Space Launch System - Orion
Discussion
Looks like they are going to try for a full duration run:
"NASA is targeting the week of Feb. 21 for the second Green Run hot fire test of the Artemis I SLS core stage at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center. The date for the test will be set following the test readiness review."
https://go.nasa.gov/39Cz7x0
"NASA is targeting the week of Feb. 21 for the second Green Run hot fire test of the Artemis I SLS core stage at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center. The date for the test will be set following the test readiness review."
https://go.nasa.gov/39Cz7x0
ESA has signed up to provide three more service modules for Artemis
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_...
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_...
Delay announced for the Artemis lunar lander design
https://www.space.com/nasa-artemis-moon-lander-com...
https://www.space.com/nasa-artemis-moon-lander-com...
Eric Mc said:
Could they bolt an Orion onto a Starship?
They did a study of bolting it onto Falcon Heavy and it was just do-able. Shelby got really upset: https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/13588275212...
So until Shelby goes I doubt there will be any other studies of Orion on non-SLS rockets. Which means that it would be late 2022 before anyone could start looking at how to bolt Orion onto Starship. By which point SpaceX will probably have at least started on equipping Starship with ECLSS and crew support.
Assuming the next static fire goes okay and there are no more snags, they'll get the EM-1 launch done next year. It could even beat Starship to orbit. It will almost certainly beat a crew-equipped Starship to orbit. That uses up the existing Orion capsule.
With the rate at which they build Orion capsules, there then won't be one available to integrate with Starship before the Crewed Starship would be likely to be ready.
They could probably carry Orion and its service module as cargo on Starship, but I don’t see it ever being mounted on top like a conventional rocket. It would be a backward step to even try.
The Orion capsule is 5 meters wide, the same as the Delta IV Heavy which launched it on its test flight. Delta IV isn’t man rated though and ULA don’t make them anymore. The ones they have left are all spoken for anyway.
It’s far more suited to something like ULA’s Vulcan or Blue Origin’s New Glenn, if they can get them man rated. They also haven’t flown yet, so they’d need to prove they can do that successfully first of course. Falcon Heavy isn’t going to be man rated, so that’s out.
So in the short to medium term they’re a bit stuffed really. SLS doesn’t seem to have any cargo work left now, so it’ll be relegated to manned flights only until they have a viable alternative.
If they wanted to look at alternative capsules, Dragon 2 could probably do the job, but I don’t think Boeing’s Starliner has the legs for anything more than a trip to the ISS.
The Orion capsule is 5 meters wide, the same as the Delta IV Heavy which launched it on its test flight. Delta IV isn’t man rated though and ULA don’t make them anymore. The ones they have left are all spoken for anyway.
It’s far more suited to something like ULA’s Vulcan or Blue Origin’s New Glenn, if they can get them man rated. They also haven’t flown yet, so they’d need to prove they can do that successfully first of course. Falcon Heavy isn’t going to be man rated, so that’s out.
So in the short to medium term they’re a bit stuffed really. SLS doesn’t seem to have any cargo work left now, so it’ll be relegated to manned flights only until they have a viable alternative.
If they wanted to look at alternative capsules, Dragon 2 could probably do the job, but I don’t think Boeing’s Starliner has the legs for anything more than a trip to the ISS.
Beati Dogu said:
They could probably carry Orion and its service module as cargo on Starship, but I don’t see it ever being mounted on top like a conventional rocket. It would be a backward step to even try.
The Orion capsule is 5 meters wide, the same as the Delta IV Heavy which launched it on its test flight. Delta IV isn’t man rated though and ULA don’t make them anymore. The ones they have left are all spoken for anyway.
It’s far more suited to something like ULA’s Vulcan or Blue Origin’s New Glenn, if they can get them man rated. They also haven’t flown yet, so they’d need to prove they can do that successfully first of course. Falcon Heavy isn’t going to be man rated, so that’s out.
So in the short to medium term they’re a bit stuffed really. SLS doesn’t seem to have any cargo work left now, so it’ll be relegated to manned flights only until they have a viable alternative.
Why does it have to be manned when lobbing into space? There's surely no reason the crew couldn't board once in LEO.The Orion capsule is 5 meters wide, the same as the Delta IV Heavy which launched it on its test flight. Delta IV isn’t man rated though and ULA don’t make them anymore. The ones they have left are all spoken for anyway.
It’s far more suited to something like ULA’s Vulcan or Blue Origin’s New Glenn, if they can get them man rated. They also haven’t flown yet, so they’d need to prove they can do that successfully first of course. Falcon Heavy isn’t going to be man rated, so that’s out.
So in the short to medium term they’re a bit stuffed really. SLS doesn’t seem to have any cargo work left now, so it’ll be relegated to manned flights only until they have a viable alternative.
Edited by hidetheelephants on Saturday 13th February 20:31
Eric Mc said:
Orion is a deep space craft - unlike anything else built so far. Of course there are others possibly on the horizon.
They have that Dragon XL thing in the works, so will presumably gain experience in long duration flights. I'm not sure when it is likely to be ready or whether a crewed version could be ready before they have built the 002 and 003 Orion capsules (or is it 003 and 004? The next two ones anyway)There won’t be a crewed version of Dragon XL. It’ll be launched inside a Falcon 9 fairing for a start and is basically a tin can for supplies only. It lacks a heat shield for reentry as well.
hidetheelephants said:
Why does it have to be manned when lobbing into space? There's surely no reason the crew couldn't board once in LEO.]
Then you’re paying for two launches, plus the complications of in-orbit rendezvous.Gassing Station | Science! | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff