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Barbarian MDD

Launch vehicle · USA

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

American heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle. Proposed launch vehicle for large SDI 'Star Wars' payloads. Expected to cost $ 400-500 million, the Barbarian could place the Zenith-Star chemical laser into low earth orbit. It would consist of 3 Shuttle SRM's, attached around a ring of six Delta RS-27 first stage boosters, which in turn clustered around a single Delta first stage booster that was the last stage of the launch vehicle.

LEO Payload: 45,400 kg (100,000 lb) to a 300 km orbit at 28.00 degrees. Launch Price $: 500.000 million in 1987 dollars.

Stage Data - Barbarian MDD

  • Stage 0. 3 x Shuttle SRB. Gross Mass: 589,670 kg (1,299,990 lb). Empty Mass: 86,183 kg (190,000 lb). Thrust (vac): 11,519.999 kN (2,589,799 lbf). Isp: 269 sec. Burn time: 124 sec. Isp(sl): 237 sec. Diameter: 3.71 m (12.17 ft). Span: 5.10 m (16.70 ft). Length: 38.47 m (126.21 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: SRB. Other designations: Solid Rocket Booster. Status: In Production.
  • Stage 1. 6 x Delta Thor XLT-C. Gross Mass: 101,900 kg (224,600 lb). Empty Mass: 5,900 kg (13,000 lb). Thrust (vac): 1,054.195 kN (236,992 lbf). Isp: 302 sec. Burn time: 265 sec. Isp(sl): 255 sec. Diameter: 2.44 m (8.00 ft). Span: 2.44 m (8.00 ft). Length: 26.05 m (85.46 ft). Propellants: Lox/Kerosene. No Engines: 1. Engine: RS-27C. Other designations: Extra ELT Thor+. Status: In Production.
  • Stage 2. 1 x Delta Thor XLT-C. Gross Mass: 101,900 kg (224,600 lb). Empty Mass: 5,900 kg (13,000 lb). Thrust (vac): 1,054.195 kN (236,992 lbf). Isp: 302 sec. Burn time: 265 sec. Isp(sl): 255 sec. Diameter: 2.44 m (8.00 ft). Span: 2.44 m (8.00 ft). Length: 26.05 m (85.46 ft). Propellants: Lox/Kerosene. No Engines: 1. Engine: RS-27C. Other designations: Extra ELT Thor+. Status: In Production.
Country
USA
Engines
RS-27C
Agency
Douglas
Bibliography
268