Why dont they put another 3 engines in the middle bit of the wing? Its a pity in needs such a huge hangar, and such a wide runway. How fast does this weird looking plane actually go? What is the point of it?
well, I think the purpose is to use 100 years of experience in getting objects into the air to get the objects into orbit or even into space. The technology with multi-stage rockets, which requires much more energy and causes a huge pile of hi-tech scrap, should finally go into the museum.
The middle section is the “cargo bay” and the Statolaunch with over 200 tons capacity can very well be stage one of a three stage ISS crew exchange taxi entirely recoverable, second stage like a falcon 9 first stage and orbiter like a DreamChaser with small 3D printed jettison tanks..overall cheaper and safer than current Dragon (falcon 9:expensive 2nd stage lost and parachutes landing requiring good weather delays and changes, etc) or Starship with huge heat shield to recover …empty tanks. A 3 stage has best lowest to load weight ratio, but disposable, was too expensive…but here not…Note reignited Merlin’s of the falcon like second stage can help the plane acceleration during take off and air tanker make up air to air refuelling can also be an option..for good weather, but turbulences then presents a risk of mission abort..But with current private competition and law suits amongst them, useless NASA should take the lead on such “existing technologies in place “ project…but NASA is no longer staffed well for it like during the moon race..
Why dont they put another 3 engines in the middle bit of the wing? Its a pity in needs such a huge hangar, and such a wide runway. How fast does this weird looking plane actually go? What is the point of it?
well, I think the purpose is to use 100 years of experience in getting objects into the air to get the objects into orbit or even into space. The technology with multi-stage rockets, which requires much more energy and causes a huge pile of hi-tech scrap, should finally go into the museum.
The middle section is the “cargo bay” and the Statolaunch with over 200 tons capacity can very well be stage one of a three stage ISS crew exchange taxi entirely recoverable, second stage like a falcon 9 first stage and orbiter like a DreamChaser with small 3D printed jettison tanks..overall cheaper and safer than current Dragon (falcon 9:expensive 2nd stage lost and parachutes landing requiring good weather delays and changes, etc) or Starship with huge heat shield to recover …empty tanks. A 3 stage has best lowest to load weight ratio, but disposable, was too expensive…but here not…Note reignited Merlin’s of the falcon like second stage can help the plane acceleration during take off and air tanker make up air to air refuelling can also be an option..for good weather, but turbulences then presents a risk of mission abort..But with current private competition and law suits amongst them, useless NASA should take the lead on such “existing technologies in place “ project…but NASA is no longer staffed well for it like during the moon race..