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#1 2025-09-02 09:20:47
- tahanson43206
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- Registered: 2018-04-27
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Three Sisters Triplet Space Plane Vertical 3 - 2 - 1
This topic is inspired by work ongoing by PhotonBytes and associates, and by discoveries of historical examples found by kbd512.
This post is reserved for a link to an article that kbd512 found about a design for a triplet launch combination.
Here is a sketch I did of the idea: http://40.75.112.55/phpBB3/download/file.php?id=4
It turns out this idea was seriously studied by NASA in the 1960's, before the final Space Shuttle design was decided upon.
To finish later >> kbd512 found two examples of multiple ship launcher configurations.
This one is a model that is in the US Air and Space Museum
https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-o … ad%20three
This one is a ship that was called "mustard" It was developed in the UK ca 1963
https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-o … 9900223000
(th)
This topic is dedicated to re-evaluation of the the Three Sisters launch concept, with nearly 50 years of experience and new knowledge available to designers in 2025.
Challenge: Design a Space Plane able to fly at the center of a stack, or on the outside as a booster, with minimal re-configuration between roles.
The inert fraction in play is 40%
Flight regime is:
Launch vertically with two outside boosters providing all lift. The fuel in the center element is saved for the second stage lift to LEO.
This means that existing planning software for two stage to orbit should be able to handle the flight plan.
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#2 2025-09-02 09:21:27
- tahanson43206
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Re: Three Sisters Triplet Space Plane Vertical 3 - 2 - 1
This post is reserved for an index to posts that may be contributed by NewMars members.
Index:
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#3 2025-09-02 15:36:31
- SpaceNut
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Re: Three Sisters Triplet Space Plane Vertical 3 - 2 - 1
Reminds me of the Space Launch Initiative (SLI)
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#4 2025-09-02 15:37:21
- SpaceNut
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Re: Three Sisters Triplet Space Plane Vertical 3 - 2 - 1
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#5 2025-09-02 17:46:46
- tahanson43206
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Re: Three Sisters Triplet Space Plane Vertical 3 - 2 - 1
This is one of the images that kbd512 found on Sunday August 31, 2025
https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-m … 27000_PS01
SpaceNut... do you know how to show this image on the forum? It is located at the Air and Space Museum web site.
Here is a link to the image via the NewMars phpBB3 test site: http://40.75.112.55/phpBB3/download/file.php?id=13
This is from the Air and Space Museum web site.
Update 2025/09/04 ... GW Johnson is working on a set of spreadsheets to support investigation of TSTO designs, including re-usable configurations.
As a preview, GW advises that staging for the side mounted boosters must occur before shock heating effects become a risk. That will occur around mach 5, and before the ideal time for staging. This means that the orbital stage will have to carry more of the burden than would be the case for a stacked in-line TSTO vehicle, such as Starship or Falcon 9 (or many other examples),
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