These pages provide links to
resources for the many types of launch vehicles, propulsion
technologies, exotic systems, etc. that are in service
or proposed.
Gravity
Wells Chart (xkcd.com)
- image by Randall Munroe that nicely illustrates
the relative depths of the gravity wells produced
by the planets and and by several moons in our
solar system.
Several of the overviews above give extensive and
detailed descriptions of current and historical expendable
launch systems. Here is just a sampling of interesting
links about conventional launch systems:
EELV
Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles - Air Force funded
program for development of ELV's with lower launch
costs and increased reliability. Initially intended
to include only one vehicle but came to include both
the Atlas 5 and Delta 4.
Hyperion
HY-1 - 6" version flown at Wallops four times
Hyperion
HY-2 - 12" version - propulsion development
completed, launch scheduled for mid 2004. Capable
of sending "100lb payload to an altitude
of over 100 miles"
Nitrous Oxide - used
as oxidizer as in the SpaceShipOne and SS2 hybrid
motors
Accidents - in light of the Scaled Composites
accident, some data on previous serious incidents
with N2O, which are quite rare, has been collected
here:
Investigation of Decomposition Characteristics
of Gaseous and Liquid Nitrous Oxide,
Accession Number : AD0784802, Descriptive
Note : Final rept., 1 Aug-15 Dec 1973
Corporate Author : AIR FORCE WEAPONS LAB
KIRTLAND AFB NM Personal Author(s) : Rhodes,
G. W. Report Date : JUL 1974
