Just FYI. Almost every launcher that offers commercial services has such a user manual. I was involved in preparing one such manual. A collection of these manuals can be quite entertaining for 5 year olds. You should be able to easily find them from the websites of the respective companies or agencies.
I think the Spacecraft Interfaces section (starting page 84) is the bit that might interest HN readers. It describes (to potential customers) the dimensions of the payload bay, electrical and comms interfaces available, conditions the payload must be able to tolerate (vibration, temperature etc).
It's mainly about budget, the US and China spend more than Europe.
It looks like the next generation will be reusable though, there are a few programs to that effect, both from established players and "new space" startups.
About the cover picture: at that altitude, shouldn't the plume look completelu different? Com to think of it, shouldn't the first stage and srbs be long gone?
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[ 2.5 ms ] story [ 38.6 ms ] threadIt looks like the next generation will be reusable though, there are a few programs to that effect, both from established players and "new space" startups.
But don't hold your breath for any other major rocket in the next 10 years.