Conclusions
As we have seen, current space launch vehicles have a number of drawbacks. The Space Shuttle is expensive to fly and requires months to ready for new missions. Expendable launch vehicles also suffer from high launch costs and long build times. The United States’ future in space demands a cheaper, safer, and faster space transportation system. The idea of a single stage, reusable rocket is certainly not new. Jules Verne’s ‘From the Earth to the Moon’ had astronauts traveling to the moon in a single stage rocket shaped like a bullet and fired from a cannon. More recently, Space Shuttle design studies in the early 70’s considered the possibility of building a shuttle with only a single stage.
Over the years NASA has studied the concept and initiated more than one program with the eventual goal of building a fully reusable rocket. The X-33 project was once such attempt. The VentureStar, as the full-scale version was to be called, would have took off like a rocket and landed like a plane. Despite a budget of $941 Million, no rocket ever flew under this program. NASA’s next major attempt to replace the Shuttle is the current Space Launch Initiative program. Under this program the dream of a single stage reusable ship has been lost. The Orbital Space Plane is supposed to reach orbit atop an expendable rocket.
The Delta Clipper program demonstrated the capabilities needed for a truly reusable single stage rocket. It did this both quickly and cheaply. The DC-X was a great start to answering the question of how the United States will get to space in the coming years.
Back | Home | Next