/sci/ - Science & Math

>>14792769
>SLS with 1 more RS-25 and black & white paint
This is what the real Saturn V evolutions look like.

>>14761871
>not ordering test pilots to climb onto a 4 stage SRB stack
>not having hundreds of tiny SRBs as RCS
>only liquid is in the hypergolic escape tower
What is the point of getting the best of the best if you can't make them prove it?

>>14741999
The US made the moon the goal because they figured they could "win" if they set a goal and pretended that is what it was all about.
The sad fact is humanity lost because both nations where more focused on firsts instead of building sustainable LVs. Even when all the money was already spend and the Saturn V produced the MLVs were canned because politicians couldn't see any point launching huge payloads now they has "won".

Politicians got sold on building something "cheap" from scratch instead of sticking with the Saturn and making it cheaper though design iteration and modularity.
Saturn MLV would have been cheaper, faster and retained lunar capability.

>>7564635
We could have just continued to use the Apollo family and improved on those rockets. The costs were predicted to fall dramatically, and even with the Saturn IB prices were super low.

Just imagine this world:

* Using Saturn IB, then eventually an upgraded version to launch satellites/people into LEO

* Developed a better Skylab in the late 70s after using skylab

* Continuing to use Saturn V and improving on its performance as a heavy lifter

*Developing the Saturn III to launch medium size payloads into orbit

* With cost savings develop a lunar base and maintaining a presence there

Even NASA said during the commission that studied the legacy of the STS program said we should have stuck with Apollo - that we could have done so much more for so far less.

NASA lied about its capabilities, costs, flight cadence, and performance from the very beginning to get it approved. The commission that overlooked the shuttle program and chose to end it said we could have had 2 apollo missions and 6 other manned flights a year had we continued with the apollo applications program instead.


The shuttle was the worse thing to happen to the American space program.