Nasa unveils Space Launch System vision, 2017?

[The Boston Dangler]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14915725

Nasa's intention is to lean on as much space shuttle heritage as possible

Its central tank's width is 8.4m - same as the space shuttle's famous orange tank

Design calls for two liquid-fuelled (cryogenic hydrogen and oxygen) stages

Core stage has three to five RS-25D/E engines - the units used on the orbiter

Upper stage will use the J-2X engine that has been in development for some years

SLS will incorporate solid-fuelled side boosters, although this may change over time

At 2017, the SLS should be able to lift 70 tonnes to LEO. It must evolve to 130 tonnes eventually

2017? good luck. i suspect the falcons will leave this in the dust, if it ever materializes.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

this has photoshop potential:

 

[ichy]

I'll believe it once Congress actually funds it...

 

[ElFenix]

uh, isn't this what they scrapped?

edit2: this is actually smaller than the ares v

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14915725



2017? good luck. i suspect the falcons will leave this in the dust, if it ever materializes.

it's supposed to lift 3x what the falcon 9 heavy is supposed to.

edit: reading wrong wikipedia article

 

[The Boston Dangler]

uh, isn't this what they scrapped?

no, this is a new project that won't happen. this and the former project recycle a lot of space shuttle parts, without the shuttle. the old project had 2 rockets, 1 large and 1 skinny man-carrier. this would use the same orion capsule.

 

[mcvickj]

Wasn't there talk that they wanted to try and use the capsule system from the Apollo missions and strap that to the Atlas V?

 

[PottedMeat]

this has photoshop potential:

That guy looks like Ted Haggard...


I wonder how much thought they put into this knowing anything big budget will be tossed about by congress.

 

[AstroManLuca]

So a Saturn V with shuttle SRBs?

 

[ichy]

Five SSMEs? Wouldn't it be cheaper to use engines that weren't designed to be reusable.

God we made a mistake by ditching the Saturn V in the first place

 

[ichy]

So a Saturn V with shuttle SRBs?

No. The Saturn V's F-1 engines were MUCH more powerful than the SSMEs that this rocket will use. The Saturn also used three liquid fuel stages, whereas this design uses two liquid stages with the SRBs functioning as enormous strap-on boosters.

The Saturn V also looked cooler.

 

[Oyeve]

Arthur C. Clarke is rolling in his grave. 2011 and we are no where near his vision.

 

[ichy]

We need a space elevator!

 

[The Boston Dangler]

We need a space elevator!

japan has been on it for years

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Arthur C. Clarke is rolling in his grave. 2011 and we are no where near his vision.

slowly rotating, suspended in a vacuum.

 

[dud]

How are we going to afford this?

I feel terrible for the "younger" generation ... we're leaving you with a horrible mess.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

How are we going to afford this?

I feel terrible for the "younger" generation ... we're leaving you with a horrible mess.

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/764

Matters of Scale - Spending Priorities
Amount of money needed each year (in addition to current expenditures) to provide reproductive health care for all women in developing countries $12 billion
Amount of money spent annually on perfumes in Europe and the United States $12 billion

Amount of money needed each year (in addition to current expenditures) to provide water and sanitation for all people in developing nations $9 billion
Amount of money spent annually on cosmetics in the United States $8 billion

Amount of money needed each year (in addition to current expenditures) to provide basic health an nutrition needs universally in the developing world $13 billion
Amount of money spent each year on pet food in Europe and the United States $17 billion

Amount of money needed each year (in addition to current expenditures) to provide basic education for all people in developing nations $6 billion
Amount of money spent each year on militaries worldwide $780 billion

Combined wealth of the world's richest 225 people $1 trillion
Combined annual income of the world's poorest 2.5 billion people $1 trillion

 

[The Boston Dangler]

because i neglected to post it before:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/sls1.html

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/588413main_SLS_Fun_Facts.pdf

SLS Evolved Lift Capability: More than any past, present, or future vehicle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_super_heavy_lift_launch_systems

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Launch_System (70-130,000 kg)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_Heavy (53,000 kg, unbeatable on cost)

 

[Lyfer]

I thought it said LUNCH. Man I'm getting hungry.

 

[ultimatebob]

Heh... I guess that I have to start rooting for the Chinese to take over the lead in the space race. This project is little more than a money grab for the aerospace contractors who were building the shuttle... there is practically no innovation here.

Seriously... it's basically an updated Saturn V made out of old space shuttle parts! How lame is that?

 

[0roo0roo]

How are we going to afford this?

I feel terrible for the "younger" generation ... we're leaving you with a horrible mess.

http://io9.com/5829707/must-listen-neil-degrasse-tysons-inspirational-rant-on-nasa-cutbacks
nasa budget is nothing

 

[sao123]

this still looks very similar to some of the later stages of what "Jupiter Direct" Proposed... very interesting.

i just hope it gets completely funded.

 

[Nintendesert]

HAHA these fuckers just strapped some solid rocket boosters to it. They've been playing too much Kerbal Space Program.

 

[ichy]

How are we going to afford this?

I feel terrible for the "younger" generation ... we're leaving you with a horrible mess.

In the grand scheme of the federal budget the cost of this program will be little more than a rounding error. Unfortunately NASA still won't get enough money to do this program properly, which means that we'll spend billions before the program is canceled and walk away with nothing.

 

[ichy]

Heh... I guess that I have to start rooting for the Chinese to take over the lead in the space race. This project is little more than a money grab for the aerospace contractors who were building the shuttle... there is practically no innovation here.

Seriously... it's basically an updated Saturn V made out of old space shuttle parts! How lame is that?

The problem is that there isn't too much room for innovation. There are no breakthroughs in rocket technology on the horizon.

I still don't get why they're using shuttle engines though, or their obsession with using liquid hydrogen as a propellant. Part of me wishes they'd dust off the plans for the old F-1 engines and build a new Saturn V. We're already re-using the Apollo era J-2s.

 

[Albatross]

this has photoshop potential:

He reminds me of this guy