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- Path: sparky!uunet!usc!rutgers!psuvax1!psuvm!pdc103
- From: PDC103@psuvm.psu.edu
- Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
- Subject: Still on the X-30
- Message-ID: <92236.132738PDC103@psuvm.psu.edu>
- Date: 23 Aug 92 17:27:38 GMT
- Organization: Penn State University
- Lines: 30
-
- I don't get some of you people. The aim of the X-30 was SSTO -- Single stage
- to orbit. This has nothing to do with the 'orient express' that has been
- discussed in past years. For the OE, you might want to refer to a couple of
- interesting AW&ST articles on Japanese research in the field. (Yes, they are
- actually doing research over there!) The Japanese are studying the concept of
- a combined turbofan/ramjet in coaxial form to achieve hypersonic speeds. The
- J58 was pretty close to that, but the compressor always operated throughout the
- envelope. Of course the SR71 only travelled around M3.0-3.2 and that wasn't a
- problem. If you have read the article, they do not expect to actually develop
- the vehicle, they just want to expand their own knowlege of high-performance
- aviation. They also have a materials development program to aid in develop-
- ment of the engine. GE, P&W, RR, and I think SNECMA (or one part of) are
- involved in the effort. Enough about that.
- The X30 started as an effort to develop a launch system that can take off
- like an airplane. This sounds like a good idea, would definitely be easier to
- take care of than the shuttle. Unfortunately it seems like trade-offs might
- make it impractical. Like someone said before, the payload would be the pilot
- and maybe his (or her) toothbrush, and little more, while the shuttle can heave
- around 30 tons into orbit (am I right?) Something of that magnitude, anyway,
- I'm going from memory here. The X30 is incredibly expensive, but then the pay-
- offs aren't in the vehicle itself. They are in the development of technologies
- and materials, etc. Just like the B-70, the program will be reduced to one or
- two interesting test vehicles that may make it into orbit, may not. We'll have
- to wait and see. All I know is that our government can't afford to develop
- the system to shuttle-like maturity. $500 billion deficits kind of make it
- hard. Funny that people forget that the deficit is a differential and the debt
- is the problem, oh well. Let's just go back to Iraq and wave our flag. A
- little political commentary. Have I cleared any cobwebs? Later...
-
- -- Phillip
-