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Encyclopedia Astronautica
MLLV


American SSTO VTOVL orbital launch vehicle. Boeing study, 1969, for Saturn follow-on. Plug nozzle, single-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle could itself put 1 million pounds payload into orbit. By addition of up to 12 260 inch solid motors up to 3.5 million pounds payload into orbit with a single launch.

Flyaway Unit Cost $: 1,339.800 million in 1985 dollars.

Stage Data - MLLV

  • Stage 0. 12 x 260 inch solid FL. Gross Mass: 1,648,355 kg (3,634,000 lb). Empty Mass: 156,126 kg (344,198 lb). Thrust (vac): 35,391.395 kN (7,956,302 lbf). Isp: 263 sec. Burn time: 114 sec. Isp(sl): 238 sec. Diameter: 6.60 m (21.60 ft). Span: 6.60 m (21.60 ft). Length: 30.48 m (99.99 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: AJ-260X. Status: Study 1968. Comments: 260 inch solid booster - full length. These would have been the flight configuration motors, replacing the Saturn V first stage or being used as booster motors in various Uprated Saturn and Nova configurations.
  • Stage 1. 1 x MLLV. Gross Mass: 5,352,400 kg (11,800,000 lb). Empty Mass: 317,400 kg (699,700 lb). Thrust (vac): 71,171.700 kN (16,000,035 lbf). Isp: 455 sec. Burn time: 310 sec. Isp(sl): 367 sec. Diameter: 21.86 m (71.71 ft). Span: 21.86 m (71.71 ft). Length: 78.63 m (257.97 ft). Propellants: Lox/LH2. No Engines: 12. Engine: CD Module. Status: Study 1969. Comments: Boeing study, 1969.

Status: Study 1969.
Gross mass: 25,132,660 kg (55,408,030 lb).
Height: 94.00 m (308.00 ft).
Diameter: 21.86 m (71.71 ft).
Thrust: 313,624.20 kN (70,505,525 lbf).

More... - Chronology...


Associated Countries
Associated Engines
  • AJ-260X Aerojet solid rocket engine. 35,390.7 kN. Study 1967. Full length version of 260 inch motor tested in 1960's. Proposed for use in various Saturn and Nova configurations. Isp=263s. More...
  • CD Module Notional lox/lh2 rocket engine. 7361 kN. Study 1969. Isp=420s. CD Modules - conceptual engines of various thrusts, according to design - were clustered in Martin Marietta Nova designs More...

See also
  • SSTO Category of launch vehicles. Single Stage To Orbit. More...
  • VTOVL The concept of a reusable single-stage-to-orbit Vertical Take-Off Vertical Landing (VTOVL) launch vehicle that would reenter and return to its launch site for turnaround and relaunch was first proposed by Philip Bono in the 1960's. The appealing simplicity of the concept has been offset by the technological risk in developing it. The problem with any single-stage-to-orbit concept is that if the empty weight of the final vehicle has been underestimated it will not be able to deliver any payload to orbit, or even reach orbit. Since weight growth of up to 20% is not unknown in aerospace projects, this is a very real threat which has made both NASA and private investors reluctant to invest the billions of dollars it would take to develop a full-scale flight vehicle. More...

Associated Manufacturers and Agencies
  • Boeing American manufacturer of rockets, spacecraft, and rocket engines. Boeing Aerospace, Seattle, USA. More...

Bibliography
  • Cohan, Christopher J, Space Transportation Systems, 1980-2000, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, New York, 1978.

Associated Stages
  • 260 inch solid FL Solid propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 1,648,355/156,126 kg. Thrust 35,391.40 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 263 seconds. 260 inch solid booster - full length. These would have been the flight configuration motors, replacing the Saturn V first stage or being used as booster motors in various Uprated Saturn and Nova configurations. More...
  • MLLV Lox/LH2 propellant rocket stage. Loaded/empty mass 5,352,400/317,400 kg. Thrust 71,171.70 kN. Vacuum specific impulse 455 seconds. Boeing study, 1969. More...

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