SpaceX Tuesday...
Discussion
The central core of the SLS is a developed version of the Shuttle External Tank. The four SSME engines are mounted at the base of the tank - effectively turning the tank into a large capacity Liquid Hydrogen/Liquid Oxygen booster. Note the propellants - Liquid Hydrogen/Liquid Oxygen.
Falcon is a different rocket in many ways in that its propellants are Liquid Oxygen and Kerosene. So, they have very different characteristics to the central core of the SLS. The Falcon 9 Heavy will have three boosters all sharing the same propellants and all burning at the same time. All current boosters that use liquid fuelled strap on boosters which burn in parallel with the central "sustainer" core booster all use the same propellants as each other e.g -
Delta 4 Heavy
Soyuz
As far as I am aware, when the "strap-ons" use dissimilar propulsive systems to the central sustainer, these strap-ons will be solid fueled rockets rather than liquid.
Falcon is a different rocket in many ways in that its propellants are Liquid Oxygen and Kerosene. So, they have very different characteristics to the central core of the SLS. The Falcon 9 Heavy will have three boosters all sharing the same propellants and all burning at the same time. All current boosters that use liquid fuelled strap on boosters which burn in parallel with the central "sustainer" core booster all use the same propellants as each other e.g -
Delta 4 Heavy
Soyuz
As far as I am aware, when the "strap-ons" use dissimilar propulsive systems to the central sustainer, these strap-ons will be solid fueled rockets rather than liquid.
Eric Mc said:
As far as I am aware, when the "strap-ons" use dissimilar propulsive systems to the central sustainer, these strap-ons will be solid fueled rockets rather than liquid.
Not necessarily - remember Ariane 4 used both solid and liquid boosters 
Also, one of the proposals for the boosters for Block 2 of the SLS is liquid fuelled using F-1B LOX/Kerosene engines developed from the F-1 used on the Saturn V
"Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and Dynetics entered the "advanced booster competition" for NASA's next human rated vehicle, after the retirement of the Space Shuttle, the Space Launch System(SLS), with a booster design known as "Pyrios", which would use two F-1B engines derived from the F-1 LOX/RP-1 engine that powered the first stage of the Saturn V vehicle in the Apollo program. In 2012, it was determined that if the dual-engined Pyrios booster was selected for the SLS Block II, the payload could be 150 metric tons (t) to Low Earth Orbit, 20 t more than the congressional minimum requirement of 130 t to LEO for SLS Block II.[1] In 2013, it was reported that in comparison to the F-1 engine that it is derived from, the F-1B engine is to have improved efficiency, be more cost effective and have fewer engine parts.[2] Each F-1B is to produce 1,800,000 lbf (8.0 MN) of thrust at sea level, an increase over the 1,550,000 lbf (6.9 MN) of thrust of the initial F-1 engine"
RobDickinson said:
No way you would choose an SSME for SLS unless you had people interested in building them again. Far too complicated, and expensive. Its a travesty they will be using them on a single shot mission.
They are supposedly using a re-engineered SSME, for cost and weight down.annodomini2 said:
RobDickinson said:
No way you would choose an SSME for SLS unless you had people interested in building them again. Far too complicated, and expensive. Its a travesty they will be using them on a single shot mission.
They are supposedly using a re-engineered SSME, for cost and weight down.RobDickinson said:
The entire space shuttle (sometimes) made it back, and the SSME's are liquid, but very very very over engineered.
SpaceX have very rapidly increased the lift capacity of the f9, some of that recent increase will be them looking at the recovered f9's and trimming margins.
Oops, I totally blanked out the Space Shuttle engines. SpaceX have very rapidly increased the lift capacity of the f9, some of that recent increase will be them looking at the recovered f9's and trimming margins.
Yes, Tim Peake, who is the primary robot arm operator on the ISS has now released the Dragon capsule. It slowly backed away from the station and will do a re-entry burn later today. They expect it to splash down about 262 miles south-west of Long Beach, California. That won't be televised though.
The Dragon capsule is the only one that can bring cargo back to earth. This one will have 3,700 lbs (1,678 kg) of stuff that includes scientific experiments and biological samples. Due to the backlog caused by the explosion of the SpaceX resupply rocket last year, NASA has been waiting for these for some time.
The Dragon capsule is the only one that can bring cargo back to earth. This one will have 3,700 lbs (1,678 kg) of stuff that includes scientific experiments and biological samples. Due to the backlog caused by the explosion of the SpaceX resupply rocket last year, NASA has been waiting for these for some time.
Interesting thermal/ir video of a stage1 re entry from NASA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riU3DZmU-jE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riU3DZmU-jE
RobDickinson said:
Interesting thermal/ir video of a stage1 re entry from NASA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riU3DZmU-jE
Thanks for posting that - very interestinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riU3DZmU-jE
Note the caption about the re-entry burn taking place in a region of Earth's atmosphere equivalent to landing on Mars
Edited by MartG on Wednesday 11th May 21:28
RobDickinson said:
Interesting thermal/ir video of a stage1 re entry from NASA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riU3DZmU-jE
You can see why the first stage looks a bit scorched when it gets back.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riU3DZmU-jE
Impressive footage too. Amazing what those old WB-57s can do.
Eric Mc said:
RobDickinson said:
Interesting thermal/ir video of a stage1 re entry from NASA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riU3DZmU-jE
You can see why the first stage looks a bit scorched when it gets back.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riU3DZmU-jE
Impressive footage too. Amazing what those old WB-57s can do.
RobDickinson said:
Dragon 2 is due an in flight abort this year, and a full test next year with a view to carrying people towards end of 2017 I think.
There are also two Dragonlab flights pencilled in this year. Dragonlab is a free-flying science mission, similar to the recent one flown by China, with a flight duration of up to 2 years http://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/pdf/Drago...
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