*It's not really a question of wings so much as weight.* The wings - because the...

Retric · on July 20, 2012

Again, the thermal protection system was delicate because of weight issues. If the shuttles design goal was to get 20 people to LEO safely and they had anywhere close to the same budget to work with they could have used a few inches of titanium as part of the thermal protection system vs just glued on tiles that are less dense than Styrofoam.

PS: The surface area to weight is directly related to reentry heating. A person can do reentry in little more than one of those old style space suits and a parachute, the shuttle needed something that was barely possible to build.

bdunbar · on July 21, 2012

Again, the thermal protection system was delicate because of weight issues.

I was not disagreeing with you.

* A person can do reentry in little more than one of those old style space suits and a parachute,*

Are you sure? If one is in orbit, one will re-enter hypersonic. This implies a whole lotta friction as you careen through the atmosphere.

kryptiskt · on July 21, 2012

Here is an example of a one man entry system consisting of nothing but a strap on heatshield and a retro-rocket gun: http://www.astronautix.com/craft/moose.htm

bdunbar · on July 21, 2012

Here is an example

Heh - I've seen that before, or something like it.

But that's more involved than 'space suit, retro-rocket, parachute'.

Be a heckuva ride.

jcitme · on July 21, 2012

Nitpick: It's not drag friction as much it was compressive heating. I suppose if you can avoid the compression, it wouldn't be as much of an issue...