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Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: space plane
Message-ID: <6436@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Feb-86 13:50:01 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.6436
Posted: Wed Feb 26 13:50:01 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Feb-86 13:50:01 EST
References: <8602231253.AA23756@mitre-bedford.ARPA>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 14

> I've heard that the new "space plane" is supposed to get things into
> low earth orbit at 1% of the cost of the shuttle.  Are there good reasons
> for that, or is it just hype from aerospace marketing types?

It is a reasonable claim, although it would be comforting to see a prototype
flying to confirm it.  Full reusability plus less-strained engines would go
a long way toward lowering costs.  Even the present Shuttle would look a lot
better if it had fully-reusable liquid-fuel boosters and carried the external
tank into orbit for some sort of productive use there.  (If you count the
tank as payload, the Shuttle is suddenly carrying a lot more payload into
orbit.)
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry