Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!pmafire!ron
From: ron@pmafire.UUCP (ron clayton)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: best of all worlds
Message-ID: <1990Oct10.221645.29969@pmafire.UUCP>
Date: 10 Oct 90 22:16:45 GMT
References: <49492@olivea.atc.olivetti.com> <143360@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> <10314.2711c063@pbs.org>
Organization: WINCO
Lines: 59

In article <10314.2711c063@pbs.org> pstinson@pbs.org writes:
>Now I make a challenge.  Instead of simply writing this off as a "dumb" idea as
>some people so readily do in this group, why not see if you can make it better.
>Some poeple called the Wright brothers idea "dumb".  That is the easy part. 
>Now come up with something better, if you can that will get us to the moon on a
>regular basis.

OK!  I'll give this challenge a try.

Instead of a earth-lunar "taxi", lets try a "tugboat/barge" concept. 
Taxis carry only people, barges can carry materials and supplies.

Let's put some of these tugboats into earth orbit.  How?  Unmanned using
an expendable.  Let the crew tag along on a normal shuttle mission. 
After the shuttle has completed its mission, it can rendezvous with the
tugboat and the crew can board it.  

The barges are lauched into orbit using expendables.  The barge consists
of a number of payload canisters.  Each canister is in the shape of
short cylinder.  These canisters are stacked to create a long cylinder
shaped barge.  The end canister is a special supply canister for the
tugboat.  In this supply canister is food, air, water, etc.
Also fuel for the tugboat's rocket engines.

OK, here's the scenario.  Launch a barge into an earth orbit very close
to the tugboat's orbit.  Launch a crew aboard the shuttle.  Rendezvous
with the tugboat and board it.  Tugboat then rendezvous with the barge
and docks with the supply canister.  When docked, a access hatch
provides access into the supply canister, so that the crew can get
needed supplies.  Also, fuel lines are connected between the tugboat and
the supply canister to replenish the tugboat's fuel tanks.  Use the
tugboat's  rocket engines to blast out of earth orbit and head for the
moon.  On the way, turn around for lunar insertion.  Blast into lunar
orbit.  A lunar lander (already stationed at the moon and put there by
a previous mission) docks with the end payload canister.  The payload
canister disconnects from the barge and the lunar lander takes it down
to the lunar surface.  Unload the payload canister and blast up to orbit
to get the next canister.  Each of the payload canisters can carry fuel
for the lunar lander so that each time it docks with a payload canister, it
gets refueled.  Meanwhile, the tugboat and it's supply canister can
disconnect from the barge and blast out of moon orbit and head back to
earth.  In earth orbit, the shuttle rendezvous to pickup the crew and
the supply canister (it can be taken back to earth to be reused).

A space station would be usefull in this scenario.  The tugboats can
dock with the space station.  The crew can live at the station between
missions.  Maintenance of the tugboat can be done at the station. etc.
A small station in lunar orbit might be useful for the same reasons.

Ok, your turn.  Is this a workable idea?  What are the flaws?  Is it
economical?  I'll let the experts take this idea apart.  Be nice :)

Ron Clayton

-- 
Ron Clayton - WINCO Engineering Technologies, Idaho Falls, ID
front-door: uunet!pmafire!ron
side-door:  bigtex!pmafire!ron
back-door:  ucdavis!egg-id!pmafire!ron