From: Mike Linksvayer (ml@gondwanaland.com)
Date: Fri Jul 31 1998 - 23:22:21 MDT
The current New Scientist has a feature on Roton available at
<http://www.newscientist.com/ns/980801/features.html>. Briefly,
a Roton craft's engine spins on ascent, saving the weight of fuel
pumps, and a helicopter like propeller opens during descent to help
accomplish a soft landing. These and other improvements could
supposedly provide an eighty percent reduction in cost/kg relative
to conventional rockets.
I believe someone mentioned the Roton on this list a year or two
ago. Rotary Rocket <http://www.rotaryrocket.com/> seems to have
made financial, political and technological progress since then.
They have raised $17 million so far, expect to raise $30 million
more this year, NASA administrator Daniel Goldin likes them, and
they supposedly could do flight testing next March.
-- Mike Linksvayer ml@gondwanaland.com
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