Tag: ML
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Mobile Launcher major modifications to begin for SLS
The former Ares I Mobile Launcher (ML) will soon begin major modification work – pending the status of the government shutdown – ahead of its role with the Space Launch System (SLS). Work will begin with the demolition of the launch mount, which was designed with Ares I in mind, ahead of the installation of an…
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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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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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All hail the Super Crawler – CT-2 put through its paces ahead of SLS
One of the unsung workhorses of the space program, the Crawler Transporter, is ready for its own transition back to exploration – with CT-2 testing out its array of modifications in preparation for carrying the Space Launch System (SLS). Its growth into a “Super Crawler” is part of a 20 year extension of its lifetime…
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Modifications planned for Atlas V SLC-41 Pad and SLS Mobile Launcher
United Launch Alliance (ULA) have recruited Hensel Phelps to design the modifications to their Atlas V pad at Space Launch Complete 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral ahead of hosting human rated vehicles. The Orlando company previously constructed the Ares Mobile Launcher (ML), which is also set to be modified to host the Space Launch System…
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SLS aims to launch a week after rollout – ML rolls back to Park Site
The recently produced Concept of Operations (Con Ops) documentation has revealed the Space Launch System (SLS) will be ready to launch within a week of rollout, around a third of the average pad flow time required for the Space Shuttle. Meanwhile, the SLS Mobile Launcher (ML) has been transported back off Pad 39B following numerous…
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Mobile Launcher trip to Pad 39B providing opening tests for SLS Con Ops
The Space Launch System (SLS) Mobile Launcher (ML) has completed its debut trip to Pad 39B, following a steady journey atop of the Crawler Transporter (CT). While a large amount of testing will be carried out at the pad, the trip down the crawlerway provides engineers with vital data, which can be feed into the…
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SLS Mobile Launcher set for debut trip to Pad 39B in mid November
The Space Launch System (SLS) Mobile Launcher (ML) will make its debut Crawler Transporter (CT) trip to Pad 39B later this month. Several week’s worth of testing will be conducted – including a visually dramatic fire suppression deluge test – as part of its development towards an eventual role of hosting crewed launches to Mars.…
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Both Crawler Transporters grounded – Crawlerway testing for HLV capability
The two veteran Crawler Transporters (CT) are currently grounded, as evaluations continue into a what is believed to have been a lightning strike on CT-2 – which was being prepared for tasks associated with the Ares I Mobile Launcher (ML). Test results are also being evaluated into how the Crawlerway is expected to perform under…
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Unemployed Ares I Mobile Launcher set for Crawler trip in August
The massive Ares I Mobile Launcher (ML), which recently completed its construction phase, is set for a ride on the Crawler Transporter (CT-1) in August, marking its first move since rising into the sky next door to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The ML will be moved to the east refurbish site, to allow for…