Dumpster Diving for Rockets

Excalibur Almaz has done something cool by using old Russian manned modules and dusting them off to do more missions with them.

According to Wikipedia, there are a few dozen Titan 2 rockets waiting to be scrapped or “turned into monuments” in Tucson Arizona.

How much payload could these send to the moon? Could this be a boon to Google Lunar X-Prize contestants? These can put 277 KG on an escape trajectory. That could get a real lightweight payload to the surface of the moon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_(rocket_family)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGM-25C_Titan_II

What other obsolete rockets are moldering about in warehouses?

2 Responses to “Dumpster Diving for Rockets”

  1. KC  on October 21st, 2009

    The article mentions: “Because of the volatility of the liquid fuel, and the problem with aging seals”

    These have been rusting somewhere since the early 1980s – how viable is it to actually fly them? The hypergolic fuel would be problematic for small upstart companies no?

    Reply

  2. NextGiantLeap  on October 22nd, 2009

    Could be a problem depending on how you read the rules:

    3.2.3 Purchased Hardware
    The TEAM may not purchase heritage hardware when such hardware is unique
    and non-reproducible, except in such cases where more advanced equivalents are
    commercially available. This includes purchase of preexisting hardware from
    resources such as museums, space agencies, or defunct companies. TEAMs shall
    demonstrate to the Google Lunar X PRIZE Judging Panel that such systems or
    system components can be bought in large quantities or are easily reproducible, as
    well as demonstrating compliance with the principle of ‘Any TEAM, Any
    Nation.’

    Reply


Leave a Reply