Could an STS SRB achieve LEO by itself?

[IL2windhawk]

Does anybody care to guess if a space shuttle SRB could achieve LEO if it were launched by itself?

SRB jettison happens at 28 miles (46 km) when they lift the space shuttle.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

With only a bit over a two minute burn time it'd have to be a pretty quick climb to orbit.
You could always hack a quick scenario together with the simulator and see...

 

[garyw]

No. Just not even delta-v even without anything sitting on top of it.

A lone SRB with no payload has about 6 km/s delta-v available, It's short of what it needs to get to orbit.

 

[T.Neo]

Try it for yourself in Velcro Rockets- you'll see that it only has a fraction of the dV needed to get to orbit.

Ignoring control, structural, and acceleration issues, it would theoretically be possible to create a launch made up of a series of SRBs, in stages.

One particularly interesting scenario included in Velcro Saturns is the INT-27, a launcher with four first-stage SRBs clustered around a single second-stage SRB with an S-IVB third stage, intended as a replacement or substitute for the Saturn-Ib.

 

[IL2windhawk]

thanks for responding. interesting

 

[Ark]

Nope, NASA tried once.

 

[kevin580]

That had a second stage and a "payload".

 

[C3PO]

That had a second stage and a "payload".

And the 2'nd stage had a DV of 0 m/s :lol: I think it was weighed down with concrete.

 

[Solar424]

That was a test flight.

 

[garyw]

Nope, NASA tried once.

Not accurate or fair. That Ares 1-X test flight was never meant to get anything into orbit.

 

[T.Neo]

Not accurate or fair. That Ares 1-X test flight was never meant to get anything into orbit.

But it was still a humorous comparison, since after all the opening question is "can an STS SRB reach LEO if launched by itself", and Ares 1-X arguably fits the description of an SRB launched by itself... albeit with a good deal of mass stuck on the end.

 

[garyw]

By that definition so is a GEM strapped to a Delta II.

Ares 1-X was more like the biggest and loudest sounding rocket you'll ever see. :lol:

 

[Chub777]

You could use a five segment SRB.

 

[T.Neo]

By that definition so is a GEM strapped to a Delta II.

Uh... no. The GEM is a strap-on booster for a larger, complete system.

The Ares X-I was a shuttle SRB with a whole lot of stuff bolted onto it; the SRB is the only propulsive component as well the main structural backbone of the vehicle. If you even wanted to think about making an SRB controllable in any way- you'd have to bolt stuff like suitable avionics and a roll-control system to the thing anyway, just like on the I-X. The Upper Stage Simulator could be regarded as a payload, though one intended to test characteristics during launch, rather than be deployed to perform a function entirely on its own. Payloads, of course, do not prevent rockets from being rockets.

Ares 1-X was more like the biggest and loudest sounding rocket you'll ever see.

I guess no Saturn Vs have been launched in my era, but plenty of shuttles have, though my chances of seeing a shuttle launch in person are about as good as my chances of seeing a Saturn V launch in person...

 

[garyw]

You could use a five segment SRB.

A Five seg SRB would end up higher but not that much faster. It's got the additional weight of another segement plus the fuel at launch.

And TNeo whilst a Saturn V is certainly the loudest rocket ever I said sounding rocket. Effectively Ares 1-X was a sounding rocket launch.

 

[T.Neo]

A Five seg SRB would end up higher but not that much faster. It's got the additional weight of another segement plus the fuel at launch.

Maybe you will increase your dV by a bit... but you still won't get up to orbital velocity.

Maybe if that 5-seg SRB was filled with explosives, plutonium, and lithium deuteride... then maybe parts of it with get to orbital velocity... :uhh:

And TNeo whilst a Saturn V is certainly the loudest rocket ever I said sounding rocket. Effectively Ares 1-X was a sounding rocket launch.

:facepalm:

:shifty: