 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsSpace ScienceAstronomyAmateur AstronomySpace FlightSpace StationShuttleSpace HistorySpace PolicySETI SpaceKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Space Forum / Shuttle / July 2007Is a booster launch ramp feasible?
In the film classic, "When Worlds Collide," a mile-long ramp was fitted with a rocket propelled sled upon which the spaceship-plane was given its intial "impetus." This makes a lot of sense to me. In the first phase, the ship goes down hill via rocket-sled, with wing engines lit. As the ramp curves upward, the ship's main engines are additionally fired. With all engines at full blast, the spaceship leaves at about a 45 degree angle upwards with all engines going. The sled is runs off the ramp and is discarded. The ship has achieved flying speed and continues to accelerate against Earth's gravity to its 1500 mile, 10 mile per second rendeavous with Zyra. This scene is totally believable and appears scientifically accurate to the point where I cannot understand why NASA has not adapted this approach to rocketship blast offs. Hmm, well what about the g forces in the curve? The other problem is that your ship needs wings, at least for the first part. Many winged missiles did and do launch this way, but then, they are not trying to get into space and eventual orbit. If you watch what really happens in a standard launch, the thick atmosphere is cleared in the shortest time by having a large vertical component. This presumably is the most efficient way to use fuel. So what next. How about a tube launcher partially evacuated of air by huge pumps to make the air thinner at ground level? :-) Brian  SignatureBrian Gaff - briang1@blueyonder.co.uk Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff' in the display name may be lost. Blind user, so no pictures please! > In the film classic, "When Worlds Collide," a mile-long ramp was fitted > with a rocket propelled sled upon which the spaceship-plane was given its [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > appears scientifically accurate to the point where I cannot understand why > NASA has not adapted this approach to rocketship blast offs. > In the film classic, "When Worlds Collide," a mile-long ramp was fitted > with a rocket propelled sled upon which the spaceship-plane was given its > intial "impetus." This makes a lot of sense to me. As the other poster said, you want to avoid having to punch thru too much lower atmosphere. Also you lose some energy in the friction in the wheels of that sled, and the energy to accerlate the mass of that sled, even though it's discarded early. Also changing the vector costs some energy too. When you add up all these things on a ledger, vs the straight up launching NASA does today, it's probably not worth the extra complexity. Other schemes, like having the launch pad atop a tall mountain, become too much of a PITA to be worth the trouble of getting your rockets delivered up that mountain. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.