A 'Companion' system which would operate with the Space Shuttle to provide lower cost transportation is proposed. The companion system operation would involve launching simultaneously with the Shuttle, booster fly back to the launch site for reuse, payload delivery, rendezvous with the Shuttle, and reentry in the payload bay of the Orbiter. The disadvantages of this system are that the Orbiter could return only the Companion in its payload bay and the Orbiter may need to remain in orbit extra days; however, the economic benefits of the system are significant. It is estimated that the system could deliver a payload and shroud mass of about 10,000 kg into low earth orbit.
Companion - An economical adjunct to the Space Shuttle
1986-10-01
Sonstige
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Companion - An economical adjunct to the Space Shuttle
AIAA | 1986
|Companion: An Economical Adjunct to the Space Shuttle
AIAA | 1986
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