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LCLV
American low cost orbital launch vehicle. As a result of TRW's review of the Truax/Aerojet Sea Dragon, TRW became so interested in the concept that they undertook studies of their own, which resulted in a design that became known as the 'Big Dumb Booster'. They proposed structural approaches that were even more conservative than Aerojet's, e.g., the use of T-180 steel instead of maraging steel, which would result in even heavier and cheaper tankage. TRW finally obtained USAF funding for fabrication of stage sections and demonstration of scaled-up versions of the TRW pump-fed Apollo Lunar Module ascent engine. The design promised low cost access to space using low technology (steel stages built to low tolerances in shipyards, pressure-fed engines, and low cost storable propellants). But yet again neither NASA or USAF showed interest in true cheap access to space.

AKA: Big Dumb Booster;Low Cost Launch Vehicle. Status: Study 1968. Thrust: 51,724.00 kN (11,628,017 lbf). Gross mass: 4,212,939 kg (9,287,940 lb). Height: 97.00 m (318.00 ft). Diameter: 12.20 m (40.00 ft). Apogee: 400 km (240 mi).

Flyaway Unit Cost 1985$: 40.000 million.

Stage Data - LCLV



Family: LCLVs, low cost, orbital launch vehicle. Country: USA. Engines: Press Fed 1000k, Press Fed 200k, Press Fed 5748k. Launch Sites: Wallops Island, Cape Canaveral, Cape Canaveral LC20. Stages: LCLV-3, LCLV-2, LCLV-1. Agency: TRW. Bibliography: 29.

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