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Do you miss the Space Shuttle Program

Commander MK

By Commander MK
in KSP1 Discussion

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Do you miss the Space Shuttle Program  

5 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you miss the Space Shuttle Program

    • Yes
      66
    • No
      69

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Navyguy

Navyguy

Posted
Posted

I am on both sides on this one. I thought this was great that we had a reliable,re-usable manned spacecraft,but it was really only meant for the purpose of Low Earth Orbit so that limited the amount of things it could do. It was a project to do whatever we needed close to Earth. Mostly satellites, space stations, experiments,etc. To get us ready for the future of space exploration. Now we are aiming at going to Mars. I belive that the private industry is going to get there first though. The Shuttle program was extremely expensive though so I'm fine with them retiring the program.

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Nibb31

Nibb31

Posted
Posted
Why cant Nasa JUST IMPROVE THE SHUTTLE???!!!!!!! MAKE MORE SENSE!!!

Because to remove it's most blatant flaws would mean to redesign a whole new vehicle. Which is what they are doing with Orion and SLS.

Today's requirements are completely different from NASA's requirements from the 1970's. The Shuttle has taught us that most of its capabilities were not really useful. The Shuttle's only unique capability was to bring back large payloads, but it was only demonstrated once because there was no real use for that capability. All of its other missions could be performed cheaper nowadays with other spacecraft.

P.S they still do the shuttle program but its a Unmanned Probe..... :(

What??? All three Orbiters have been transferred to museums now and the infrastructure to fly them has been dismantled or is being reconverted. The Shuttles are dead.

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Canopus

Canopus

Posted
Posted
X-37 has nothing to do with the STS and it's not a probe.
Yes i know but he said that NASA uses an unmanned Shuttle. Just read his comment:
P.S they still do the shuttle program but its a Unmanned Probe.....
Edit: Sorry i meant the USAF
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Nibb31

Nibb31

Posted
Posted

Although I don't understand why anyone would compare it to the STS as it has none of the Shuttle's capabilities, the X-37B concept is actually quite mysterious.

Nobody really knows what the USAF is using the X-37s for actually. On paper, a reusable unmanned spacecraft, military or otherwise, makes no sense at all. The only use for a winged re-entry vehicle is to bring stuff (or people) back from orbit, but the X-37B is too small to bring back anything useful. For any unmanned purpose (on-orbit inspection, recon, weapons platform, resupply) a disposable spacecraft is cheaper and more efficient. All the reentry stuff (wings, wheels, avionics, airframe, hydraulics, power...) is just a waste of payload.

The only purpose I can think of is to test the exposure of materials to space and bring the materials back for analysis, but even that seems far-fetched.

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NASAFanboy

NASAFanboy

Posted
Posted
Although I don't understand why anyone would compare it to the STS as it has none of the Shuttle's capabilities, the X-37B concept is actually quite mysterious.

Nobody really knows what the USAF is using the X-37s for actually. On paper, a reusable unmanned spacecraft, military or otherwise, makes no sense at all. The only use for a winged re-entry vehicle is to bring stuff (or people) back from orbit, but the X-37B is too small to bring back anything useful. For any unmanned purpose (on-orbit inspection, recon, weapons platform, resupply) a disposable spacecraft is cheaper and more efficient. All the reentry stuff (wings, wheels, avionics, airframe, hydraulics, power...) is just a waste of payload.

The only purpose I can think of is to test the exposure of materials to space and bring the materials back for analysis, but even that seems far-fetched.

Prototype space fighter.

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rhoark

rhoark

Posted
Posted

The X-37 began at NASA as part of the Space Launch Initiative to prototype technology for a shuttle successor following the Challenger disaster. In particular, X-37 was a demonstrator for improved thermal tiles and the avionics/autopilot. At some point, NASA decided it wasn't a priority for them, whereupon it was transferred to DARPA, and then the Air Force. There's no indication X-37A or X-37B did anything other than test thermal tiles and/or autopilot software; however, Boeing announced plans for a version large enough for crew or cargo. If that gets built maybe we'll see what kind of mission the AF really has in mind for the concept.

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Nibb31

Nibb31

Posted
Posted
There's no indication X-37A or X-37B did anything other than test thermal tiles and/or autopilot software; however, Boeing announced plans for a version large enough for crew or cargo. If that gets built maybe we'll see what kind of mission the AF really has in mind for the concept.

If they were just for testing tiles and avionics, then 1 or 2 short flights would be enough. It wouldn't need to stay up there for over a year, changing its orbit and moving around like it does.

The manoeuvers suggest that it might be chasing other satellites, but that doesn't make sense because something like XSS-11 would be much cheaper and better suited for that task. And you wouldn't need to return the vehicle for that sort of mission.

As for making a larger crewed version, what for? The USAF hasn't had a manned program since MOL and there is no reason to risk astronauts for military operations when unmanned spacecraft are cheaper, more expendable and just as capable. It would make no sense for the USAF to restart an astronaut program.

Another purpose might be that it has some kind a manufacturing system on board for growing cristals or making materials that can only be made in microgravity...

Prototype space fighter.

lol.

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simonh

simonh

Posted
Posted
Expensive, Expensive and Expensive.

SSTO is the way forward, provided it can land and take off again with refeuling and a few system checks, but no engine replacements or any of that jazz...

Even the most aggressive SSTO designs carry only small payloads into low orbits. If you want to get more than a dozen tons up higher than a couple of hundred km you need a multi-stage system. For my money, the Spacex plan to use a multi-stage design but recover every stage is the most practical option for a reusable system.

Simon Hibbs

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