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Fwd: Re: starship-design: HOTOL SeaDragon idea.



 ben franchuk <bfranchuk@jetnet.ab.ca> wrote:


I think a smallish designed craft can be optinum for mass/payload in
the 800 kg/2400 kg range providing the second stage is unmanned to
a fixed space platform.

Uh, Ben, except for the part about stages, aren't you talking about something like the Rotary? You remember the Rotary, don't you -- goes up, gets low orbit, comes down -- all by itself. I think it was called "SSO." Damn shame about Rotary, but really, they didn't have a chance, due to their payload limit. Customers will demand payloads in the largest chunks they can, to avoid needing such fancy maneuvers as orbital assembly. They must figure it's the cheaper deal. Anyway, you're back to having to think big.

Curtis



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