Rocket Scientist Combine A Rocket Engine With A Heat Shield - Can They Revolutionize Space Launch?

Woah, cool! :0

huge w for prioritizing family

It is so satisfying to see all these "cool ideas from the 60s" finally given a development chance in the 21st century. I guess that was the disadvantage or having a government monopoly on all spaceflight in the various countries. Government programs tend to play it very safe and favor the "tried and true".
Now that the satellite market has grown and the US government is trying to transition to a "services" model for financing spacecraft development, we are seeing much more innovation in aerospace.
It looks like someone is going to recreate Blowfeld's spacecraft from the movie "You Only Live Twice". Back when I was a kid watching that movie, I remember thinking that the design could never work because it would use so much fuel from a rocket thrusting landing as to be impossible. Fun to see that the "rocket economics" may work out after all.

Palimony is the reason to not date. My God this is unbelievable. I just googled palimony states and assuming the Wikipedia page is correct, our country is screwed.

"1 engine but with 30 nozzles"
"controlling the throttle of each engines"

I think it's a very good idea.

I take it you like Simon and Garfunkel, from the intro to Celia?

Can you believe this guy? Wedding anniversary? Heloves his wife more than his internet fans. Some people!

There is no reason to mention BO until they at least begin actual testing. The are no different than writers of a fictional story.

the ring of fire

If Earth's Moon was the same relative size and distance as Charon is to Pluto, what would it look like for an Earth-based observer looking up in the night sky?!

Any chance you can look at spinlaunch again? Seen a few videos that seem to indicate it isn't possible, or that claims are false?

If this works Blue Origin will buy Stoke to have a 2nd stage for New Glenn (or New Armstrong) that actually works and is reusable.

Just as in high fashion, models do not represent reality.

software name

The X-20/DynaSoar was also to use hydrogen for active cooling of its re-entry surfaces (a tank was on-board for that purpose alone).

I wonder if that design could use current passive Shuttle / X-37 / DreamChaser-ish tiles instead with minimal redesign, but that's a whole other story...

Isn't this the Rotron??

The great thing about the design is: The stage will always re-erect itself if knocked over! :D

Wasn't it your anniversary ten years ago also?

"Heat Shield AND Rocket Engine" – I guess in spaceflight it's a common trick to give something more than one function, thereby saving some of that expensive weight.

Happy anniversary!

The little steam whistle on the top of the hopper is adorable.
Tooot Tooot!

"The nearest thing I had to a success" - as one amateur trying to match up against a whole team of research-funded engineers, I'd say you did pretty well.

What's the chances Space X buys Stokes some time in the next 2 months?

I’d love to see the ROMBUS stage and a half modelled in KSP.

Happy Anniversary to the Manleys

I appreciate the insight but I wonder whether this shear test rig really provides valuable data. If it’s applying a shear load greater than what the friction material can generate against the rotor, then it doesn’t matter where it fails. As long as it fails at greater shear force than the caliper/pad/rotor can generate (and the tire can generate for that matter), then there’s no problem.

I get it that better is still better but I’m sure there are methods of attaching friction material that would be even far superior again than what OE/NRS are doing but at some point you have to recognize the diminishing returns.

Hi Scott!

Anniversary safe!

Say Scott, just as a favor to these guys will you recommend to these guys that they take this think over to Kennedy, or for that matter any place where they are shooting out over the ocean? Part of the FAA's job is making sure that parts of rockets do not fall on the taxpayers. Tell herself that you are a well respected professional in your field, heck for that matter you might end up on a rocket to Mars or the moon

if you don't top flying your "plug nozzle" around on the internet and take me to dinner i swear!!!!
20 years, scott
20 fukkin years!
cheers

Nice fairing work despite the time pressures; and congrats on 20 years!

If the heatshield is screwed, would your variable thrust profile have to compensate for an uneven load distribution? I mean, because the shield isn't symmetrical, the center of thrust would favor away from the center of the shield, forcing you to adjust your throttle profile from engine to engine to compensate....right??

I love that 1970s illustration of commuters getting off a rocket by Douglas aerospace. Where did you find it?

Happy Anniversary to both of you and many more to come. Great video as always, fun to see KSP getting closer to making the outrageous almost work.

Excited to see how they grow and improve!

Nice video as always, Scott!

For more on plug nozzles as heat shields, hop over to Encyclopedia Astronautica and look for the Douglas Aircraft SASSTO, as well as other concepts from Philip Bono. The site itself is a treasure trove of information about rockets and spaceflight.

Anniversary DJ set maybe? Congratulations either way!

It’s a floor wax AND a dessert topping! (You have to be of a certain age to get that one.)

Yeah... it might be better to just run this in KSP

Congrats on the anniversary of your 20th wedding! Hopefully she's the one and you don't need to find a 21st!

yellow flames from a hydrogen oxy engine?

I mean, in terms of comedic effect that last landing WAS pretty flawless ;D ;D <3

I sure wouldn't want a puncture in an actively cooled heat shield. I wonder at what speed debris can be kicked up from the landing pad?

It reminds me of the SERV.

Should have mentioned that Stoke Space was funded by Bill Gates. Amazing.

Congrats & happy anniversary!

Looks suspiciously like a rocket system that just might work!

lol, you don't need to fix KSP2 for free just to make a video about a cool space company. I love your bringing ksp back into it but idk doing another KSP2 is crap still review just kinda doesn't feel like time well spent for you mostly. I really hope the new devs can make a good game but idk it doesn't seem like things there have gone well and I'm not going to expect much from ksp2. I never expected much from ksp1 but here we are, and I hope to be proven wrong the same way about ksp2.

Wow Scott! Will SpaceX and Stokes be vying for dominance much like the Betamax and VHS wars of yesteryear?