Space Launch System - Orion

[MartG]

Another view

[Beati Dogu]

It looks more like a rotary cement kiln.

[MartG]

First flight LOX tank welding completed

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/multi...

[Sylvaforever]

$2 billion a year development funding!!


And it only gets used once.


Courtesy of Dr (spaceX hating) Scott Pace...


thread resurrection time...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/post.asp?h=0&a...

[Sylvaforever]

"MUGGED BY MUSK"

a suitable epitaph.

[MartG]

From Orbital ATK - "We continue to march toward the first mission of NASA's Space Launch System with the completion of the first two launch abort motors for the NASA’s Orion Spacecraft Launch Abort System. Both motors have undergone final preparations and will be safely stored at our Promontory, Utah facility until shipment."

[Eric Mc]

"March forward" - at a snail's pace.

[MartG]

Eric Mc said:

"March forward" - at a snail's pace.

Yup - they are going to be 'safely stored' for quite a while

[Sylvaforever]

Despite the colossal funding it looks dingy, old and drab. You'd think they could turn a few more lights on and add a bit of magnolia paint to the walls to brighten the place up a bit...

[Eric Mc]

I don't think the appearance of the inside of a large shed is the top priority for NASA to spend money on.

[MartG]

Seems they think they may need a second mobile launcher modifying for SLS 1B, rather than wait for the 1A one to be modified. Strange how things that could be done in months in the '60 now take years

https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/10/citing-saf...

[Beati Dogu]

Stuff back then was run on a wartime crash-programme basis. 30 years of normal progress in the space of 5. Same way we went from biplanes to jets & atomic weapons in the space of WW2.

Nowadays it's run at a peacetime pace, on a limited budget. Plus you've got NASA's bureaucracy & safety paranoia following the Shuttle disasters acting like a huge boat anchor.

[RobDickinson]

Pure bullst
$1/2bn to build a couple of mobile launch platforms to make up for the poor ruse of old tech ( SRB's)

Why even bother with the ~2020 launch, it wont prove anything, it isnt a test because none of the manned systems etc will be on it

SLS is a clusterfk of pointless pork barrel waste.

They'll still be pissing around with requirements when BFR or new glen lauch

[Eric Mc]

Were the unmanned Saturn V tests of Apollos 4 and 6 unnecessary?

[RobDickinson]

Eric Mc said:

Were the unmanned Saturn V tests of Apollos 4 and 6 unnecessary?

the scheduled 1st launch isnt the same block as the supposed manned one so what does it prove? Different second stages etc.

[Eric Mc]

There will be various versions of the SLS, some for manned missions, others not. I think testing the stack before you put people on it is eminently sensible.

[MartG]

I didn't realise that the MLP they are currently converting for SLS was only built in 2010, and has never been used. It was intended for Ares 1 launches ( Ares 1-X used the old MLP-1 ).

[Toaster]

Beati Dogu said:

Plus you've got NASA's bureaucracy & safety paranoia following the Shuttle disasters

Hmmm Paranoia about safety is always a good thing otherwise we would all be flying in Zeppelins and never mind the odd casualty...

[Einion Yrth]

Toaster said:

Hmmm Paranoia about safety is always a good thing

I doubt that Alan Shepard would have agreed. "Light this candle!"

[RobDickinson]

I'm not sure how paranoia about safety leads to $500million on 2 mobile launch platforms?

I am 100% sure the governance of NASA dont care if they ever launch another rocket so long as the pork flows.