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NASA May Fly Humans On the Less Powerful Version of Its Deep-Space Rocket (theverge.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: NASA may make some big changes to the first couple flights of its future deep-space rocket, the Space Launch System, after getting a recent funding boost from Congress to build a new launch platform. When humans fly on the rocket for the first time in the 2020s, they might ride on a less powerful version of the vehicle than NASA had expected. If the changes move forward, it could scale down the first crewed mission into deep space in more than 45 years. The SLS has been in development for the last decade, and when complete, it will be NASA's main rocket for taking astronauts to the Moon and Mars. NASA has long planned to debut the SLS with two crucial test missions. The first flight, called EM-1, will be uncrewed, and it will send the smallest planned version of the rocket on a three-week long trip around the Moon. Three years later, NASA plans to launch a bigger, more powerful version of the rocket around the Moon with a two-person crew -- a mission called EM-2.
But now, NASA may delay that rocket upgrade and fly the same small version of the SLS for the crewed flight instead. If that happens, NASA would need to come up with a different type of mission for the crew to do since they won't be riding on the more powerful version of the vehicle. "If EM-2 flies that way, we would have to change the mission profile because we can't do what we could do if we had the [larger SLS]," Robert Lightfoot, NASA's acting administrator, said during a Congressional hearing yesterday. NASA clarified that astronauts would still fly around the Moon on the second flight. However, the rocket would not be able to carry extra science payloads as NASA had originally planned. "The primary objective for EM-2 is to demonstrate critical functions with crew aboard, including mission planning, system performance, crew interfaces, and navigation and guidance in deep space, which can be accomplished on a Block 1 SLS," a NASA spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge.
But now, NASA may delay that rocket upgrade and fly the same small version of the SLS for the crewed flight instead. If that happens, NASA would need to come up with a different type of mission for the crew to do since they won't be riding on the more powerful version of the vehicle. "If EM-2 flies that way, we would have to change the mission profile because we can't do what we could do if we had the [larger SLS]," Robert Lightfoot, NASA's acting administrator, said during a Congressional hearing yesterday. NASA clarified that astronauts would still fly around the Moon on the second flight. However, the rocket would not be able to carry extra science payloads as NASA had originally planned. "The primary objective for EM-2 is to demonstrate critical functions with crew aboard, including mission planning, system performance, crew interfaces, and navigation and guidance in deep space, which can be accomplished on a Block 1 SLS," a NASA spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge.
NASA has forgotten how to do manned space flight. It is afraid to take risks and is a bureaucratic echo of its former self. The Alabama Mafia (Sen. Shelby, Rep. Brooks) drives the NASA budget to Huntsville and the Marshall Space Flight Center operations there. But it's all about money and jobs, not about going to Mars (or even the dumb Moon idea). JPL and some other NASA labs are still doing good work in deep space probes and Earth observing satellites. But the big rockets are now the province of SpaceX and maybe a couple of other private companies.
We should be thrilled (I know I am) that a new generation of explorers and engineers is developing re-usable and cost effective space travel. NASA should stick to the science.
"He took a duck in the face at 250 knots." -- William Gibson, Pattern Recognition
SLS looks like a total waste of money compared to the other commerical alternatives.
Why don't opponents simply get a respected thrid party to do a Cost/benefit analysis of the various systems ?
Then NASA can junk SLS and spend the billions on useful stuff.
SLS..... Just when you thought it wasn't pathetic enough, surprise! You get a money infusion and your mission capabilities DEGRADE. The debacle noted in the article regarding the crawler exemplifies the situation to a T. They build a crawler, then change the program so that the crawler needs "upgrades" which cost more than it took to build the crawler in the first place, and those upgrades won't even allow it to carry the subsequent blocks of the rocket so it will need EVEN MORE upgrades. And we wonder why we've been stuck in LEO for decades when they're burning close to a billion dollars on an oversized metal tank with a platform on top. Who knows maybe there is a silver lining to this cloud, with the delays in the larger versions maybe SpaceX/Blue Origin will get their reusable rockets up and running before too much (more) money is burnt on this debacle and the government can be shamed into canceling it.
Rumor has it that the 2017 ITS will actually be a little bit stretched since the Raptors perform better than expected. We'll have to wait and see, but hell, even the old version would be superior to *this*.
Ezekiel 23:20
The US government is a corrupt shell of its former self. World leader in non-functioning white elephants. SpaceX obviously does better. So "everyone" benefits : birrillions dollars are wasted, the waste being a goal in itself like it is with the war industries and other sectors like health ; and the neoliberal ideology that everything should be private is reinforced too.
Perhaps private launches work and are not a bad thing (of course it's with public assistance)
But spending a triziliblion dollars on a stupid man-rated rocket isn't very impressive.
The evil communists, what's left of them, still have a surprise left for you!
http://www.b14643.de/Spacerockets_1/Rest_World/Unha-X/Description/Frame.htm
SpaceX will be able to build, test and fly the BFR before the SLS ever gets off the ground. NASA is great a running missions because there are no politics in space (yet). But when it comes to anything on the ground, forget it.
That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
Nobody asked.
Be it by random chance, or calculated timing, this news comes just right as the crass US aggression against Syria happened.. and Russia decided to, among other things, halt cooperation with the US over rocket engines!
I will just put the full text of the article I learned this from. A big fuck you to the US and its unwanted warmongering and meddling. For once, you get what you deserve.
https://www.rt.com/politics/424010-russia-sanctions-nuclear-us/
Russian lawmakers have drafted a bill suspending cooperation with US companies in the nuclear, missile and aircraft-building spheres, as well as introducing restrictions on imports of alcohol and tobacco produced in the US.
"The bill is about alcohol and tobacco products and about ceasing or suspending international cooperation in the nuclear sphere, rocket engine building and aircraft building between Russian companies and organizations under US jurisdiction," one of the bill’s sponsors, MP Ivan Melnikov (Communist Party), was quoted as saying in the State Duma’s Twitter message.
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Spaso House, Residence of the U.S. Ambassador in Moscow. © Valeriy Yevseyev Expel Americans from historic Moscow mansion, leader of Russian nationalist party urges
"The bill charges the government and top officials in Russian regions with the task of developing mechanisms to replace US goods and services on the Russian market. We expect this to become a push for the development of the Russian economy," Melnikov said.
Another provision included in the current version of the draft is the proposal to allow Russian companies to produce various goods copyrighted in the United States or in countries allied with the US without getting licenses from copyright holders. "This will be like a punch to the solar plexus for the Americans, because all achievements and all domination of the Anglo-Saxon, Western world are based on intellectual property and we are targeting this very right," MP Mikhail Yemelyanov (Fair Russia) said in comments to Interfax. The particular list of patents that fall under the counter-sanctions will be formed by the government.
The bill, which follows the latest round of US sanctions on Russia, was drafted on Friday jointly by State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and the heads of all four parliamentary caucuses.
The lower house will have the first discussion on the bill and work out the schedule for passing it on Monday, said MP Aleksandr Zhukov (United Russia).
Deputy Duma speaker Pyotr Tolstoy (United Russia) said that the parliament could consider the bill on reciprocal measures in reply to the United States’ unfriendly actions towards Russia in May.
"At least, we are giving an adequate reply to the United States of America. We are stopping the cooperation with the USA in three very important spheres: the nuclear industry, the aircraft building industry and the rocket engine industry," the head of the Fair Russia party, Sergey Mironov, said.
The head of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, added that the import restrictions on US goods and services would not be applied to purchases made by individuals, but rather on wholesale batches.
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A police officer stands outside the London Road cemetery where the grave of Alexander Skripal; son of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal; is seen covered with a tent, in Salisbury, Britain © Peter Nicholls Most Russians don’t believe their country is complicit in Skripal poisoning, poll shows
On April 6, The US Treasury Department released a list of 24 Russian citizens and 14 Russian corporations that fall under new sanctions imposed over Russia’s foreign policy. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that Moscow will ban imports of US goods as part of a response to Washington’s latest move.
"These can be not only American securities but also a whole range of other goods that are delivered to the Russian market or produced by American
Those guys are not screwing around.
If that imbecile Obama hadn't cancelled the Vision for Space Exploration laid out by President George W. Bush there would already have been test flights.
Gosh, a jet instructor pilot could come up with a better space program than a community organizer. Whoda thunkit?