2026-09-28 13:24 UTC
Replies (2)
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@Eiregoat@nicecrew.digital 2026-09-28 13:31
Sorry, yes, I wasn't trying to argue for space shuttles. They were a failure even before they got to the design stage. I was arguing more for stuff like white-knight and spaceship one. They get all the expensive thrust out of the way with an efficient air breathing engine, then let the rockets have their turn when the oxygen finally thins out. Rocketoons have a similar solution. Either way, like 90% of the mass and complication of modern rockets could be avoided by just launching them from the upper atmosphere.
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@StarProphet@noauthority.social 2026-09-28 13:37
@Evil_Bender@nicecrew.digital "we did orbital aircraft" If you're talking about the Space Shuttle, the Space Shuttle was never fully reusable, and its payload capacity was 25 metric tons. SpaceX Starship is in orbit right now (Ship 41) deploying 52 metric tons to orbit. And it's not even a full load of V3 Starlinks (only 26). Full load is 60 V3s, up to 120 metric tons. @jb@nicecrew.digital @JollyR@nicecrew.digital