Post AXpl9z6LS70oa4DxY0 by john@sauropods.win
(DIR) More posts by john@sauropods.win
(DIR) Post #AXphH75FlycLY2rDUG by john@sauropods.win
2023-07-18T22:37:00Z
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What’s the smallest #rocket that could reach low-earth orbit, with current technology? No payload.
(DIR) Post #AXpi4l165kBdaUaMLI by futurebird@sauropods.win
2023-07-18T22:46:03Z
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@john not even a tiny little payload?
(DIR) Post #AXpiBaXJSKIN6tuYme by JonKramer@qoto.org
2023-07-18T22:46:04Z
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@john https://www.google.com/search?q=ss-520-5+size&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS924US924&oq=SS-520-5&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0i512l2j0i30j0i8i30j0i30j0i390i650.5930j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
(DIR) Post #AXpiCwAAX9h4TRjGN6 by ariadne@mastodon.canonicity.org
2023-07-18T22:46:08Z
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@john Probably not much smaller than the currently-smallest rockets that do carry payload. The payload of modern rockets is only a few percentage points of the launch weight! https://www.rocketlabusa.com/launch/electron/…please forgive me if your domain knowledge is way, way more advanced than that and you wanted some math 😅
(DIR) Post #AXpiI8mx1I2h4yLmWe by john@sauropods.win
2023-07-18T22:46:24Z
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Should searched that! There’s a Guinness Book of World Records answer, 2.6 tonnes, ~10m long ~0.5m diameter. It had payload though. Disappointingly large? https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/smallest-rocket
(DIR) Post #AXpiJ2LaSDQbOJyieG by john@sauropods.win
2023-07-18T22:48:17Z
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@ariadne but isn’t a certain percentage of the fuel to carry the payload, so it’s actually more than the weight of the payload?
(DIR) Post #AXpiQPDvnXqUMuuYfA by JonKramer@qoto.org
2023-07-18T22:47:15Z
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@john , but, very soon, this should be effective:https://www.spinlaunch.com/
(DIR) Post #AXpiQPxJ4q8qde8nOC by john@sauropods.win
2023-07-18T22:49:56Z
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@JonKramer they are growing things into space now? What a world!
(DIR) Post #AXpibmwHxtE56e5RBI by JonKramer@qoto.org
2023-07-18T22:51:53Z
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@john yes, or launching from an aircraft. Which cuts down on the size of the rocket itself... Not sure if you would want that answer.
(DIR) Post #AXpidZl7wHFgoAiah6 by vanderZwan@vis.social
2023-07-18T22:51:54Z
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@john @ariadne I suspect that even if you take away all fuel, the typical payload is not very significant compared to the remaining of the weight of the rocket(s). Happily proved wrong though!
(DIR) Post #AXpienMGraWlH5foVE by ariadne@mastodon.canonicity.org
2023-07-18T22:52:03Z
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@john For modern two-state rockets, every pound of payload adds about 1 pound of upper stage and 10 pounds of lower stage. The essential problem is called that the launcher has to accelerate both the payload and itself, with no help from intake air like Jet Engines have. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsiolkovsky_rocket_equation
(DIR) Post #AXpifYwNx8LGqhvooq by ariadne@mastodon.canonicity.org
2023-07-18T22:52:25Z
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@john For modern two-stage rockets, every pound of payload adds about 1 pound of upper stage and 10 pounds of lower stage. The essential problem is called that the launcher has to accelerate both the payload and itself, with no help from intake air like Jet Engines have. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsiolkovsky_rocket_equation
(DIR) Post #AXpigVjfM4DzCLQzgW by piratero@mastodon.world
2023-07-18T22:51:11Z
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@futurebird @john just say no! This is how they escape to conquer the galaxy!
(DIR) Post #AXpigWZ4GxLDllU2nw by john@sauropods.win
2023-07-18T22:52:26Z
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@piratero @futurebird aliens should welcome their new ant overlords.
(DIR) Post #AXpihM1AyD81Li1iCG by ariadne@mastodon.canonicity.org
2023-07-18T22:53:05Z
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@john For modern two-stage rockets, every pound of payload adds about 1 pound of upper stage and 10 pounds of lower stage. The essential problem is that the launcher has to accelerate both the payload and itself, with no help from intake air like Jet Engines have. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsiolkovsky_rocket_equation
(DIR) Post #AXpjVdzYPyUZZbFRYW by BeastofExmoor@mastodon.online
2023-07-18T23:00:24Z
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@john My Citroen Saxo managed it easiliy going over the speed bumps in front of Boots
(DIR) Post #AXpjwEbotmJWfVpH04 by gallusaesthefluffy@pawb.fun
2023-07-18T23:06:49Z
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@john I'm not sure, but the Electron rocket comes to mind... It's pretty small.
(DIR) Post #AXpk5ApoIigLZKdGim by whknott@mastodon.social
2023-07-18T23:07:49Z
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@john Sounding/weather rockets can reach 500 miles, and LEO is 1200 miles, so something bigger than that. Pretty big. The thing is, no one ever does it without a payload, cuz why? So, an ICBM with no warhead would probably do it. That's a pretty big rocket still. Remember, the question isn't really "how high" but "how fast." LEO means a velocity of 7.8 km/s or about 17,500 mph
(DIR) Post #AXpk6WbAruszMGQlZQ by TerryHancock@realsocial.life
2023-07-18T23:08:13Z
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@john The smallest working ones I've found are around 1.2m in diameter and 15-20m in height, carrying payloads under 200kg.There are a lot of practical considerations here. But for small rockets, getting through the troposphere is a big issue, because they are more affected by air-resistance.So, there are a number of balloon or high-altitude aircraft launch systems for smaller rockets.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_orbital_launch_systems
(DIR) Post #AXpl9z6LS70oa4DxY0 by john@sauropods.win
2023-07-18T23:20:28Z
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@ethan_heilman I like your thinking!
(DIR) Post #AXplXW3z4D2HTFLAvY by emma@orbital.horse
2023-07-18T23:24:51Z
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@john Japan and the PRC (One Space) have flown small, solid-propellant, launch vehicles to orbit. Google is so corrupted by SEO crap that I'm having trouble finding the smallest launcher.
(DIR) Post #AXpmsJRtGJ66Np0FKS by JoshuaACNewman@xeno.glyphpress.com
2023-07-18T23:38:33Z
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@john according to this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta-v_budget#/media/File%3ASolar_system_delta_v_map.svgIt’s 9250 seconds of impulse to get to 250km orbit. No one has gotten close (yet!) as a hobbyist, even just carrying telemetry. And no one else wants to do it without a payload.
(DIR) Post #AXqEFVTdPBwN6v6S4u by ambulocetus@qoto.org
2023-07-19T04:46:01Z
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@john This guy hasn't done it yet, but he's on his way. Pretty impressive. https://youtu.be/V7Q6iEDQOJs
(DIR) Post #AXqOIGhpmMHNi3hUGG by yair@tooot.im
2023-07-19T06:38:59Z
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@john It's the ballistic coefficient thing, I guess, with such small rockets. Could probably shave a significant amount by launching from the stratosphere.