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Oh cool!! Darth_Katie Send a noteboard - 15/09/2011 04:07:13 AM
I'm an engineer working for NASA - I've been working on SLS since the President cancelled Constellation - of course, we didn't call it SLS at the time...


That's so cool!! Not that Constellation got cancelled, that you work for NASA, I mean. That was my childhood dream. Anyway ...

I see that Isaac has answered many of your questions, but I'll take a crack at some of them:

DannyMac: "Our Rockets are holding steady? What up with that?"

Unfortunately, some technology can't really be improved that much. The rocket equation is well-known, and the physics are such that we're getting just about everything we can from the fuels we have available. It'll take a huge leap in technology (Space Elevator, maybe) to improve on it.


Do you think the space elevator is the next big thing then? Where do we go from here if we can't improve rockets much?


Isaac:

MJ/kg isn't really as important as ISP for determining which is the best rocket fuel, which is why RP-1 can be competitive, especially when you want to keep operation costs down. (Something I wish NASA would pay more attention to)


What's ISP?
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NASA unveils new spaceflight rocket - 14/09/2011 07:50:09 PM 694 Views
I wanted to be happy but I have to say I am a little sad. - 14/09/2011 08:48:53 PM 247 Views
I hear ya. - 14/09/2011 09:25:38 PM 225 Views
I have to agree - 14/09/2011 10:05:08 PM 241 Views
Uh huh. - 14/09/2011 10:11:09 PM 222 Views
That's a nucear thermal rocket - 14/09/2011 11:07:02 PM 324 Views
they did look at using nukes to launch a space ship - 15/09/2011 03:48:32 AM 379 Views
It does say in the article ... - 14/09/2011 10:20:19 PM 269 Views
We don't use petroleum in most rockets and never have used them much - 14/09/2011 10:53:14 PM 248 Views
Cool. - 14/09/2011 11:04:39 PM 233 Views
Re: Cool. - 14/09/2011 11:47:33 PM 378 Views
ah fair enough about the fuel - 14/09/2011 10:57:30 PM 265 Views
I guess it could come for oil but it doesn't have to - 15/09/2011 03:45:02 AM 193 Views
Cracking water into H2 and O2 takes a lot of energy - 15/09/2011 05:33:48 AM 270 Views
I was hoping for something Enterprise-shaped. *NM* - 14/09/2011 10:55:41 PM 103 Views
You too? *NM* - 14/09/2011 11:31:06 PM 120 Views
Hi Guys! - 15/09/2011 01:44:13 AM 492 Views
Re: Hi Guys! - 15/09/2011 02:07:11 AM 348 Views
Oh cool!! - 15/09/2011 04:07:13 AM 366 Views
Re: Oh cool!! - 15/09/2011 05:28:31 AM 352 Views
do you really believe a space elevator is doable with current materials? - 15/09/2011 05:45:01 AM 229 Views
No - 15/09/2011 12:30:51 PM 223 Views
I can't even imagine you guys out at NASA must feel - 15/09/2011 02:59:18 PM 248 Views

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