hopefully going to achieve what the shuttle promised but never delivered.

[RobDickinson]

Theres just no point in general wasting mass on wings etc when its not needed.

[Toaster]

hidetheelephants said:

Give over; the Virgin thing is a fairground ride and a technological cul-de-sac. Skylon, or more generally a spaceplane with SABRE technology, is hopefully going to achieve what the shuttle promised but never delivered.

Totally agree with you.

However some argue that the Virgin are pushing the boundaries with a reusable space plane so that those who can afford it can become an astronaut for me they are just passengers in what you quite rightly point out is a fairground ride.

[jimlad71]

I'd just like to say thanks to this thread.
I normally browse the Science forum for SpaceX info, as it's easier than using Twitter

I've watched the Challenger movie and some of the YouTube video's of Richard Feynman.
I've been entertained and, very much educated!!

Again,

Thank you.

[Beati Dogu]

[Dr Jekyll]

Toaster said:

However some argue that the Virgin are pushing the boundaries with a reusable space plane so that those who can afford it can become an astronaut for me they are just passengers in what you quite rightly point out is a fairground ride.

You could say the same about the early Mercury astronauts, Alan Shepherd and Gus Grissom at least.

[Einion Yrth]

Dr Jekyll said:

Toaster said:

However some argue that the Virgin are pushing the boundaries with a reusable space plane so that those who can afford it can become an astronaut for me they are just passengers in what you quite rightly point out is a fairground ride.

You could say the same about the early Mercury astronauts, Alan Shepherd and Gus Grissom at least.

And it's quite likely that if it hadn't been for a deep felt need to "compete" with the USSR those missions would never have been flown, Redstone really was pretty unsuited for manned space flight.

[drdino]

Resurrecting the thread to link two resources that I came across which provide for interesting reading:

STS-1 press kit:
https://web.archive.org/web/20160305005843/http://...

NSTS 1988 News Reference Manual
https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/st...

[Eric Mc]

drdino said:

Resurrecting the thread to link two resources that I came across which provide for interesting reading:

STS-1 press kit:
https://web.archive.org/web/20160305005843/http://...

NSTS 1988 News Reference Manual
https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/st...

The 1988 document would have been issued in order to incorporate the hundreds of design and operational changes incorporated after the 1986 Challenger accident.