Using capsules as escape pods for the ISS is an excellent idea. Using American capsules instead of Soyuz to get past the current Space Shuttle SNAFU is also an excellent idea. Capsules are also the most appropriate technology for bringing people back from Mars, the Moon and Libration points. However capsules do not help us concerning the fundamental problem with space exploration which is high launch cost. We need a fully reusable Reusable Launch Vehicle to do that. Current launch costs of $10,000/kg. are intolerable. We need to get launch costs under $1000/kg. What I'd like to see is a Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) biamese (twin booster and orbit vehicle) RLV that heavily leverages current Space Shuttle and Saturn-V technology. We need to get something like that started as a crash program with hardware on orbit within 5 years.
Gary
Space/Science » in reply to Great idea! Back to the sixties when space was safe enuf for chimp pilots!
Capsules are a good idea but....
The whole thread (27 posts)
- The capsule
- will it be reusable?
- Great idea! Back to the sixties when space was safe enuf for chimp pilots!
- Unlike what the article implied, capsules don't have to come down in water
- re: The capsule
- re: The capsule