Rand:
In the absence of a requirement for unused volume the economics assure it
will not be built in a world (or off-world) where it cost order $50 for
every lbm hauled into orbit.
If unused volume is built, those that have access to it will pay a premium
price for it.
Bill
On Thu, Sep 30, 2021 at 5:55 PM Rand Simberg <simberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Exactly. We build large structures out of pieces that are brought in
cheaply by truck. :-)
On 9/30/21 16:52, William Claybaugh wrote:
Rand:
Just like the airlines.
Bill
On Thu, Sep 30, 2021 at 5:51 PM Rand Simberg <simberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Once SH/Starship are operational people are going to figure out how to
have a lot of volume in orbit.
On 9/30/21 16:37, Jake Anderson (jake) wrote:
On 1/10/2021 8:57 am, Henry Spencer wrote:
On Thu, 30 Sep 2021, JOHN HALPENNY wrote:
Isn't the Soyuz system a two part capsule? There is an escape pod,
which is as small as possible, and a cruise "lounge" which has more
space and all of the other stuff for a longer trip...
The "capsule" proper is the reentry module. But yes, there is a
separate orbital module -- jettisoned before reentry -- which is the
main living and working area in space.
At least one of the bidders for the Apollo spacecraft proposed a
similar scheme, but NASA didn't like it.
Still another arrangement, arguably preferable, was that seen in the
Soviet TKS spacecraft -- meant as a supply ship for the Almaz
military space stations -- which was fairly fully tested but never
flew manned. It looked roughly like an Apollo CSM with solar arrays,
except that there was a hatch in the heatshield, and the "service
module" had a pressurized interior, with a docking adapter at the aft
end. The reentry module, aka VA, is a historical curiosity; the
service module, aka FGB, could fly independently and has seen
extensive use as a space-station module -- Zarya, the very first ISS
module, is a modified FGB, as is the Nauka module launched a month or
two ago.
Henry
It all really makes me wish inflatable designs got more air time ;-)
Or those plans to orbit the space shuttle tanks.
I know there's problems with both but boy howdy bet you a coke the
crew on ISS would love having a couple of shuttle hydrogen tanks
filled with air just to bounce around in, go for a walk etc.
The one on ISS presently is like a good start but I want to see
something that really gets a lot of expansion, lots of minimum gauge
issues on the one that's there I think. I was thinking starship
travelling to mars would be a lot nicer with just more room for those
doing the travelling, and nicer may well translate into fewer
psychotic breaks amongst those who qualify for the trip by paying for
it rather than being selected.