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Spaceflight Before 1951

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Re: Spaceflight Before 1951

#11

Post by ustolemyname »

crubier wrote: post #7
Xophmeister wrote: post #5

I realise this is a trite observation, but it never ceases to amaze me that it took just 22 years from the beginning of space exploration to walking on the moon.

The delta-v from Earth Surface to Low Earth Orbit (beginning of space exploration) is 9km/s. The delta-v from Earth Surface to Moon is 15km/s. So basically once you learned to go to space, going to the Moon is "only" 60% harder, even thought the moon is 1000x further away.

I'm going to nit this for several reasons:

1. Walking on the moon implied a return trip which requires an extra ~3km/s.

2. Under the rocket equation the fuel requirements for more delta v grows superlinearly, which then awkwardly makes your rocket bigger, which requires more fuel...

3. 22 years prior a metal can went to space. The scale of a manned moon mission in comparison is absolutely nuts, even basic things like having rocket motors that can be relit is a large technical challenge.

Re: Spaceflight Before 1951

#12

Post by HelloNurse »

simonh wrote: post #8
crubier wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The delta-v from Earth Surface to Low Earth Orbit (beginning of space exploration) is 9km/s. The delta-v from Earth Surface to Moon is 15km/s. So basically once you learned to go to space, going to the Moon is "only" 60% harder, even thought the moon is 1000x further away.

A full up Saturn V with LEM and the works looks a lot more complex and capable than a 60% improvement on a V2.

But the additional complexity is mostly designing a suite of vehicles, not general rocketry advances.

Re: Spaceflight Before 1951

#13

Post by hoseja »

simonh wrote: post #8
crubier wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The delta-v from Earth Surface to Low Earth Orbit (beginning of space exploration) is 9km/s. The delta-v from Earth Surface to Moon is 15km/s. So basically once you learned to go to space, going to the Moon is "only" 60% harder, even thought the moon is 1000x further away.

A full up Saturn V with LEM and the works looks a lot more complex and capable than a 60% improvement on a V2.

V2 does NOT go into orbit.

Re: Spaceflight Before 1951

#14

Post by geocrasher »

HelloNurse wrote: post #12
simonh wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A full up Saturn V with LEM and the works looks a lot more complex and capable than a 60% improvement on a V2.

But the additional complexity is mostly designing a suite of vehicles, not general rocketry advances.

Incorrect. Orbital mechanics were not a part of the V2 era programs because they were sub-orbital with relatively simple parabolic trajectories. Getting a capsule back from LEO was not something that had been worked out mathematically until later.

Re: Spaceflight Before 1951

#16

Post by nsf39k »

The British Interplanetary Society proposed using a modified V-2 called ‘Megaroc’ to perform a manned suborbital spaceflight before 1950. (https://www.bis-space.com/megaroc/)

They were pretty visionary when it came to space exploration and even made the first serious study into potential manned lunar mission in 1938 using a ‘step rocket’. (https://www.bis-space.com/the-bis-lunar-spaceship/)

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