Your favourite spacecraft generation

[xenomorph555]

I thought I would create this post just to explain my favourite spacecraft generation and why.

My favourite gen is the 2nd gen (gemini and voskhod) and for many reasons.

First the ships were AWESOME and even that is an understatement, I have a thing for architecture of spacecraft so these ones pleased me the most. The Voskhod looked like some sort of alien vessel, unnatural, industrial, dieselpunk-sci fi, I love it. The gemini on the other hand is like a futuristic plane, with its clear front windows, jet like controls and beast propulsion module I believe more ships should be built like it.

Secondly was what they achieved, from these ships we got the first space walks (which for some reason are much more fascinating the modern day ones, probably due to the old cameras and the fact they simply "let go"). We also got the first multi crew missions and terms such as mission commanders came, it felt like star trek was getting closer. We got rendezvous and manual dockings which was cool. Voskhod also had incredible life support, this was never used however .

Another cool thing was how fast they were created, both crafts were cobbled together in months and both projects completed their goals between 1964-65, you don't get that type of speed these days.

There is probably a tonne more stuff to talk about, just wanted to spread my love for these two particular craft. These days we talk more about the iss then the ships that carry us there, most people have forgotten about some of our greatest flying machines.

Anyway enough rambling, what's your favourite generation and why?

[phoenix_ca]

The generations to come. All that other stuff is small potatoes compared to what we could potentially achieve in a few decades. 72-day flight to Mars on a fusion-rocket, anyone?

[Tex]

I suppose you could call Skylab 4th gen, right? In the U.S.? Perhaps fifth if you count the ASTP. My favorite is Skylab. I really wish I could have gone up there with all that room!

[xenomorph555]

I suppose you could call Skylab 4th gen, right? In the U.S.? Perhaps fifth if you count the ASTP. My favorite is Skylab. I really wish I could have gone up there with all that room!

No, I'm talking of the crafts not the stations. Besides stations have their own gen system, skylab would be gen 2. ASTP is gen 3 spacecrafts (apollo and soyuz) and gen 4 would be orion or dragon (excluding the flying brick).

[tychochallenge]

The generations to come. All that other stuff is small potatoes compared to what we could potentially achieve in a few decades. 72-day flight to Mars on a fusion-rocket, anyone?

Fusion? In a few decades? Trip to Mars?

Unfortunately, fusion powered spacecraft is still vary far off since the general public seems to cringe at anything with the word 'nuclear' in it. gov-funded trip to mars probably will not happen as every administration has their own plans and cancel existing ones. private industries might make it though...

Anyways, the good ol Apollo days were my favorite, that was when man was willing to risk deep-space missions and space exploration made the top stories on the paper.

[phoenix_ca]

Fusion? In a few decades? Trip to Mars?

This: http://quantumg.net/advancements_in_dense_plasma_focus_for_space_propulsion.pdf

And this: http://lawrencevilleplasmaphysics.com/

Could well mean practical fusion rockets in the relatively near future.

[tychochallenge]

This: http://quantumg.net/advancements_in_dense_plasma_focus_for_space_propulsion.pdf

And this: http://lawrencevilleplasmaphysics.com/

Could well mean practical fusion rockets in the relatively near future.

Still you have to consider the cancellation of NERVA, not to mention NASA's ever shrinking budget.

But, if the chinese land a man on the moon soon, the gov will raise NASA's budget again

[phoenix_ca]

Still you have to consider the cancellation of NERVA, not to mention NASA's ever shrinking budget.

But, if the chinese land a man on the moon soon, the gov will raise NASA's budget again

I wasn't suggesting NASA would do it, or even any government agency.

[DerpenWolf]

Defiantly the new generation of vessels are my favorite, they just seem to he so much potential!!!

Edit: New Favorite Spacecraft is the SpaceX gen 2 capsule!

Edited May 30, 2014 by DerpenWolf

[jwenting]

Gemini. Built on the cheap, on the fly, worked marvelously, and the boosters are still in use to this day (with modifications of course).

And it just worked.

[Nibb31]

Gemini. Built on the cheap, on the fly, worked marvelously, and the boosters are still in use to this day (with modifications of course).

The last Titan IV booster flew in 2005. It was phased out mainly because it was super expensive and its propellants were really nasty stuff.