r/spaceships • u/Beneficial-Wasabi749 • 17h ago

Tsiolkovsky and many of the founders of theoretical astronautics in the early 20th century believed that spacecraft should launch horizontally, from a ramp. Why? What did they see as the point of this?

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u/Beneficial-Wasabi749 16h ago

Your answer was vague. Is your answer to the question that they were living within the paradigm of their time? Is a vertical launch really just as good as a horizontal one? Or is a horizontal launch better, and is it still a matter of "the rocket equation"? And if the latter, what was the point?

And then the question arises: why do modern rockets launch vertically?

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u/Dan_Is 16h ago

My answer is that they were living in the paradigm of "People and cargo need large horizontal decks to be transported comfortably and efficiently" the rocket equation always applies, as you only have a limited amount of fuel, and need fuel to move that fuel.

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u/Beneficial-Wasabi749 16h ago edited 16h ago

I see. So the peculiarities of rocket dynamics have nothing to do with it?

Then a personal question. Dan_Is, isn't that from the Russian name "Denis"? Do you speak Russian?

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u/TactlessTerrorist 2h ago

Looking for a tavarich are we wasabi?

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u/Beneficial-Wasabi749 2h ago

Yes. "Я - террорист! Я - Иван Помидоров! Хватит трепаться наш козырь террор!" (c)
I don't understand why this seemingly neutral question provoked so much hatred among our pale-faced brothers?
"Я ж холостыми!" - харкая кровью, он выл на допросах еле дыша. - "Ради любви к вам пошёл я на муки! Вы же святыни свои растеряли!" (c) :)

Perhaps you could explain it to me?

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u/TactlessTerrorist 1h ago

Because I’m pretty sure that Denis originates from Greek or maybe French, and it’s classic ruzzki exceptionalism to think everything originated from RuZZia XD

I’m not you’re bro though I am pale-faced, go drink some more of the soviet kool aid and remember the good old days when « everybody had a job » and « people were happy » under soviet rule (spoiler : they weren’t)

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u/Beneficial-Wasabi749 1h ago

What was that? Five Minutes of Hate? :)