Crumbly Workshops

[Whirligig Girl]

I trust we're all familiar with the Wet Workshop?

How about retrofitting a spent SRB into a workshop module? (Let alone the fact that that's an impractical idea anyway)

I want to know for my Steampunk Spaceships story. Obviously Liquid Fuels would be in limited quantity, and neither Oxygen nor Hydrogen had been liquified yet. The idea is based on the idea that Liquids are limited to Hydrogen Peroxide and Steam, and Solid fuels are king.

Once in orbit, could an SRB be turned into a Crumbly Workshop?

[Roastduck]

The main problem I see is that what was once just part of a launch stage, intended to be discarded to increase TWR on the core stage, is now payload. On top of that, you have to add the equipment to clean it (because that stuff is toxic, yo) and fit it with lab equipment. I think it would be much more efficient to just launch a separate, dedicated lab module

[Whirligig Girl]

well, the idea is that the payload IS the upper stage SRB. All major stages are SRBs

[Red Iron Crown]

I don't really see a reason why not. Not all that different from a fuel tank. Though the volume compared to an H2/LO2 tank would be smaller due to greater propellant density.

[Rus-Evo]

I would think an idea like those Bigelow inflatable stations would be a better future solution.

If you did use a main tank as usable space (SRBs dont go to space usually), to solve the problem of cleaning the interior you could expand something like the Bigelow inside a spent stage perhaps? Maybe it would already be seated in the interior taking up space, but ready to go.

[Kryten]

Hydrogen peroxide motors are still superior in terms of Isp to solids. They were used very successfully by the british and .... german rocket programs.

[Awaras]

Also, a SRB is pretty much just a hollow tube with one end open to space... I'm guessing it would take a lot of work to 'plug up' the open side and make it air tight.

[Whirligig Girl]

Hydrogen peroxide motors are still superior in terms of Isp to solids. They were used very successfully by the british and .... german rocket programs.

Their thrust is horribly small in comparison. And anyway I still like the idea enough so that I'll take a little artistic license. It's not impossible so I do it.