Postcards from the Bleeding Edge
Friday, September 09, 2005

  Cold equations

Jeffery Bell exposes the cold equations of spaceflight - bashing most attempts at creating reusable rockets. I largely agree with him - what we need to return to the moon closely resembles a lighter Saturn V... unless we get the fuel for the return trip - and the boost to the moon/mars from elsewhere.

Not that that's stopping spaceX from announcing the falcon-9 - a vehicle capable of lofting 55000 lbs to LEO. Theoretically. For only 35 million dollars a shot - a pittance, compared to any other launcher currently in existence. They have a contract to deliver from Bigelow aerospace in 2008.

Their falcon-1 is yet to fly - but it's supposed to fly soon. At one level I'm filled with hope for the space program - at another - doubt. Only time will tell.
 
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David Täht writes about politics, space, copyright, the internet, audio software, operating systems and surfing.


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