Space Launch System - Orion

[Eric Mc]

Didn't go bang at least.

[MartG]

Northrop Grumman test area in Promontory, Utah. The team is getting ready to test the abort motor for Orion's Launch Abort System.

[Beati Dogu]

Nice. Mounted upside down so it doesn't actually take off. They only seem to be streaming it on Facebook though, which is retarded.


Isn't Promontory, Utah where the two parts of the transcontinental railway met up?

[Eric Mc]

And done -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcI970HbTu8

[Beati Dogu]

Looks suitably violent. Something like 11g apparently.

Here's footage of a launch escape test back in 2010 when it was a part of the Constellation program.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLdP-L7D58g

[MartG]

The structural test article for NASA SLS’s liquid hydrogen tank is on the move down Venus Blvd. at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility! This is the largest piece of core stage test hardware to be built for SLS.

[Beati Dogu]

An impressive look at the SLS mobile launcher:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7Iu_yXtbPQ

[MartG]

SLS update article

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/01/third-sls-...

[MartG]

The SLS Liquid Hydrogen Tank structural test article arrived at MSFC test stand 4693 today

[Beati Dogu]

It's has almost exactly the same dimensions as the Shuttles' external tank. Built in the same factory as well.

[Eric Mc]

That's because it IS essentially a Shuttle External Tank extended to increase fuel capacity and therefore the burn time of the engines. It's also feeding four Shuttle Main Engines as opposed to the three of the original tank.

[MartG]

Its structure has been substantially revised though, to withstand longitudinal loads of stages and payload mounted on top of it instead of on the side

[Eric Mc]

Naturally. The thrust is now being applied directly to the base of the tank. On the Shuttle the thrust was offset.

[Eric Mc]

A lander to land where?

[Eric Mc]

Thanks for clarifying. No formal funding for a moon lander has been approved - yet. There was tentative planning for a moon lander when the Constellation project was on the go,. That lander was called Altair and conceptual artwork was released of what it might look like -




Altair was cancelled when Constellation was cancelled.

A few months ago, NASA did issue some new specifications for possible lunar landers which would use the SLS system - so we may see something like Altair yet - but not for at least ten years.

Orion is currently going to be used as an end in itself - and to ferry to and from a lunar space station. There are no definite plans to have a lunar landing aspect to SLS missions.

[MartG]

A few more pics of the structural test hydrogen tank on its journey

[MartG]

Northrop Grumman - "We are excited to announce that we have completed the final solid rocket motor for the first flight of NASA's Space Launch System and NASA’s Orion Spacecraft! The motor will be stored at our Promontory, Utah facility while it awaits shipment to NASA's Kennedy Space Center. This is just one segment of the two five-segment boosters that will provide the initial thrust to get SLS off the ground. Learn more: bit.ly/2LOQE6p #NorthropGrumman "

[Beati Dogu]

There's no government shut down for the Senate Launch System.

[Eric Mc]

Have both I say.

[Talksteer]

Beati Dogu said:

There's no government shut down for the Senate Launch System.

Those photos are presumably at contractor owned facilities.