SpinLaunch is pretty interesting too - throwing ships into space
https://www.spinlaunch.com/
Sierra Nevada Corporation's Dream Chaser - a reusable lifting-body spaceplane, currently slated to fly to the ISS on top of the Vulcan rocket in December 2023
I had never heard of the Sierra Nevada Corp. and was confused when I thought about the beer company working on a rocket :)
Stranger things have happened though I suppose.
What great idea didn't start as a sketch on a bar napkin?
Re:Space Elevator
by iancmceachern on Friday April 21, 2023 @05:12AM
(#35651382)
In other beer space connections, Ball Aerospace and Ball containers who makes many beer cans were once the same company. Also made Ball canning jars.
Re:Space Elevator
by outworlder on Thursday April 20, 2023 @12:18PM
(#35642331)
> * The Falcon 9, the first partially reusable spaceship that actually costs less than not re-using anything
We don't really know that. This _appears_ to be the case but the accounting is strange. We would probably get better numbers if the company was publicly traded.
I really like the RocketLab designs.
Where's the funding for Skylon? Some US company with deeper pockets should license the design (the heat exchangers are incredible)
"Appears" or not, but their offered prices and especially the cadence of launching stuff to LEO are currently unmatched, AFAICT. They'd run out of money if they did not make profit on most launches
Re:Space Elevator
by outworlder on Thursday April 20, 2023 @04:32PM
(#35645866)
Question is, would they make more or less profit by making new rockets versus refurbishing the existing ones? By how much?
Go do some basic research? It's clearly much cheaper, ugh
Stoke Space is building a fully reusable rocket with a really unique second stage design.
* The Falcon 9, the first partially reusable spaceship that actually costs less than not re-using anything
* Terran R - a fully reusable space ship in the works by relativity space
* RocketLab Electron - an active rocket that is unique in its use of electric turbo pumps, 3d printed engines, and advanced composites use
* RocketLab Neutron - in the works, a larger rocket with the aim to be partially re-usable ala Falcon 9 but with a cheaper expendable 2nd stage and simpler design
* SpaceX Starship - in the works, (test flight today!) a large heavy lift vehicle with the aim to be fully reusable
* Blue Origin - working on a ship similar to starship
there are others!