Why can't we make a huge space ship in orbit to travel through space instead of launching rockets?

Question

Why can't we make a huge space ship in orbit to travel through space instead of launching rockets?
Take the Saturn V rocket for example. In every manned space mission we always have to launch rockets that separate in stages and waste a lot of fuel. Wouldn't it be more economic to build a large space ship in Earth orbit? The ship would just travel through space and the fuel it has would only be used to make burns to change course. It would have smaller "Landers" attached to it to land on planets. Space shuttles could be used to transfer astronauts to and from this space ship. Centripetal force could make it ideal for long distance space travel. Funding would be a problem but for the long run the cost would be less then launching numerous rockets.

Answer 1

>>Take the Saturn V rocket for example. In every manned space mission we always have to launch rockets that separate in stages and waste a lot of fuel.<<



Staging is actually MORE fuel efficient, since the rocket sheds chunks of dead weight periodically, thus reducing its mass and therefore the requirement for fuel. In the 1960s a study was commissioned to check out ways to get to the Moon, and that Saturn V was by far the most fuel efficient.



>>Wouldn't it be more economic to build a large space ship in Earth orbit?<<



How would you get the stuff up there to build it with in the first place?



The concept of assembling a larger spacecraft in orbit and using it for longer space flights is certainly around. it's called Earth Orbit Rendezvous and was originally planned for the Apollo missions, and resurrected for the Constellation program. Separate modules are launched on smaller rockets because the size and cost of a huge rocket that can launch the whole thing is prohibitive. However, you still have to use rockets to get the parts ito space in the first place.

Answer 2

Then the question is: How do you get the parts into orbit? So you want to build factories in space, if you don't like rockets. So you need to get the factory parts into orbit...the raw materials, etc.



Also rockets are currently the base for all spaceflight propulsion systems. Even ion thrusters are rocket engines.



Also huge spaceship are usually just huge plot devices in science fiction.

Answer 3

that's where your wrong in the long run to build a really big ship to travel lets say from earth to mars is going to cost massive amounts of money but if everything is taken into consideration lets say how long of a life span you will be using this ship maybe over thirty years by time it is considerd out dated over the span of time you make year to year up dates on the ship it will not wear out because its in space it will not break down that is the materials you use to put it together the electronics on the ship will be up dated all the time this can be done and will be done in the next twenty years in order for man kind to explore the univers it is a project that has to be done rather we want to or not no matter how much money it is going to take so lets get started now and worry about the cost later

Answer 4

The possibility is there. We'd have to build many massive modules, much bigger than the space station, to house workers, equipment, materials...That would be impractical because we currently don't have the technology to send people to explore our own solar system. Because of the vast distances between each planet our present propulsion fuels could never take us there. Besides the probes we have been sending out don't need food or sleep.

Answer 5

Look in your space history books for "Earth Orbit Rendezvous".



In the early 1960s this was recognized as the safest, easiest way to go to the Moon. They also recognized how long this would take, and they didn't think they could do it before the end of the decade.

Answer 6

fur, Love your questions because it gives me a chance to spout off a bit and yes learn something at the same time. What of the Akashic record, or “Book of Live. The Akashic records are atoms of Akasha what Aristotle called aether. One of the five types of atoms visualized as existing in the atomic theory of Ancient India, called Mahabhuta. In Buddhism it is taught one reason that people knew Gautama had attained enlightenment as a Buddha was because he was able to remember all the details of all of his past lives by accessing them on the Akashic records. In the New Age discourse the term Akashic records is frequently used. It is promulgated in the Samkhya philosophy that the Akashic records automatically recorded are in the atoms of Akasha. Take a look/see.

Answer 7

It's *much* easier to do anything on the ground than to do it in space.



In all situations where big stuff has to be assembled in space, it's always designed to join together or deploy as simply as possible.

Answer 8

How are you going to get all the raw materials and construction equipment up into space?

Answer 9

Think about the machinery, man power, living quarters, food, water, medical attention, etc. It is not feasible, and if it were, it would have been done by now.

Answer 10

We already have,

the International Space Station.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html