Slide 29 of 125
Notes:
This illustration depicts an early shuttle Phase-B design by North American / General Dynamics.
NASA awarded two $8-million Phase-B contracts to consortiums led by North American Rockwell and
McDonnell-Douglas in May 1970. The booster (model B8D) was based on an earlier General Dynamics
Phase-A study while the low-crossrange straight-wing “NAR-130” orbiter was designed by North
American Rockwell.
North American “NAR-130” low crossrange orbiter reentry. The straight-wing design would
remain a secondary option until late 1971 mostly due to internal NASA politics although nobody
seriously believed it would ever be built.
North American / General Dynamics shuttle on the launch pad. When NASA awarded the
shuttle Phase-B study contracts, it was still requesting funding for simultaneously developing
its 12-man space station and the shuttle. Each project would have cost $5 billion in FY 1971-77
but sceptics in Congress regarded them as a precommitment to a $50-100 billion manned mission
to Mars. The Nixon Administration was also sceptical since the space program would have to
compete with social programs and the Vietnam War effort for funds.
GD booster / NAR orbiter orbiter separation at 70km altitude.The orbiter version depicted
here is the elegant “NAR-134-B” delta wing high-crossrange version. It would have weighed
98,762kg empty and a 9,072kg payload could be accomodated. For some reason, the Phase B contract
only called for a 6,804-kg payload capability to a 500-km 55 de.g orbit. This was similar to Max
Faget's “DC-3” specifications, although the US Air Force wanted much more. But the system had
considerable growth potential since the orbiter/booster landing jets might be removed on some
missions. NASA still had not decided if the shuttle would make powered or unpowered glide
landings, but there was considerable evidence that dead-stick glide landings were feasible
although the jet engines were retained for now.
Bob Gilruth, shuttle program manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, provided the
followng shuttle size vs. cost estimate in March 1970:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Payload capability Development cost Cost per mission Cost per kg
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4,356kg $6-9.5 billion $3.0 million $661/kg
11,340kg $7-10.5 billion $3.2 million $282/kg
22,680kg $10.5-15.5 billion $3.6 million $159/kg
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Costs in FY 1999 dollars:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Payload capability Development cost Cost per mission Cost per kg
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4,356kg $25.8-40.8 billion $12.9 million $2838/kg
11,340kg $30.0-45.0 billion $13.75 million $1211/kg
22,680kg $45.0-65.5 billion $25.75 million $683/kg
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
”Space Shuttle” -- Dennis R. Jenkins, 1981, ISBN: 0963397451
"Spaceflight and Rocketry -- a Chronology”, David Baker:, Facts on File Inc, 1996, ISBN 0-8160-1853-7
”The Space Shuttle Decision” -- T.A. Heppenheimer, NASA History Office, NASA SP-4221, 1999
