Apr 052010
The computer problems a while back have thrown my work into chaos, but progress continues to be very slowly made. However, today the task just grew substantially: I recieved via FOIA request several documents on the Post-Saturn program from Douglas, adding substnatially to the ROMBUS story. Solid core nuclear upper stages, gas core nuclear upper stages… and Orion upper stages.
Giggity!
9 Responses to “APR V2N6 update”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Dude you’re KILLING me. 🙂
Sort of kinda on topic . . . is it correct to say that the Boeing post-Saturn is equivalent to AMLLV? Just wondering because you can almost draw a line from the Boeing “solid Nova” (parallel-staged solids and LH2 core) of 1963 to the big vehicle Van Winkle proposed in Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1965, to AMLLV in 1968. Not sure if there were other designs for post-Saturn (which as you noted in your Saturn Upgrades document, was a nebulous concept, just like “Nova”).
Apologies in advance for the big rocket fanboi question.
“Solid core nuclear upper stages, gas core nuclear upper stages…”
All right!
I remember reading stuff in the 1980s hinting about advanced projects like these. I’m so glad you make the details available.
To George: no, at least as a Marshall funded study, according to the annual digest of contracts and reports published by the Future Systems Office.
Wow! solid NTR goodness!
Phil, look elsewhere on the blog for Nexus/gas core fun. One of the upper stages for Nexus as shown in the Sanders “Class IV” summary report from Marshall FPO was 400 feet long, 120 ft in diameter, with (count ’em) two six million lb. thrust gas core nukes. Sweet.
Skybolt, you’re right, at some point AMLLV ended up being funded by Ames. Another post-Saturn version showed up in the Langley Integrated Manned Interplanetary proposal (which you can buy from Scott).
Thanks, George! 🙂
Boeing did another study for Marshall, maybe related to post-Saturn stuff, in FY 1963, on which I’ve never been able to find anything besides the title and contract number:
“Investigation of Vehicle-Integrated Rocket Powerplants
with Air Augmentation”, Contract No. NAS8-11017, Report
No. D2-23217, Boeing Company, June 15, 1964, CONFIDENTIAL.
Apparently the work was analytical in nature and considered a lot of aternatives. Donìt know if they tried to actaly “design” something.
Dont’t know either if it was related in some way with the previous LACE and later RENE concepts. As it is well known, Martin did studies on an air-augmented NOVA Class IV.
Found !
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19640017363_1964017363.pdf
Thanks Skybolt.
Went searching for something else and WTF? Company is now blocking handle.net downloads. I hate these guys.