INDIGO
Manufacturer: Embraer
First Flight: August 2, 1966
Crew: 2 to 6, depending on mission
Length: 31.2 m
Wingspan: 19.0 m
Height: 4.9 m
Empty: 66,000 kg
Loaded: 149,600 kg
Payload to LEO: 19,080 kg
Payload to GTO: 2,900 kg
Powerplant: 4x Mectron KR-9 kerosene/liquid oxygen iris nozzle rocket engines (1.25MN each)
Endurance: 800 hours
Delta-V: 7,100 m/s
The Indigo is a lifting body, a stretched, flattened teardrop shape with control fins but no wings. While the vast majority of its hull is completely reusable, the highest performing components are mass-produced and replaced after every flight. Its heat shielding has three main components - the nose-cone and leading edges of the body and winglets are single-use ablative caps, identical to the sort of reentry shielding used on most orbital capsules. The dorsal surface is an advanced ceramic composite known as Reinforced Carbon-Carbon, while the ventral is covered by an array of less effective but somewhat sturdier silicate aerogel tiles. Cockpit visibility, such as it is, is provided by a row of quartz crystal panes along the ventral edge of the nose cone. The cargo bay and radiator vanes are also positioned ventrally.
Trivia:
- In both reentry and parasite carry postures, the Indigo is upside down.
- The distinctive deep blue underside seen at takeoff and in most publicity shots is actually a lightweight plastic kinetic shield designed to protect the delicate RCC dorsal heat shield from impact damage, and is discarded before that flight's carrier Green transitions to supersonic flight.
- Indigo hull number 112, Esperanca, hosted the first reported human sexual activity in space. Both participants later said that it was highly disappointing.
- The choice of kerosene as primary propellant was made because all other candidates for the role tended to sublimate or break down during the supersonic portion of the launch flight.
And... just one left! The Greens and Oranges, BTW, are mostly bare metal with signature go-faster stripes.
Ja, -n
===============================================
"I'm terribly sorry, but I have to kill you quite horribly now."
Manufacturer: Embraer
First Flight: August 2, 1966
Crew: 2 to 6, depending on mission
Length: 31.2 m
Wingspan: 19.0 m
Height: 4.9 m
Empty: 66,000 kg
Loaded: 149,600 kg
Payload to LEO: 19,080 kg
Payload to GTO: 2,900 kg
Powerplant: 4x Mectron KR-9 kerosene/liquid oxygen iris nozzle rocket engines (1.25MN each)
Endurance: 800 hours
Delta-V: 7,100 m/s
The Indigo is a lifting body, a stretched, flattened teardrop shape with control fins but no wings. While the vast majority of its hull is completely reusable, the highest performing components are mass-produced and replaced after every flight. Its heat shielding has three main components - the nose-cone and leading edges of the body and winglets are single-use ablative caps, identical to the sort of reentry shielding used on most orbital capsules. The dorsal surface is an advanced ceramic composite known as Reinforced Carbon-Carbon, while the ventral is covered by an array of less effective but somewhat sturdier silicate aerogel tiles. Cockpit visibility, such as it is, is provided by a row of quartz crystal panes along the ventral edge of the nose cone. The cargo bay and radiator vanes are also positioned ventrally.
Trivia:
- In both reentry and parasite carry postures, the Indigo is upside down.
- The distinctive deep blue underside seen at takeoff and in most publicity shots is actually a lightweight plastic kinetic shield designed to protect the delicate RCC dorsal heat shield from impact damage, and is discarded before that flight's carrier Green transitions to supersonic flight.
- Indigo hull number 112, Esperanca, hosted the first reported human sexual activity in space. Both participants later said that it was highly disappointing.
- The choice of kerosene as primary propellant was made because all other candidates for the role tended to sublimate or break down during the supersonic portion of the launch flight.
And... just one left! The Greens and Oranges, BTW, are mostly bare metal with signature go-faster stripes.
Ja, -n
===============================================
"I'm terribly sorry, but I have to kill you quite horribly now."