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Conference 7.286::space

Title:	Space Exploration
Notice:	Shuttle launch schedules, see Note 6
Moderator:	PRAGMA::GRIFFIN

Created:	Mon Feb 17 1986
Last Modified:	Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	974
Total number of notes:	18843

420.0. "Smallest Rocket and Payload" by OBLIO::K_CASSIDY () Thu Mar 31 1988 14:28

    What is the smallest rocket to launch something into earth orbit?
    How big was its payload?  What I'm after here is some idea of how
    things scale as you reduce the size of the rocket.  I read somewhere
    that a relatively simple kerosene/LOX rocket with multiple stages
    can deliver about 1% of its launch weight into LEO.  Does this mean
    I could put a 2 pound satellite into orbit with a properly constructed
    200 pound 3 stage rocket?  Intuitively this doesn't seem quite correct,
    but what are the scaling factors that apply?  Do rocket engines
    retain the same thrust/weight ratio as they are scaled down or does
    it become worse?  Does atmospheric drag extract a higher percentage
    toll from a small rocket vs a large one?  How about fuel tank weight
    vs volume?
    
    I'm sure I'll never get around to do anything with it, but I'm
    intrigued by the idea that we could build a "model" rocket that
    actually put something, however small, into orbit.  What would my 
    2 pound satellite contain? Simple:  some solar cells and a small 
    radio transmitter broadcasting "Louie - Louie" on an endless loop.
    
    ;-) ;-) ;-)
    
    Kevin C.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
420.1	Let the military take care of it	LDP::WEAVER	Laboratory Data Products	`Fri Apr 01 1988 21:28`	8
	Re: .0 Yeah, and when the DOD got tired of having a wasted radio frequency up in space, they could use if for SDI target practice (I would be impressed if they could actually put such a small object out of commission). :-) ;-) :-0 -Dave
420.2	RE 420.1	XCUSME::KING	MKO1-1/C34 DTN: 264.5142	`Sat Apr 02 1988 04:23`	6
	It wouln't be the DOD's place to determine whether its wasted frequency spectrum or not. Its a natural resource just like all others and is policed by the FCC and the ITU. So perhaps they might be the ones concerned but then again they're letting alot of things ease up these days. Bryan
420.3	Book on Liquid-Propellant Rockets	MTWAIN::KLAES	Houston, Tranquility Base here...	`Tue Jul 05 1994 16:14`	72
	Article: 2426 From: [email protected] (Bruce Dunn) Newsgroups: sci.space.tech Subject: New edition of Huzel and Huang rocket textbook Date: Mon, 04 Jul 94 09:25:40 -0700 (PDT) Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada A classic text in aerospace engineering is "Design of Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines" by Huzel and Huang (dating from the early 1970s). This book has long been out of print. There is however a new, updated version which has recently become available Modern Engineering for Design of Liquid-Propellant Rocket Engines Dieter K. Huzel and David H. Huang Revised, updated and enlarged by: Harry Arbit William R. Bissell Richard Brewster Mary P. Cardenas Elden H. Cross Kenny C. Gaspar William Gillon Eugene D. Jackson III Al Martinez John G. Perry William M. Stanley Ronald Urquidi Sponsored by the Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell International 425 pages, large format Volume 147 in Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1992 Published by American Institute of Aeronautics of Astronautics 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW Washington DC, 20024-2518 ISBN 1-56347-013-6 This book may be ordered through the company "Tasco", which sells books for the AIAA. Their phone number is 1-800-682-2422, 9 to 5 Eastern time. Cost is $109.95. The updated version is well worth having. In spite of its title, it isn't strictly limited to engines but also deals with issues closely coupled to engine design, such as tank pressurization, engine-vehicle interfaces etc. It appears that the update is largely the work of the older generation of engineers at Rocketdyne, with the idea that "It is immensely important that the skills, experience, and know-how of this earlier generation be preserved and passed on to a younger generation - clearly, completely, and effectively" (W.F. Ezell, V.P. Engineering, Rocketdyne, in the book's preface). The book unfortunately uses American units throughout, making the usefulness of the sample calculations shown relatively marginal for someone with a physics or science background, or a non-American engineering background. A second criticism is that frequently the book gives equations for calculation of different engine or vehicle parameters. Unfortunately, these equations often contain empirical factors tied to the American system of units. Worse, such equations are not generally accompanied by any hints as to how the empirical factors vary with different conditions, or even how they were derived. I will be submitting this information for inclusion in the space FAQ, which currently contains a reference to the older edition. -- Bruce Dunn Vancouver, Canada [email protected]