Space Launch System - Orion

[MartG]

RobDickinson said:

New report on sls. Double the budget, 2.5 years more delay,

At the same time as being paid twice as much as SpaceX to provide the same service under CCP... ( and possibly arranging for SpaceX to receive bad publicity :/()

[RobDickinson]

Eric Mc said:

The SSMEs they already had needed rebuilding and recertification for their new role. They are not the same as the SSMEs as used on the Shuttle - even if the hardware is identical.

2bn to polish up some old engines, really?

[Eric Mc]

RobDickinson said:

2bn to polish up some old engines, really?

You obviously haven't read up on what has been done to the former SSMEs in order to make them work on the SLS. It's a bit more than a clean up and polish.

[RobDickinson]

Yeah it's years of delays and extra cash for boeing and aerodyne.

The stench just gets worse.

[Kccv23highliftcam]

Where's toaster when he could legitimately comment on a thread?

[Kccv23highliftcam]

Budget version.



$9.69 on Amazon.

[Eric Mc]

I read that as "Deep Space Pocket"

[MartG]

Service module for EM-1 has arrived in the US

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/european-built-...

[hidetheelephants]

Eric Mc said:

I read that as "Deep Space Pocket"

Well the senate has deep pockets, so your subconscious is just reflecting NASA's budget realities.

[Eric Mc]

hidetheelephants said:

Well the senate has deep pockets, so your subconscious is just reflecting NASA's budget realities.

My concscious wasn't that "sub".

[MartG]

A few pics of progress on the SLS test article

[MartG]

ESA video about the Orion service module

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQFx3OLRYFU&fb...

[MartG]

The Orion team completed two successful tests of the Crew Module Uprighting System (CMUS) off the coast of Galveston, Texas, Dec. 1-3. CMUS is designed to inflate five bags after the Orion spacecraft and its crew splash down after returning from deep space missions, enabling the capsule to upright itself. NASA partnered with United States Coast Guard and Air Force and Texas A&M Galveston teams to perform the tests operations.

[Eric Mc]

Blimey - that brings back memories.

One of the parts of the 2014 flight test that didn't work perfectly was the righting bag inflation test - if I recall correctly.

[Polite M135 driver]

the last spaceship that will be designed to land in the sea?

[Eric Mc]

I think Crewed Dragon is now going to be splashing down too.

[MartG]

Eric Mc said:

I think Crewed Dragon is now going to be splashing down too.

I think powered landings are still on the agenda, but NASA want a lot of reassurance first, so to save time they are doing splashdowns initially

[Eric Mc]

We know they can do splashdowns safely because all the uncrewed Dragons have splashed down. SpaceX's recovery operations are pretty streamlined and don't require the US Navy Pacific Fleet to be on station.

[AnotherClarkey]

I visited Kennedy Space Centre a couple of times last week (but managed to miss the CRS-16 launch - Grrrr). It was a fantastic experience but really focused on history (which is obviously understandable, to a point) rather than the present.

Regarding the future, the tour guides and video presentations were pushing SLS hard as the great hope but it seemed a little tragic, focusing on 'tried and tested hardware' and harking back to Saturn V glory. To be honest, it sounded a bit like Theresa May had written the script - 'strong and stable', 'tried and tested' etc. etc.

Edited by AnotherClarkey on Sunday 9th December 19:25

[MartG]

RS-25 engine test aborted yesterday due to flames coming out of the wrong end

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mgn6WtnpTkw