View Single Post
red-beard red-beard is offline
canna change law physics
 
red-beard's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Houston, Tejas
Posts: 43,429
Garage
Quote:
Originally Posted by tcar View Post
Part of the reason:

The Shuttle can transport about 25 tons into space, the Ares V is projected to be able to transport 190 tons per flight. The Shuttle is VERY heavy relative to payload.

No 'external fuel tank' on the Ares V, either.
The Shuttle is only good for LEO. All the crap about servicing SATs was just that. The shuttle cannot reach GEO-synch orbit.

It was sold as the "Space Truck". Bad idea. We should have developed 2 designs: People transporter, and heavy lift vehicle. Aries is what we should have developed instead of the shuttle.
__________________
James
The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the engineer adjusts the sails.- William Arthur Ward (1921-1994)
Red-beard for President, 2020
Old 01-20-2010, 12:52 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #20 (permalink)