A brief history of their misbegotten use in spaceflight, by frequent-commenter Mike Puckett.
[Update late afternoon Mountain time]
I want to share my own condolences to Mike on the loss of his beloved cat. But it sounds like she had a good run.
A brief history of their misbegotten use in spaceflight, by frequent-commenter Mike Puckett.
[Update late afternoon Mountain time]
I want to share my own condolences to Mike on the loss of his beloved cat. But it sounds like she had a good run.
To paraphrase the caption from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back: “Solid Rockets had it coming!”
Informative read. Thanks.
🙂
RIP Pooky.
Thank you, she was a wonderful cat.
I do want to qualify something. I realize the comparison between the IIIE and the IB as an apple vs an orange to a degree. I used those because there was no good cost information on the Saturn IB-Centaur since it was never actually developed. My research indicated the IB-C used the same upper stage as the IIIE but had one third more throw weight.
Thank you Rand!
Great article Mike. Was it Henry Spencer who said solid rockets were a branch of fireworks, not spaceflight?
Very sorry to hear about your cat. We do get so attached to them.
Thanks! Im not sure the origin, but it was spot on.
There is a difference between a mode of transportation and a round of ammunition.
Unless you are Wyle E. Coyote. Say, isn’t his movie coming out soon?
When my big tomcat Buddy died last year, I decided no more because I’m 75. So, this spring a brindled tortoiseshell showed up on my back deck and moved right in. She was snooty and resistant to naming until I said, “You’re just a little princess, ain’t you?” Perked up, jumped in my lap and purred. WhenI yell Princess out the door she comes running. We had some neighbors (rural area) who moved away abruptly. I know they had cats and dogs and also a little girl. Maybe Princess hid from the movers and got left. My cat now.
I never like solid rockets. Instead of Titan, should have upgraded Saturn IB at least to 1B-CE. With that Centaur third stage, 12,000lb to TLI. Add the monocoque first stage tankage and a ninth engine (switch to RS-27A, I guess) and you’ve made a Falcon 9. Probably need a remote-pilot landing, but still, RTLS.