surface-to-orbit

For surface-to-orbit vehicles, I employed methane/oxygen SSTO rockets, and assumed that the vehicles need to have a dry mass for thermal protection, engines, landing gear, etc. excluding tankage that is equal to their payload, or 50 tonnes.

The Case for Mars Robert Zubrin 1996

Moreover, it is an unsuitable propellant for a cheap reusable space transportation system, since its costs exceed methane/oxygen propellant by more than an order of magnitude and its bulk makes it very difficult to transport to orbit in any quantity using reusable single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicles (thus ruling it out for true cheap surface-to-orbit systems).

The Case for Mars Robert Zubrin 1996

For surface-to-orbit vehicles, I employed methane/oxygen SSTO rockets, and assumed that the vehicles need to have a dry mass for thermal protection, engines, landing gear, etc. excluding tankage that is equal to their payload, or 50 tonnes.

The Case for Mars Robert Zubrin 1996

Moreover, it is an unsuitable propellant for a cheap reusable space transportation system, since its costs exceed methane/oxygen propellant by more than an order of magnitude and its bulk makes it very difficult to transport to orbit in any quantity using reusable single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicles (thus ruling it out for true cheap surface-to-orbit systems).

The Case for Mars Robert Zubrin 1996

Though tolerable, the shuttle journey was rougher than his single previous experience with the little surface-to-orbit vessels.

Orphan Star Foster, Alan Dean, 1946- 1983

Though tolerable, the shuttle journey was rougher than his single previous experience with the little surface-to-orbit vessels.

Orphan Star Foster, Alan Dean, 1946- 1977

Though tolerable, the shuttle journey was rougher than his single previous experience with the little surface-to-orbit vessels.

Orphan Star Foster, Alan Dean, 1946- 1977

Though tolerable, the shuttle journey was rougher than his single previous experience with the little surface-to-orbit vessels.

Orphan Star Foster, Alan Dean, 1946- 1977

No co-pilot's necessary on a surface-to-orbit hop, and you'll get a good view from there. "

A Matter of Honor A Terran Empire novel Ann Wilson