Its some pretty crazy shit, that we literally know how to do… and just… don’t.
Because stock market line go up is more important I guess?
Gotta pay for more missiles to blow up brown people?
But yeah, aerospikes are awesome because they’re like the … jack of all trades of effective thrust at different ambient air pressures/densities.
They’re not the most efficient or powerful at any particular altititude band… but they’re shockingly decent at a whole bunch of them, across the spectrum, because of their fundamental design.
So they’re literally perfect for an SSTO, reusable concept. Definitely do a full inspection and maintenance cycle after every mission, they’re kinda complicated… but, if you take care of one… it should just basically keep working for quite a long time.
I remember first learning about that engine design and being similarly mad about why it never saw any use.
Yeeep.
Its some pretty crazy shit, that we literally know how to do… and just… don’t.
Because stock market line go up is more important I guess?
Gotta pay for more missiles to blow up brown people?
But yeah, aerospikes are awesome because they’re like the … jack of all trades of effective thrust at different ambient air pressures/densities.
They’re not the most efficient or powerful at any particular altititude band… but they’re shockingly decent at a whole bunch of them, across the spectrum, because of their fundamental design.
So they’re literally perfect for an SSTO, reusable concept. Definitely do a full inspection and maintenance cycle after every mission, they’re kinda complicated… but, if you take care of one… it should just basically keep working for quite a long time.