Tag: HLV
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Captured Asteroid mission – Redefining EM-2 for the bold challenge
NASA administrator Charlie Bolden has officially announced an ambitious mission to send a crew to a captured asteroid as early as 2021. Mission planning is scheduled to begin in the summer, with the potential to redefine the 2021 Exploration Mission -2 (EM-2) flight, involving the Space Launch System (SLS) and the first crewed Orion spacecraft.…
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Pad 39B transition making good progress ahead of SLS debut
Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39B is fast returning to the status of an active launch pad, with new elevator towers now visible on the surface of the former Shuttle launch site. The “clean pad” will be able to launch a number of vehicles, although its primary role will be the launch pad for the Space…
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Two mid-span supports required to avoid booster sag for QM-1
ATK will use two “mid-span” supports on their upcoming static test of their five segment Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). The large pieces of hardware will help mitigate “sagging” in the motor, as it is tested in the horizontal position. The test – known as Qualification Motor -1 (QM-1) – has been slightly delayed to later…
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MAF undergoing major modification work ahead of SLS production
The Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) has begun its transformation back into the birth place of giant rockets that will enable the United States to return to deep space exploration. Modification work for the Space Launch System (SLS) is taking place across huge areas of the New Orleans facility, which will soon host the world’s largest…
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Safety Panel impressed with challenged Exploration Program
NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) have provided a report to NASA administrator Charlie Bolden stating they are impressed with the Agency’s work towards the opening missions for the Orion spacecraft. However, they admitted it is “challenged” by budget constraints. ASAP Meeting: The influential body – probably best known for taking a swipe at the…
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SLS takes on new buckling standards, drops Super Light alloy
With a recent decision to switch the Space Launch System (SLS) core from aluminum-lithium to non-lithium alloys, NASA has come full circle on a journey that started nearly twenty years ago with the development of Shuttle’s Super Light Weight External Tank (SLWT). The switch is not just about reducing costs, but it will also prove…
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Mobile Launcher redesign plan for SLS nears completion
Teams at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) are expected to complete a redesign plan for the giant Mobile Launcher (ML) by the end of the month. Re-purposed for the Space Launch System (SLS), companies will soon be able to bid for contracts to carry out the conversion process. SLS Mobile Launcher: The ML – designed…
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SLS launch to Orion separation – sequence outlined by NASA
The NASA teams working on the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft are continuing to build a huge collection of documentation that will provide the tools to launch and flight controllers tasked with sending the US monster rocket and its Orion passenger into space. SLS Launch To Orion Sep: The huge Space Launch System…
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Orion’s ATV Service Module deal may allow ESA astro on EM-2 mission
As was expected, NASA and ESA managers announced the European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) will live on as the bulk of the Orion Service Module. With an emphasis on international cooperation for Beyond Earth Orbit (BEO) exploration, the ATV deal will lead to discussions on allowing an ESA astronaut to ride on Exploration Mission -2…
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The Dark Knights – ATK’s Advanced Boosters for SLS revealed
A presentation overviewing ATK’s preliminary proposal for the upcoming advanced booster competition for Space Launch System (SLS) claims the new motor will be 40 percent cheaper and 23.5 percent more reliable than the five segment booster that will initially launch with the Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLV) – all while adding 15.1mT of additional performance.…