fut_v_bw_o_n (ca. 1960-62, original Convair (Astronautics) - General Dynamics photo, no. 16580A)
One of many stunning artist’s concepts by John Sentovic, for Convair/Astronautics, General Dynamics, primarily from the mind of Krafft Ehricke. This one featuring a manned interplanetary - possibly lunar in this instance, since it’s in the background, beckoning - spacecraft, with its return glider, IVO an Atlas manned space station, also with its attached return glider.
However, unless there were fairings, shrouds or something like that, with those blunt fuel tanks, exposed engine components, interstitial spaces & all kinds of different shapes, aerodynamic drag, buffeting and whatever else, especially during maximum dynamic pressure (max-q), would’ve been problematic I think.
Speaking of fairings, the booster may also be some sort of Atlas...variant...maybe?
Thank you Krafft Ehricke & Mr. Sentovic!
fut_v_bw_o_n (ca. 1960-62, original Convair (Astronautics) - General Dynamics photo, no. 16580A)
One of many stunning artist’s concepts by John Sentovic, for Convair/Astronautics, General Dynamics, primarily from the mind of Krafft Ehricke. This one featuring a manned interplanetary - possibly lunar in this instance, since it’s in the background, beckoning - spacecraft, with its return glider, IVO an Atlas manned space station, also with its attached return glider.
However, unless there were fairings, shrouds or something like that, with those blunt fuel tanks, exposed engine components, interstitial spaces & all kinds of different shapes, aerodynamic drag, buffeting and whatever else, especially during maximum dynamic pressure (max-q), would’ve been problematic I think.
Speaking of fairings, the booster may also be some sort of Atlas...variant...maybe?
Thank you Krafft Ehricke & Mr. Sentovic!