Top-Down Rocket Design

Space exploration requires mission optimized rocket designs. A design approach that was successful for LEO missions would not necessarily be successful on high energy missions. I am referring to the two staged reusable rockets of SpaceX and similar companies. Ariane 6 has a much better approach especially for high energy missions. I would like to propose a new approach. It is a top-down designed rocket. A rocket design that would allow five or more stages. Depending on the mission, the number of stages would be chosen. For LEO satellite missions, two stages would be enough. For ISS module deployment like LEO missions three or even more stages would be utilized. For the moon four stages and for Mars, six or even more. Instead of strapping boosters around the main rocket like in Ariane design, the additional stages would be attached to the bottom of the previous one depending on the mission requirements.

This design approach would require unified propellent on all stages of the rocket. Additionally, the engines should have modular nozzles to allow easy swapping of them for optimal ambient pressure. The large rocket engine design I proposed earlier would allow this.

Ambitious space dreams require larger single use rockets. Reusability is only practical to the very first stage of any rocket and not for the upper stages.