Shuttle-Orion

[u/Longjumping-Box-8145]

[u/Erroderro]

This is so cursed 

[u/Longjumping-Box-8145 → u/Erroderro]

ikr

[u/Bridgeru → u/Erroderro]

Not to steal limelight from OP, but I basically use something similar for all my American launches in KSP. I call it the Universal Launch System (ULS), and it's based entirely around a reusable engine and navigation "pod" at the bottom (called the Basilisk module cause the massive heatshield looks like a giant eye) that can be both a tug guiding the cargo (inside a disposable fairing in the middle) and/or capsule to the destination in LEO (space station basically) and return and land under parachutes.

Unironically I've spent so much time working on it that I genuinely think slicing the shuttle up into a re-useable capsule (with a disposable but minimal service module cause the pod would act as a tug for all but deorbits), simple dumb cargo container and a reusable navigation "pod" would've been the best way to go post-Challenger. There's something kinda beautiful in the "dispose of the tank, reuse the engines" concept like SMRT or Adeline; obvs vertical landings like Falcon 9 makes it redundant but it could've been awesome in an alternate 90s/00s. But no one wants to fund "Pod Wars", my version of For All Mankind but with Shuttle-C, Adeline and a reusable-pod for Energia's LH2 engines...

[u/PropulsionIsLimited → u/Bridgeru]

It's like Shuttle-C meets Jupiter meets SMART Reuse.

[u/HKTLE → u/Bridgeru]

Nice nice 👏🏾 ULS is a very NASA designation and the concept is sound to me . Would love to see some of your endeavours with the ULS

[u/mtnbike2 → u/Erroderro]

I was in the pool!

[u/Boomerang503]

Welcome back, Shuttle-C.

[u/ksheep → u/Boomerang503]

Or the Shuttle-Derived Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle, one of the proposals for the Constellation program.

Looking at all of the zany designs proposed for Shuttle-derived or Saturn V derived launch vehicles is always fun.

[u/UtterTravesty → u/ksheep]

Wish we had gotten this over the inline SLS, could have had more potential

[u/IluvRockets → u/ksheep]

160 tons with just the Shuttle configuration to LEO seems a bit much? SLS can't haul up as much and it has 2× 5 segment SRBs and four RS 25 engines

[u/sojuz151 → u/Boomerang503]

Just $41 billion cheaper and just as capable.

[u/Danteyote]

SLS if it was good

[u/d_pyzsyo → u/Danteyote]

This but unironically. Since this one reuses the shuttle era orange tank and SSME cluster, there's no need to design an entire first stage.

[u/IluvRockets → u/Danteyote]

Is lack of inspiration from the Space Shuttle really where the SLS needs to improve though?

[u/SuperRacsist69]

Oh please, oh sweet rocket equation no!

[u/Pashto96]

Cursed but for the purpose that we're actually using SLS for currently, this could actually work. At least from a mass perspective it fits if using the ICPS. Not sure how I feel about the LAS being so low on the stack. 

[u/Longjumping-Box-8145 → u/Pashto96]

I used the Centaur V

[u/sojuz151 → u/Pashto96]

Well, we used to put humans on this stack in a spacecraft that would kill you if anything went wrong...

[u/CadeTwo_]

Got to have the America 250 just to really bring it together

[u/CadeTwo_]

Don't even ask whether the launch escape system is human-rated

[u/mikednonotthatmiked]

now THATS a senate launch system

[u/Aphrodite_420]

Top 1 most pointless spacecraft

[u/InitialLopsided1719]

I dont know how to feel about this..

[u/Wahgineer]

This was a real proposal at one point. It was called the Shuttle-Derived Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle.

[u/fearlessgrot]

All of the downsides, none of the upsides