Why do we still expect “successful failures” on rocket launches and not just scale up or scale down the same design on successful rocket ships and launch pads to make bigger or smaller ships with more stable structural material?

Question

Why do we still expect “successful failures” on rocket launches and not just scale up or scale down the same design on successful rocket ships and launch pads to make bigger or smaller ships with more stable structural material?

In: 1598

Answer 1

I haven’t seen anyone mention the rocket equation. Each additional gram of rocket requires additional fuel/propellant, which itself requires additional fuel/propellant, et cetera. A bigger/more robust launch vehicle != a better launch vehicle.