Timeline for Why doesn't the USA use structurally stronger rockets for the more important launches?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
12 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| May 1, 2020 at 9:07 | comment | added | David Tonhofer | @user30007 I think solid-fueled rockets are "not good for a crew" because they rattle quite a bit and are also hard to scale up to human+support system (see: Shuttle). Once your ICBMs have gone solid fuel, you won't be even thinking about "Use ICBM to get astronaut aloft" anymore. | |
| May 1, 2020 at 2:10 | comment | added | Christopher James Huff | @OrganicMarble: That might be relevant to the crewed Dream Chaser variant as well (which can't be enclosed in a fairing, to allow for escape if things go wrong). | |
| Apr 30, 2020 at 23:58 | comment | added | Organic Marble | @ChristopherJamesHuff you could be right, not familiar with those. I worked on shuttle and it was an issue there for the wings and vertical tail, so not applicable to most vehicles. "Structural dynamic/flexible body effect is included as an increment based on a flat-top discrete gust with wind shear that is added (RSS with other dispersions) to the deterministic load" - personal notes | |
| Apr 30, 2020 at 23:48 | comment | added | Christopher James Huff | @OrganicMarble: wind shear appears to be a control issue rather than one of vehicle strength. At least in the case of Atlas V and it seems likely for other vehicles to be similar. nasa.gov/pdf/605813main_Atlas-V_MSL_Weather_Criteria.pdf | |
| Apr 30, 2020 at 17:29 | history | edited | Organic Marble | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
added 83 characters in body
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| Apr 30, 2020 at 12:28 | history | edited | Organic Marble | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
added 39 characters in body
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| Apr 30, 2020 at 12:22 | comment | added | Carl Witthoft | @OrganicMarble I was thinking more of a rocket being rotated about its center of percussion (angular center of momentum) by the wind, which involves the shape more than the strength of the rocket | |
| Apr 30, 2020 at 12:20 | comment | added | user35272 | I changed the statement to "almost never". | |
| Apr 30, 2020 at 12:18 | comment | added | user35272 | The Atlas V is from the Atlas rocket family. Thererfore I wrote ICBM-derived, not ICBM (I actually edited my question due to Russell Borogrove's statement). What does the fuel have to do with the question? | |
| Apr 30, 2020 at 12:17 | comment | added | Organic Marble | Structural strength is part of "You choose the wind conditions to design your system for" All launch vehicles can tolerate some amount of wind shear. | |
| Apr 30, 2020 at 12:16 | comment | added | Carl Witthoft | You could add that "structural strength" is insufficient to guarantee safe launch in windy conditions. You'd probably need massive "side-thrusters" to offset wind shear | |
| Apr 30, 2020 at 12:14 | history | answered | Organic Marble | CC BY-SA 4.0 |