Posted by G.H. Wright on August 28, 2016 at 10:38pm
Recently Rocket Labs became the first company to successfully launch a rocket from the Southern Hemisphere. Why did it take so long, is it lack of infrastructure? Will the investment in building it pay for itself in the form of cheap labor and technical expertise. Another investment would be the reusable rocket,or rocket plane if you will. When this is finally achieved, a momentous first step will have been taken; flights can now be scheduled with greater frequency and regularity (as quickly as they cam be refueled and laden with cargo).What exactly will this accomplish? This will allow for the expansion of the ISS and the construction of other orbital habitats. Furthermore, if the capacity of these rocketplanes is large enough (say 200-400 tons),the expansion and construction of these stations will be significant. The ISS and its potential siblings will be more than research platforms, but manufacturing and test facilities as well; possibly becoming actual shipyards.The construction of orbital shipyards will facilitate interplanetary (and maybe sooner than we think) interstellar exploration and colonization. When this occurs the construction of rocketplanes will pay pay dividends. These shuttles will be the parasite craft responsible for landing and lifting crew, settlers and cargo to their mother ship. Other versions will be optimized for prospecting and the hauling of natural resources (liquid, gaseous and solids).Research and development carried out on station and in deep space will allow for the final development necessary to make these craft the true space going equivalent of pinnaces and tenders, and that is interplanetary travel even of the most limited variety. One must remember that the coast hugging pinnace is equipped with a single small sail, and the interplanetary shuttle should have a less powerful version of its motherships method of propulsion. May this one day takes us to the stars.
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