Project Shuttle Concept

[Andy44]

Well, it's a space shuttle right? Not an interplanetary vehicle? Or did I misunderstand the purpose of it, and it's really another DG-type vehicle?

 

[T.Neo]

Perhaps it is a lander vehicle to a much larger and longer range spacecraft.

 

[RisingFury]

This looks hot! I'd give it a tad larger vertical stabs and rudders though. Also, not sure that the V-tail Delta config is a good idea... nothing to gain, other then über-coolness factor...

 

[PriestLizard]

Well, it's a space shuttle right? Not an interplanetary vehicle? Or did I misunderstand the purpose of it, and it's really another DG-type vehicle?

I hope it won't. We already have lots of high-quality DG-type vehicles out there (XR1, DGIV, XR2...) - but for a real shuttle, like talking about a plausible successor to the real world space shuttle, there is nothing I guess.

 

[Interceptor]

That's a good looking bird, nice job:thumbup:

 

[Deltafang]

Wow, that's pretty amazing looking. I could never come up with something as good as that. The one thing Avatar seems to have realistically taught us is that we can have a decent ISV with docked shuttles that are capable of SSTO.

I look forward to see your shuttle in action on either orbital or interplanetary missions! Keep up the good work! :thumbup:

 

[Fabri91]

Great looking model!

 

[wehaveaproblem]

To echo what has been said, I like the styling and the lines of this.

Does it launch on a stack, or under it's own power?

 

[ikrase]

In my opinion, we need four main spacecraft: The ultra cheap ssto/catapult/elevator/rocketplane, or what ever; the Surface Landing and Ascent Vehicle, the space only vehicle, and the really heavy lift launcher (possibly Orion-based).

For landing on more than one planet I favor a lifting body vehicle able to aerobreak and then landing on it's tail.

Incidentally is there an orbiter MFD for VTOL or hover control of tail landers?

 

[sunshine135]

I think your model is great and it has a lot of potential. I say you are go to continue.

 

[ikrase]

I would love to see this approach DG level of detail.

 

[Izack]

I'm thinking pretty much the same things as what's already been said.
I'd like to see it with vertical landing capability (VL I guess instead of VTOL) when it has already dropped most of its fuel/payload and weighs less, but launched from a stack shuttle-style. That way your could keep the awesome tilting engines and save some on engine/fuel mass. IMHO.

In the meantime, I'll just continue ogling the WIP image.