The number of stages and the recoverability of space transportation systems was studied. Comparison of the payload of present carriers with studies of partly reusable systems shows that modern materials and structures can lead to significantly better capacity; the Shuttle technology only allows one third of the payloads possible in systems of that size. Models of reusable winged rockets show similar correlations for the payload as a function of the absolute size, as in the case of existing carriers. The favorable results obtained for purely rocket-driven two-stage systems are by far superior to those of single-stage systems with similar technology. Air breathing (ramjet) engines are useful but not necessary. Only two-stage, winged, fully reusable space transportation systems are technically feasible in the foreseeable future. The cost analyses have large error bars. The potentially lower operation costs of single-stage systems cannot outweigh the higher flexibility of two-stage systems.


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    Title :

    Gefluegelte Raumtransporter: Das Problem der Stufenzahl (Winged Space Transporters: The Problem of the Number of Stages)


    Contributors:
    R. E. Lo (author) / D. M. Wolf (author)

    Publication date :

    1986


    Size :

    24 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




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