🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1h8ca7INN9nk@news.cerf.net> davsmith@nic.cerf.net (David Smith) writes:
>There's an advantage (I believe) of SSTO vs multi-stage systems that's
>getting left out here.  When launching a DC-1 all the engines are started
>and then throttled up.  This means that if an engine refuses to start,
>OR if there is a major fuel system problem such that none of the engines
>will start you can abort the launch on the pad.  With the two-stager
>enough engines have to start at separation time to assure that the DC-1
>can at least abort.

Well that's true with a vertical stack, but if you use a cluster
stack like Shuttle does, except no solids, then you can fire up
all the engines on the pad and make sure they're running right
before liftoff. Picture the putative DC-0 as a ring structure
with the DC-1 nested in the middle. Your major problem comes
at separation time. If separation fails completely, you just
land the whole thing, if separation succeeds, you're home free,
but if separation *partially* fails, you're screwed.

Gary

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