New Sweet way to reenter?

[Urwumpe]

And how is the shuttle passing over any less predictable?

Especially, when looking at the time the launch preparations of the Shuttle take...

 

[Andy44]

Would have worked in the 60s with the DynaSoar, a surprise launch in the middle of the night in an unexpected direction, provided the Soviet "fishing" trawlers off of California were shooed away first.

 

[joiz]

Which rocket of model rockets was it?

oh, just noticed I answered this wrongly. it was the one man rocket. sorry about that.

---------- Post added at 09:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:22 PM ----------

And how is the shuttle passing over any less predictable?

satelites come over once every few hours and they know exactly when. the shuttle launches when no one expects it, but i guess you could launch a satelite when no one exceptcs it. damn, we need a dynasoar.

 

[garyw]

oh, just noticed I answered this wrongly. it was the one man rocket. sorry about that.

---------- Post added at 09:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:22 PM ----------


satelites come over once every few hours and they know exactly when. the shuttle launches when no one expects it, but i guess you could launch a satelite when no one exceptcs it. damn, we need a dynasoar.

huh???? The shuttle has a two day countdown!!!! Most rockets take more than 15 minutes to get out to the launch pad - activity thats easily visible from space.

 

[gp]

i was able to reenter with dg iv with a maximum temp below 500C with a veeery long flight at 70Km of altitude.

 

[garyw]

i was able to reenter with dg iv with a maximum temp below 500C with a veeery long flight at 70Km of altitude.

And that's Orbiter.

Orbiter != Real world.

 

[gp]

i agree Orbiter!=Real World, but what is wrong? the atmosphere model, the temperature simulation?

i have read an article, i don't remember where, on some japanese research to build a paper reentry veicle. veeery light, with a good l/d ratio there are good chance to survive.

 

[Urwumpe]

i agree Orbiter!=Real World, but what is wrong? the atmosphere model, the temperature simulation?

Temperature simulation and aerodynamics of the vessel.

 

[Hielor]

satelites come over once every few hours and they know exactly when. the shuttle launches when no one expects it, but i guess you could launch a satelite when no one exceptcs it. damn, we need a dynasoar.

...The shuttle launches when no one expects it?

Nevermind that NASA publishes launch dates months if not years in advance...

 

[joiz]

...The shuttle launches when no one expects it?

Nevermind that NASA publishes launch dates months if not years in advance...

well, obviously they wouldn't do that now would they? this is supposed to be super secret.

 

[Andy44]

IIRC the classified shuttle launches in the 80s were launched without telling anyone when the actual liftoff time would be, weren't they?

It's almost impossible to hide a launch direction nowadays, but the Dynasoar could've done it briefly in the 60s before the Soviets had a good launch detection system. By doing some dog-legs during the ascent, you can still make them guess exactly which targets in the USSR you're going to overfly on the first orbit; this technique may even work today, but slim chance. Besides, the X-20 had enough delta-V for a respectable plane change, substantially more than the STS orbiter does.

 

[Hielor]

IIRC the classified shuttle launches in the 80s were launched without telling anyone when the actual liftoff time would be, weren't they?

I believe the launch time was well-known in advance, but the azimuth was not.

 

[garyw]

I believe the launch time was well-known in advance, but the azimuth was not.

There was one early shuttle DOD mission that was announced a few minutes before launch. The crew were already on board when the information went out. That was the 1980's though - Pre internet so I doubt they would get away with it today.

Besides, There is only one place on the planet you launch a shuttle from and fueling activities are easy to pick up on via Satellite.

 

[DaveS]

Nevermind that NASA publishes launch dates months if not years in advance...

That wasn't the case for all flights between STS-108 and STS-107. NASA then only published multi-hour windows when each flight was going to launch. The exact launch time was only revealed 24hrs before planned T0.

This continued up to STS-114 when they returned to normal ops when it came to public events for Space Shuttle missions.

 

[Urwumpe]

Besides, the X-20 had enough delta-V for a respectable plane change, substantially more than the STS orbiter does.

Well, it had slightly more than the Shuttle, but it was able to do atmospheric plane changes, something which the Shuttle can not do.

 

[Andy44]

Well, it had slightly more than the Shuttle, but it was able to do atmospheric plane changes, something which the Shuttle can not do.

I always wondered about that. While the X-20 orbiter was built to take that, I wonder if they planned to give the Transtage a TPS before attempting that stunt.