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2021

Reusable Launch Vehicles - UK rockets to Drop payloads Fromorbit

The UK rocket is designed to send up an unmanned aerial vehicle to explore space and if they succeed, it will be like taking a step backwards in time. We all know the vision of astronauts walking on the moon or Mars but to actually get there will require many years of planning. UK has been at the forefront of many space programs of the world and one such is the UK Space Vehicle or UK MRVs. It has been one of the most innovative ways of using satellite technology for a peaceful project and has achieved several world records.

Many countries have unmanned aerial vehicles in their inventories and it is due to this fact that many space agencies are now trying to adopt UK rocket technologies. We all know that it is very expensive to launch a manned mission into space and it will take decades before we can go to space and make it happen. By using unmanned aerial vehicles we can reduce the cost of getting people to space and at the same time help the entire space industry to develop new technologies. We must also keep our eyes on the future and prevent mankind from becoming a spacefaring nation. Many nations are following this vision and are investing extensively in research.

There is another benefit with unmanned aerial vehicles too. It is much cheaper than manned operations. We have only to think about the expenditure involved in sending up astronauts to space and the problems that will arise. Will the insurance cover the cost of the mission? Will the governments of various countries be able to afford the extra expenditure involved?

All these questions must be carefully formulated. One can only hope that such questions will be answered before we actually have to send a manned mission to Mars and beyond. One thing is for sure. If we cannot afford unmanned flight then we will not be able to afford unmanned operation on a global scale. Therefore, we have to seriously contemplate the implications of this and work out a way to develop new and better technology to replace it.

In UK, reusable launch vehicles are already in use. Many of them are based on the RS-25 medium-range reusable rocket engine. It is called the Liquid Rocket System and is derived from the Liquid Rocket Engine that was used during World War Two. The first version was introduced to the UK in 1965 and was used in the Surveyor 5 mission. This was the first ever reusable vehicle and made use of strap-on extensions to increase stability. Since then, many other variants have been added to the programme including the reusable liquid-fueled expendable launch vehicle.

During a presentation at UK Space Agency's headquarters recently, the Director of UK Space Agency Sir Mark Walbert stated that one day "we may not be using that liquid rocket technology to power our astronauts". He went onto say that it was important that we have an element in space which is reusable and capable of going to space. He did not say the element had to be made of rocket material but it should be capable of doing so. It would be very nice to see an unmanned vehicle to land on the moon or the Mars surface using its own engine as well. As regards UK's space exploration ambitions, Walbert said that" 2021 is the target date and we will start to explore places beyond the Earth's atmosphere". He went onto say that one day our cosmonaut will be in a position to go to the Moon and even to Mars.

In addition to reusable launch vehicles, UK has been following a plan to develop its first spaceplane. The UK has been working on the development of the concept known as Low Earth Orbit (LEO) technology. The idea behind this technology is to build a space plane that can travel around the Earth within the atmosphere of the Earth. Once there, the spaceplane would use its own engines for flight re-entry.

The UK has been following this technology with the aim of manufacturing a reusable launch vehicle by the end of next decade. The UK is also into manufacturing reusable vehicle segments and wings. The goal of UK's reusable launch vehicle's program is to build reusable components at least twenty times cheaper than building a new one. This will help the UK to stay competitive in the international market.

by Carlton Burpo on 2021-07-15 10:52:46