Comments by "mpetersen6" (@mpetersen6) on "How NASA Reinvented the Rocket Engine" video.

I think that advanced alloys or composites combined with 3D printing and proper designs concentrating on maximunstrength vs minimum weight might finally allow for a practical SSTO. Not one that carries cargo. But one that can function as a taxi carrying crew to orbit.
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Isn't Stoke Space using a 3D printed copper alloy in their engines combustion chambers.
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@davidaugustofc2574 Not sure. They aren't using pulsed detonation to my knowledge. Stoke is shooting at the same target as SpaceX. Completely reusable with quick turnaround time. As I understand it they actually will be the first people to actually fly a Plug Noozle. Only they didn't intend to build a Plug Noozle.
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@How23497 Lets say with breakthroughs in materials science and improvements in engine performance it was possible to build an manned SSTO capable of carrying say 6 passengers to orbit. Even if it is not as efficient as an optimized two stage vehicle. With a short turn around time. There is more than one type of efficiency. There is the mass ratio efficiency. And then there is the man hours turnaround efficiency. One thing in terms of materials science that might improve the possibility of an SSTO could be the use of Byrilium alloys in place of some of the materials in use today. And yes I'm aware of the potential issues with Byrilium. Besides say we have a barely workable SSTO capable of functioning as an orbital taxi. Just how well, would the same vehicle work from the Lunar or Martian surface. As an aside perhaps an SSTO (1) could function with dropable liquid fueled booster of extremely simple design. 1) It should be remembered that the first US built launch vehicle to place a man into orbit was almost an SSTO.
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