What if, lenticular reentry vehicle

[lordroel]

Okay this is a vehicle i never heard about.

So the Lenticular Reentry Vehicle according to its Wikipedia article was an experimental nuclear warhead delivery system under development during the Cold War by defense contractor North American Aviation.

The Lenticular Reentry Vehicle (LRV) would have been 40-foot (12 m) half-saucer with a flat rear edge and could support a crew of four men for six-week orbital missions. Propulsion was from a rocket engine (either chemical or nuclear) and the craft would also have contained an onboard nuclear reactor for electrical power generation.

lenticular reentry vehicle in action.



Cutaway drawing of the lenticular reentry vehicle.



YouTube clip showing the Lenticular Reentry Vehicle from launch to orbit.

[ukron]

Reminds me in smaller scale, ressearch about lenticular missile for XB-70 in 60s.

[michelvan]

Jan 16, 2024 19:36:19 GMT ukron said:

ressearch about lenticular missile for XB-70 in 60s.

That is Pye Wacket project
www.astronautix.com/p/pyewacket.html

There were serious proposal for lenticular Reentry Vehicle for Apollo
Martin corp. look into it, but as Apollo changes to "we go to moon end this decade"
NASA drop Lifting bodies and lenticular Reentry Vehicle and went capsule
because faster to develop and testing, compare to the other

[ukron]

Fascinating! thanks a lot.

I wonder why today no space agencies have come out this project of the bottom of drawers.

[michelvan]

Jan 22, 2024 19:35:35 GMT ukron said:

I wonder why today no space agencies have come out this project of the bottom of drawers.

lenticular Reentry Vehicle are aerodynamic "tricky" to fly, special in lower mach numbers and subsonic they are nightmare.
most designs have additional stabilizer and wings that extend at subsonic speeds, making the system complex.

NASA went for "simpler" Lifting Body Vehicle as alternative and had similar problems...

[michelvan]

one of Apollo proposal around 1960