Quote:
Originally Posted by RyanW
The Dawn mission is undeniably TL8. We just got saddled for a long time with an overdesigned late TL7/early TL8 design for our primary manned spacecraft.
|
Actually, we could have done the
Dawn mission with TL7 technology according to
Spaceships. While the ion drives are technically TL8, they were only used to supply around 7 mps of delta-v, which could have been done more effectively with TL7 chemical rockets. In fact, an argument that could be made that the cost for the
Dawn mission far exceeded what it should have been with mature TL7 space technology. In fact, it would have been better using TL7 technology.
Improved Dawn Mission (TL7)
First Stage: 1,000 tons
Components: Upper Stage, Fuel Tanks (13), and Chemical Rocket (1)-3.12 mps
Second Stage: 300 tons
Components: Upper Stage, Fuel Tanks (13), and Chemical Rocket (1)-3.12 mps
Third Stage: 100 tons
Components: Upper Stage, Fuel Tanks (13), and Chemical Rocket (1)-3.12 mps
Fourth Stage: 30 tons
Components: Upper Stage, Fuel Tanks (13), and Chemical Rocket (1)-3.12 mps
Fifth Stage: 10 tons
Components: Light Alloy Armor (2), Control Room (2), Scientific Comm/Sensor Array (2), Fuel Tanks (13), and Chemical Rocket (1)-3.12 mps
With 15.6 mps of delta-v, the improved Dawn mission would have made more flexibility than our version, would have been more efficient because it could have used Oberth maneuvers, and would have been more robust because of the spare Control Room and Scientific Comm/Sensor Array.