Space Launch System - Orion
Discussion
https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/11058651632...
Lots of info from congress not made it to the press yet.
SLS might have a job in heavy lift. Might...
Lots of info from congress not made it to the press yet.
SLS might have a job in heavy lift. Might...
Earlier today, Jim Bridenstine was in front the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Its Chairman, Roger Wicker, just happens to be a Senator for Mississippi, where the NASA's Stennis Space Center is located.
Bridenstine is going with the angle that SLS was supposed to launch for the first time in June 2020, but as of last week they know it's going to be delayed again.
Ah, but NASA still want to hit that deadline though; So the're looking at using commercial rockets to launch Orion with its European Service Module instead (The ESM acts like the service module on Apollo and provides power, life support and propulsion to the capsule).
The plan is that Orion & ESM would launch into low Earth orbit first. Then another rocket would lift a fully fuelled upper stage, which would meet up with Orion/ESM and they'd dock together, which it can't do yet. This upper stage would give them the power they need to launch towards the Moon.
Oh and there's no crew to help. But then the fireball that is Delta 4 and Falcon Heavy aren't man-rated anyway, so that's OK.
Other than that, it's all good.
https://twitter.com/JimBridenstine/status/11058595...
Bridenstine is going with the angle that SLS was supposed to launch for the first time in June 2020, but as of last week they know it's going to be delayed again.
Ah, but NASA still want to hit that deadline though; So the're looking at using commercial rockets to launch Orion with its European Service Module instead (The ESM acts like the service module on Apollo and provides power, life support and propulsion to the capsule).
The plan is that Orion & ESM would launch into low Earth orbit first. Then another rocket would lift a fully fuelled upper stage, which would meet up with Orion/ESM and they'd dock together, which it can't do yet. This upper stage would give them the power they need to launch towards the Moon.
Oh and there's no crew to help. But then the fireball that is Delta 4 and Falcon Heavy aren't man-rated anyway, so that's OK.
Other than that, it's all good.
https://twitter.com/JimBridenstine/status/11058595...
Beati Dogu said:
Earlier today, Jim Bridenstine was in front the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Its Chairman, Roger Wicker, just happens to be a Senator for Mississippi, where the NASA's Stennis Space Center is located.
Bridenstine is going with the angle that SLS was supposed to launch for the first time in June 2020, but as of last week they know it's going to be delayed again.
Ah, but NASA still want to hit that deadline though; So the're looking at using commercial rockets to launch Orion with its European Service Module instead (The ESM acts like the service module on Apollo and provides power, life support and propulsion to the capsule).
The plan is that Orion & ESM would launch into low Earth orbit first. Then another rocket would lift a fully fuelled upper stage, which would meet up with Orion/ESM and they'd dock together, which it can't do yet. This upper stage would give them the power they need to launch towards the Moon.
Oh and there's no crew to help. But then the fireball that is Delta 4 and Falcon Heavy aren't man-rated anyway, so that's OK.
Other than that, it's all good.
https://twitter.com/JimBridenstine/status/11058595...
I would assume that Man Rating Falcon Heavy would be a paper exercise as it is based on a man rated rocket. They only element that is novel is the side booster staging.Bridenstine is going with the angle that SLS was supposed to launch for the first time in June 2020, but as of last week they know it's going to be delayed again.
Ah, but NASA still want to hit that deadline though; So the're looking at using commercial rockets to launch Orion with its European Service Module instead (The ESM acts like the service module on Apollo and provides power, life support and propulsion to the capsule).
The plan is that Orion & ESM would launch into low Earth orbit first. Then another rocket would lift a fully fuelled upper stage, which would meet up with Orion/ESM and they'd dock together, which it can't do yet. This upper stage would give them the power they need to launch towards the Moon.
Oh and there's no crew to help. But then the fireball that is Delta 4 and Falcon Heavy aren't man-rated anyway, so that's OK.
Other than that, it's all good.
https://twitter.com/JimBridenstine/status/11058595...
Docking with an upper stage in orbit has been done with the Agena target vehicles in the mid 60's.
They'd also have to beg, borrow or steal a Delta 4 Heavy from the Air Force or NRO, because they're the best part of $400 million a pop and the lead time on a new one is at least 18 months.
While in-orbit docking was done in the 60s, they had the likes of Neil Armstrong & Michael Collins in control. This EM-1 mission would have no crew and would either have to be done remotely (tricky with relay delay) or some sort of automatic system (with a very short notice development period). It would require NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and presumably SpaceX to collaborate closely as well. That's not going to be easy, or cheap.
To me the whole thing is clearly unworkable & frankly ridiculous . Designed to send a political message to SLS' cheerleaders in Congress that it's unnecessary.
Talksteer said:
I would assume that Man Rating Falcon Heavy would be a paper exercise as it is based on a man rated rocket. They only element that is novel is the side booster staging.
Docking with an upper stage in orbit has been done with the Agena target vehicles in the mid 60's.
Nothing is just a paper exercise with NASA. I'm pretty sure SpaceX abandoned certification for Falcon Heavy because their experience with F9 was like pulling teeth. That and they're moving on to Starship development now. I don't think Falcon 9 is man rated quite yet anyway. They've got to get past the in-flight abort test first and complete a review of last week's ISS trip.Docking with an upper stage in orbit has been done with the Agena target vehicles in the mid 60's.
While in-orbit docking was done in the 60s, they had the likes of Neil Armstrong & Michael Collins in control. This EM-1 mission would have no crew and would either have to be done remotely (tricky with relay delay) or some sort of automatic system (with a very short notice development period). It would require NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and presumably SpaceX to collaborate closely as well. That's not going to be easy, or cheap.
To me the whole thing is clearly unworkable & frankly ridiculous . Designed to send a political message to SLS' cheerleaders in Congress that it's unnecessary.
Where have you seen that?
I had to look up what the green run test was: It's a full duration burn of all 4 engines on the SLS core stage. This would be on a test stand at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The same stand they used to test the Saturn V first stage, Shuttle and Delta 4. They've spent the last 6 years refurbishing it for SLS apparently..
Here it is during Saturn V testing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YTaG91KD5s
Reuters are reporting "industry sources" that ULA's CST-100 Starliner launch test to the ISS has been put back from April to August. So even if successful it'll be November at the earliest before we see a manned flight. Boeing & NASA are not commenting on this story yet.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-boeing/bo...
Boeing are really not having a great time at the moment.
I had to look up what the green run test was: It's a full duration burn of all 4 engines on the SLS core stage. This would be on a test stand at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The same stand they used to test the Saturn V first stage, Shuttle and Delta 4. They've spent the last 6 years refurbishing it for SLS apparently..
Here it is during Saturn V testing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YTaG91KD5s
Reuters are reporting "industry sources" that ULA's CST-100 Starliner launch test to the ISS has been put back from April to August. So even if successful it'll be November at the earliest before we see a manned flight. Boeing & NASA are not commenting on this story yet.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-boeing/bo...
Boeing are really not having a great time at the moment.
Article on the state of SLS and NASA's attempts to get a launch next year...
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/03/boeing-sls...
...and an interesting render
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/03/boeing-sls...
...and an interesting render
VP Mike Pence has been speaking at the fifth meeting of the National Space Council at the Marshall Space Flight Center today.
Challenged them to get astronauts back to the Moon within the next 5 years.
"Let me be clear, the first woman and the next man on the Moon will both be American astronauts"
Another very salient quote:
"If the current contractors can't meet this objective, then we'll find ones who will".
The event was streamed live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21X5lGlDOfg
Challenged them to get astronauts back to the Moon within the next 5 years.
"Let me be clear, the first woman and the next man on the Moon will both be American astronauts"
Another very salient quote:
"If the current contractors can't meet this objective, then we'll find ones who will".
The event was streamed live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21X5lGlDOfg
Edited by Beati Dogu on Tuesday 26th March 22:31
It's quite sad to see modern day politicians attempting to emulate those of the past. It doesn't really have the same power to it that the whole "before this decade is out" speech had, does it?
Probably because we all know that they'll never manage it, and once the current "we could launch Orion on Falcon Heavy" threat has dissipated Boeing will go back to "ooopsy, sorry we'll be late".
Probably because we all know that they'll never manage it, and once the current "we could launch Orion on Falcon Heavy" threat has dissipated Boeing will go back to "ooopsy, sorry we'll be late".
I'm sure they couldn't - especially since Grumman as a company no longer exists.
The new generation lander will be a very different animal to the minimalist Lunar Module built by Grumman. It's only a month or so since NASA issued their current lunar lander requirements to the US aerospace industry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hx20ca_poQ
The new generation lander will be a very different animal to the minimalist Lunar Module built by Grumman. It's only a month or so since NASA issued their current lunar lander requirements to the US aerospace industry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hx20ca_poQ
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