Space Launch System - Orion

[djdest]

Meanwhile SpaceX just get on with it.
NASA might as well just throw in the towel

[eharding]

djdest said:

NASA might as well just throw in the towel

Too late - Musk has already nicked their towel and flew it on the Falcon Heavy, next to the "Don't Panic" sign on the Tesla roadster.

NASA need to get out of the launch business - because they don't understand business - and concentrate on what they're good at. Really, really, really clever science.

Edited by eharding on Tuesday 17th April 21:18

[Beati Dogu]

I quite agree, although they've done some pretty stty science as well. Especially NASA GISS.

[MartG]

Hmmm

https://twitter.com/NASAOIG/status/986350610344808...

[Beati Dogu]

NASA finally has an Administrator after 15 month hiatus: Jim Bridenstine. He's a Republican Representative from Oklahoma and a former US Navy pilot & a Major in the Oklahoma Air National Guard.

The current guy, Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr., is retiring at the end of the month after 30 years at NASA. He's been the interim Administrator since inauguration day - Jan 2017.

What impact Bridenstine has will be interesting to watch. The Senate likely won't let him axe their pet launch system even if he wants to. There's too much pork barrel involved for them.

[MartG]

Interesting news, and somewhat good for NASA - Human rating ICPS won't be as expensive as they originally thought, and EM-2 will not carry the PPE for the Lunar Gateway ( it will use a commercial launcher ). Wonder what the second payload will be then?

https://twitter.com/SpcPlcyOnline/status/989230211...

Gerstenmaier also said that from procurement to delivery, it will take 5 years to build the second Mobile Launch Platform - so that's a minimum of 5 years before a Block 1B flys Also that human rating requirements today would not allow us to fly the Lunar Excursion Module used with Apollo so will be NASA in-house effort, primarily, to define requirements for new human lunar lander in early 20s.

[Eric Mc]

The Apollo Lunar Module was probably the most marginal manned spacecraft ever built. I'm not at all surprised that it would not be countenanced in the current era.

[MartG]

Recently inside the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers assisted as a crane moved the Orion Stage Adapter (OSA) to a work area. The OSA is the second flight-hardware section of the agency's NASA's Space Launch System rocket to arrive at Kennedy. The OSA will connect the NASA’s Orion Spacecraft to the upper part of the SLS, the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS). Both the OSA and ICPS are being stored for processing in the center's SSPF in preparation for Exploration Mission-1, the first uncrewed, integrated launch of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson #WisdomWednesday

[MartG]

RFI issued for lunar lander proposals...

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/03/nasa-court...

...just as NASA cancel their robotic moon rover

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-sc...

[MartG]

Interesting document - mission planning guide for SLS

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa....

[Eric Mc]

I wonder if SpaceX feels the need to release a 106 page document setting out what they plan to do in that kind of detail?

[djdest]

They’re too busy doing it

[Eric Mc]

djdest said:

They’re too busy doing it

Probably.

Being state funded, I expect NASA is obliged under Federal Law to issue such documentation. They probably have no choice.

[Kccv23highliftcam]

Eric Mc said:

djdest said:

They’re too busy doing it

Probably.

Being state funded, I expect NASA is obliged under Federal Law to issue such documentation. They probably have no choice.

Slighly OT here..

.. my partner complieted a "Back to Nursing" course at Dunndee university Hospital a few years ago.

18 months day release, all it was was lectures and report writing....bureaucracy over action!

[Eric Mc]

The penalty for having to be accountable to the taxpayer.

[Beati Dogu]

The penalty of being a bureaucracy and a lack of decent management.

[MartG]

Beati Dogu said:

The penalty of being a bureaucracy and a lack of decent management.

And of having lots of people on the payroll who need to appear busy to justify their jobs

[Eric Mc]

Beati Dogu said:

The penalty of being a bureaucracy and a lack of decent management.

I think my explanation will be the correct one.

[Kccv23highliftcam]

I think you misinterpreted my posting.

It was ALL admin and NOTHING on the wards.

[Eric Mc]

My issue with Orion and SLS is not so much what they are doing - but the SPEED at which they are doing it.