83:
312:
lower stage to be optimized for operation in the Earth's lower atmosphere, where pressure and drag are high, while the upper stage can be optimized for operation in the near-vacuum conditions of the later part of the launch. This allows an increase in the payload mass fraction of a two-stage vehicle over single-stage or stage-and-a-half vehicles, which have to perform in both environments using the same hardware.
239:
315:
Critics argue that the increased complexity of designing two separate stages that must interact, the logistics involved in returning the first stage to the launch site, and the difficulties of conducting incremental testing on a second stage will outweigh these benefits. In the case of airplane-like
383:
concept take it a step further and use a 'pop-up/pop-down' approach, which delivers the orbiting stage to a point about 60 km above the Earth's surface, before dropping down to the launch pad again. In the case of the DH-1, the upper stage is effectively an 'almost SSTO' with a more realistic
311:
than an SSTO launch system, such a system may be built further away from limits of its structural materials. It is argued that a two-stage design should require less maintenance, less testing, experience fewer failures and have a longer working life. In addition the two-stage approach allows the
71:
An advantage of such a system over single-stage-to-orbit is that most of the dry mass of the vehicle is not carried into orbit. This reduces the cost involved in reaching orbital velocity, as much of the structure and engine mass is ejected, and a larger percentage of the orbited mass is payload
208:
at launch. These are dropped early on in the flight and may or may not be considered an additional stage if the core engine(s) continue firing. These are sometimes considered half a stage, leading to the expression one-and-a-half-stage-to-orbit (1.5STO) e.g. for the
97:
for Single-Stage-to-Orbit (SSTO) and restricted stage Two-Stage-to-Orbit (TSTO) vehicles. Based on a LEO mission of Delta v = 9.1 km/s and payload mass = 4500 kg for range of propellant Isp. GLOW=Gross Lift-Off
320:) are to develop and operate, and question performance claims. Many 'mini-shuttle' designs that use transport aircraft as first stages also face similar problems with ice/foam as the
68:
At liftoff the first stage is responsible for accelerating the vehicle. At some point the second stage detaches from the first stage and continues to orbit under its own power.
336:
217:, which was a single core stage with additional boosters. Similarly, two-stage designs with additional boosters can be referred to as 2.5-stage rockets e.g. the
367:
Taking the view that airplane like operations do not translate to airplane-like appearance, some reusable TSTO concepts have first stages that operate as
260:
348:
400:-like second stage. The airplane elements can be wings, air-breathing engines, or both. This approach appeals because it transforms
286:
523:
440:
while airplane launched, is not a two-stage-to-orbit system because the rocket component itself is composed of multiple stages.
639:
264:
249:
634:
268:
253:
31:
572:
300:
87:
629:
449:
62:
401:
482:
411:
58:
57:
provide propulsion consecutively in order to achieve orbital velocity. It is intermediate between a
498:
205:
82:
470:
425:
demonstrated that a two-stage system with a winged aircraft as the "lower half" can reach the
356:
161:
54:
490:
429:. The team behind SpaceShipOne has built and flown a commercial sub-orbital launch system —
91:
76:
598:
317:
186:
116:
554:
486:
531:
437:
422:
316:
lower stages they also argue how difficult and expensive high speed aircraft (like the
171:
50:
623:
502:
426:
380:
321:
430:
418:
344:
210:
131:
404:
from an obstacle into an advantage. Above a certain speed and altitude, wings and
408:
cease being effective, and the rocket is deployed to complete the trip to orbit.
238:
214:
17:
494:
303:
this approach is often proposed as an alternative to single-stage-to-orbit (or
352:
308:
181:
75:
An advantage over three or more stages is a reduction in complexity and fewer
324:
due to the requirement they also carry a large external tank for their fuel.
204:
It is not always clear when a vehicle is a TSTO, due to the use of strap-on
191:
136:
126:
111:
573:"Variants of the "stage and a half" drive system (MA) of the Atlas rocket"
405:
393:
340:
218:
166:
145:
121:
222:
196:
155:
141:
599:"U.S. Manned Rocket Propulsion Evolution - Part 5: The Atlas Missile"
527:
397:
328:
379:
has proven the VTOL option design workable. Other designs like the
372:
81:
376:
368:
339:
first-stage reuse of an orbital vehicle with SpaceX’s two-stage
332:
307:). Its supporters argue that, since each stage may have a lower
232:
384:
mass fraction and which was optimised for reliability.
555:"China's Long March rocket family: History and photos"
417:
While not an orbital vehicle, the successful private
30:"TSTO" redirects here. For the mobile game, see
355:has recovered multiple first stages of their
8:
414:was among the first concepts of this type.
267:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
79:, which reduces cost and risk of failure.
524:"Falcon 1 - Stage Separation Reliability"
335:are the only launch providers which have
287:Learn how and when to remove this message
421:suborbital spacecraft developed for the
461:
225:variants (all except the 401 and 501).
359:rocket, but has not flown it again.
7:
265:adding citations to reliable sources
471:"Learning about rockets, in stages"
349:Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters
25:
237:
553:Jones, Andrew (12 April 2022).
392:Some TSTO designs comprise an
1:
433:— based on this technology.
61:launcher and a hypothetical
363:Helicopter-like first stage
656:
29:
388:Airplane-like first stage
495:10.1088/1361-6552/ac6928
396:-like first stage and a
32:The Simpsons: Tapped Out
597:D. McCutcheon, Kimble.
469:Blanco, Philip (2022).
229:Reusable launch systems
301:reusable launch system
99:
88:Structural coefficient
53:in which two distinct
27:Rocket with two stages
640:Space launch vehicles
450:Single-stage-to-orbit
85:
63:single-stage-to-orbit
412:Saenger (spacecraft)
299:With reference to a
261:improve this section
59:three-stage-to-orbit
487:2022PhyEd..57d5035B
402:Earth's atmosphere
100:
39:two-stage-to-orbit
635:Rocket propulsion
603:enginehistory.org
475:Physics Education
297:
296:
289:
77:separation events
65:(SSTO) launcher.
16:(Redirected from
647:
614:
613:
611:
609:
594:
588:
587:
585:
583:
569:
563:
562:
550:
544:
543:
541:
539:
534:on 30 April 2013
530:. Archived from
520:
514:
513:
511:
509:
466:
292:
285:
281:
278:
272:
241:
233:
47:two-stage rocket
21:
18:Two-stage rocket
655:
654:
650:
649:
648:
646:
645:
644:
620:
619:
618:
617:
607:
605:
596:
595:
591:
581:
579:
571:
570:
566:
552:
551:
547:
537:
535:
522:
521:
517:
507:
505:
468:
467:
463:
458:
446:
390:
365:
293:
282:
276:
273:
258:
242:
231:
206:booster rockets
178:In development
117:Delta IV Medium
105:
95:
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
653:
651:
643:
642:
637:
632:
622:
621:
616:
615:
589:
564:
545:
515:
460:
459:
457:
454:
453:
452:
445:
442:
438:Pegasus rocket
423:Ansari X Prize
389:
386:
375:aircraft. The
364:
361:
343:and 2.5-stage
295:
294:
245:
243:
236:
230:
227:
202:
201:
200:
199:
194:
189:
184:
176:
175:
174:
172:Vulcan Centaur
169:
164:
159:
150:
149:
148:
139:
134:
129:
124:
119:
114:
104:
101:
93:
86:Importance of
51:launch vehicle
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
652:
641:
638:
636:
633:
631:
628:
627:
625:
604:
600:
593:
590:
578:
574:
568:
565:
560:
556:
549:
546:
533:
529:
525:
519:
516:
504:
500:
496:
492:
488:
484:
481:(4): 045035.
480:
476:
472:
465:
462:
455:
451:
448:
447:
443:
441:
439:
434:
432:
428:
427:edge of space
424:
420:
415:
413:
409:
407:
403:
399:
395:
387:
385:
382:
378:
374:
370:
362:
360:
358:
354:
350:
347:, and NASA’s
346:
342:
338:
334:
330:
325:
323:
322:Space Shuttle
319:
313:
310:
306:
302:
291:
288:
280:
270:
266:
262:
256:
255:
251:
246:This section
244:
240:
235:
234:
228:
226:
224:
220:
216:
215:Atlas missile
212:
211:Long March 5B
207:
198:
195:
193:
190:
188:
185:
183:
180:
179:
177:
173:
170:
168:
165:
163:
160:
157:
154:
153:
151:
147:
143:
140:
138:
135:
133:
130:
128:
125:
123:
120:
118:
115:
113:
110:
109:
107:
106:
102:
96:
89:
84:
80:
78:
73:
69:
66:
64:
60:
56:
52:
48:
44:
40:
33:
19:
630:Space access
606:. Retrieved
602:
592:
580:. Retrieved
576:
567:
558:
548:
536:. Retrieved
532:the original
518:
506:. Retrieved
478:
474:
464:
435:
431:SpaceShipTwo
419:SpaceShipOne
416:
410:
391:
366:
345:Falcon Heavy
327:As of 2023,
326:
314:
304:
298:
283:
274:
259:Please help
247:
203:
132:Titan II GLV
74:
70:
67:
46:
42:
38:
36:
608:4 September
582:4 September
158:401 and 501
108:Historical
624:Categories
456:References
353:Rocket Lab
309:mass ratio
182:Angara 1.2
577:b14643.de
559:Space.com
538:8 January
503:249535749
406:scramjets
277:June 2024
248:does not
192:New Glenn
137:Tsyklon-2
127:Saturn IB
112:Cosmos-3M
444:See also
394:airplane
357:Electron
341:Falcon 9
337:achieved
221:or most
219:Ariane 5
187:Starship
167:Falcon 9
162:Electron
152:Current
146:Zenit-2M
122:Falcon 1
103:Examples
508:17 June
483:Bibcode
269:removed
254:sources
223:Atlas V
213:or the
197:Miura 5
156:Atlas V
142:Zenit-2
528:SpaceX
501:
398:rocket
329:SpaceX
98:Weight
72:mass.
55:stages
499:S2CID
373:VTOHL
318:SR-71
49:is a
45:) or
610:2022
584:2022
540:2011
510:2022
436:The
381:DH-1
377:DC-X
369:VTOL
333:NASA
331:and
305:SSTO
252:any
250:cite
144:and
90:and
43:TSTO
491:doi
371:or
263:by
626::
601:.
575:.
557:.
526:.
497:.
489:.
479:57
477:.
473:.
351:.
94:SP
37:A
612:.
586:.
561:.
542:.
512:.
493::
485::
290:)
284:(
279:)
275:(
271:.
257:.
92:I
41:(
34:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
