Blue Origins, update Options

[jabe]

Blue origins update..
go Bezos go
BTW hate the web page but neat videos.. From nasawatch resource

[djellison]

With such high gravity to fight against, and a nice thick atmosphere that's screaming out for chutes, parafoils etc.... landing with rockets on Earth just doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Doug

[AndyG]

[L]anding with rockets on Earth just doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

I agree.

Using one of the fresh envelope-backs I got for Christmas, I see that retro-rocket-landing an Apollo CM from the drogue release altitude and speed, for example, would require something like a beefed-up AJ10-137 engine (massing around 4000kg), 31 seconds' thrust (1450 kg of fuel and oxidiser), all crammed into a 5800 kg mass capsule (!!). Naturally the engine would have to poke through the heat shield, which additionally complicates matters.

Comparing that to the (original) 245kg parachutes-and-drogues-and-deployment package, it's an absolute no-brainer.

<long pause>

...though, in its favour <whispering> it would look rather Heinleinian.

Andy

[mcaplinger]

Comparing that to the (original) 245kg parachutes-and-drogues-and-deployment package, it's an absolute no-brainer.

If you're never going to use the vehicle again, absolutely.

The arguments for VTVL all revolve around reusability and rapid turnaround. See, for example, http://www.thespacereview.com/article/412/1

I'm agnostic on the topic; like most engineering, there is no clear best solution. It's very dependent on the mission profile and on the logistical/economic assumptions.

[climber]

If you're never going to use the vehicle again, absolutely.
I'm agnostic on the topic; like most engineering, there is no clear best solution. It's very dependent on the mission profile and on the logistical/economic assumptions.

I agree but I also wonder if a Soyouz-like last seconds hard brake retro-rocket solution could be used. There's no need here to have a "smooth" hard-brake since there's nobody inside. Is they can get the retro rocket working in the good force vector and then inflate air bags so the stage doen't hit too hard, I bet it'll not be too much of an extra weight as compared to reusability. And it'll be an elegant solution.