I've been pondering manned spaceflight and pushing T5's technological envelope (again). This is a design feasibility study to see if its possible to build a manned rocket at TL5. I'm choosing TL5 because it covers the historical Earth era of the 1930's and 40's when rockets appear in the movies (Flash Gordon) and on the battlefield (the A4/V2).
T5 says Rockets to Orbit can be done at TL7. This is where putting a rocket in orbit becomes common place. The underlying technology is standardized and well understood. Looking at the availability of technology on p500 we can expect to have primitive orbital rockets available at TL6, TL5 and TL4. There is no possibility of a rocket achieving orbit at TL3 or lower.
Wait a sec! We can send a rocket into orbit at TL4? But thats the equivalent of 1900AD on Earth. How come we never did it then? Well if our TL7 rocket is a Saturn V then its TL4 equivalent would have to be three times the size according to the Tech Level Stage Effects on p500 that would be quite a construction undertaking. Russia's Vostock that carried the first manned (and proto-Vargr) space flights first launched in 1960 and would be TL6.
Now the main problem with this feasibility study is that T5 doesn't include rules for reaction thrusters. However the Beta test did. It set the base tech level for Rockets (Chemical Reaction Drives) at TL6. Again we can expect to have primitive rockets available at TL5, TL4 and TL3. There is no possibility of a rocket at TL2 or lower. TL2 is 1500AD and the Chinese had gunpowder rockets in the 16th century
So we can in theory build a TL5 Prototype Orbital Rocket with a TL5 Early Rocket drive. Next on to the practical considerations.
T5 says Rockets to Orbit can be done at TL7. This is where putting a rocket in orbit becomes common place. The underlying technology is standardized and well understood. Looking at the availability of technology on p500 we can expect to have primitive orbital rockets available at TL6, TL5 and TL4. There is no possibility of a rocket achieving orbit at TL3 or lower.
Wait a sec! We can send a rocket into orbit at TL4? But thats the equivalent of 1900AD on Earth. How come we never did it then? Well if our TL7 rocket is a Saturn V then its TL4 equivalent would have to be three times the size according to the Tech Level Stage Effects on p500 that would be quite a construction undertaking. Russia's Vostock that carried the first manned (and proto-Vargr) space flights first launched in 1960 and would be TL6.
Now the main problem with this feasibility study is that T5 doesn't include rules for reaction thrusters. However the Beta test did. It set the base tech level for Rockets (Chemical Reaction Drives) at TL6. Again we can expect to have primitive rockets available at TL5, TL4 and TL3. There is no possibility of a rocket at TL2 or lower. TL2 is 1500AD and the Chinese had gunpowder rockets in the 16th century
So we can in theory build a TL5 Prototype Orbital Rocket with a TL5 Early Rocket drive. Next on to the practical considerations.