[New] Space Launch System / Orion Discussion Thread

[Rutabaga22]

Just now, Gargamel said:

Define reusable.

Can be used again.

[Minmus Taster]

1 minute ago, Rutabaga22 said:

Is there ANY way SLS could be reusable? I know people constantly ask if it is reusable, but I want to know if it could.

They could probably find to refurbish the boosters like in the shuttle but would lead to the usual NASA delay's, core booster is hopeless as it's just not designed for reuse, same goes for upper stage and literally everything but the Orion capsule which I think can go more than once.

This had better work, say what you will about the rocket but if this fails the entire US moon program is ruined overnight.

It's time lads'

[intelliCom]

18 minutes ago, Rutabaga22 said:

Is there ANY way SLS could be reusable? I know people constantly ask if it is reusable, but I want to know if it could.

I mean, if they were smart enough to at least reuse those expensive engines, it would be partially reusable. ULA is already going to try it with Vulcan Centaur.

If Vulcan Centaur is successful with its trick, SLS might be reworked to add that feature. You know, since each rocket does cost 4 billion dollars and all.

[tater]

30 minutes ago, Rutabaga22 said:

Is there ANY way SLS could be reusable? I know people constantly ask if it is reusable, but I want to know if it could.

No, unless you count the core sinking someplace where sea creatures can inhabit it.

[intelliCom]

1 minute ago, tater said:

No, unless you count the core sinking someplace where sea creatures can inhabit it.

*Where sea creatures can choke on insulation

[sevenperforce]

30 minutes ago, Rutabaga22 said:

Is there ANY way SLS could be reusable? I know people constantly ask if it is reusable, but I want to know if it could.

You could commission diving teams to go and dredge up the remains of the SRBs from the Atlantic Ocean and dredge up the remains of the core from the Indian Ocean and melt down all the tangled fragments and use a refinery to separate the raw metals and re-forge them into parts of a new rocket, sure.

Recovery and reconstruction of the SRBs isn’t THAT hard. They did that with the Space Shuttle program, after all. But you aren’t really reusing the same SRBs. You’re recovering the smouldering metal cylinders and then cutting them apart and cleaning them and filling the rings up with new propellant and putting them back together, usually in a different order. The cost of recovery is higher than the cost of just sourcing new metal.

The core is traveling MUCH too fast to recover. It’s technically in orbit. It would need something like SMART reuse with a separate expandable heat shield and mid-air recovery, or something. And the engines on SLS are almost certainly too heavy for mid-air recovery. 

[tater]

10 minutes ago, intelliCom said:

I mean, if they were smart enough to at least reuse those expensive engines, it would be partially reusable. ULA is already going to try it with Vulcan Centaur.

If Vulcan Centaur is successful with its trick, SLS might be reworked to add that feature. You know, since each rocket does cost 4 billion dollars and all.

Vulcan stages at below orbital velocity, but still pretty fast, >5 km/s I think(?). Even with SLS Block 1B flying to a circularized parking orbit (vs the eccentric orbit it has to use for Block 1), it will be moving pretty fast. SMART might well be able to be scaled up for that, but the mass penalty would be a concern given that SLS can barely get Orion to even a distant lunar orbit. Also, 4 RS-25s is ~12t, not including the fact you'd need the whole thrust structure, plus the ballute... probably north of 25t? 30?

1 minute ago, sevenperforce said:

The core is traveling MUCH too fast to recover. It’s technically in orbit. It would need something like SMART reuse with a separate expandable heat shield and mid-air recovery, or something. And the engines on SLS are almost certainly too heavy for mid-air recovery. 

Yeah, should have added that above with the 25+t estimate. No way to actually capture it once floating down.

Not to mention such a plan would take the SLS people another 10 years, and might change the GSE (and need a new ML, lol).

[sevenperforce]

18 minutes ago, intelliCom said:

I mean, if they were smart enough to at least reuse those expensive engines, it would be partially reusable. ULA is already going to try it with Vulcan Centaur.

If Vulcan Centaur is successful with its trick, SLS might be reworked to add that feature. You know, since each rocket does cost 4 billion dollars and all.

The four engines on SLS weigh six times as much as the two engines on Vulcan.

You’re gonna need a gigantic heli. Bigger than the largest heavy-lift Sikorsky helicopter in existence. 

[tater]

19 minutes ago, sevenperforce said:

You’re gonna need a gigantic heli. Bigger than the largest heavy-lift Sikorsky helicopter in existence. 

Yeah, a CH-53 lift load is 36,000lbs, ~16 metric tons—and that is not the same as a catch from a load standpoint. So they'd also need to develop a new helicopter.

More jobs in more districts!

Edited November 16, 2022 by tater

[Barzon]

15 minutes ago, sevenperforce said:

Recovery and reconstruction of the SRBs isn’t THAT hard. They did that with the Space Shuttle program, after all. But you aren’t really reusing the same SRBs. You’re recovering the smouldering metal cylinders and then cutting them apart and cleaning them and filling the rings up with new propellant and putting them back together, usually in a different order. The cost of recovery is higher than the cost of just sourcing new metal.

 

will be even harder when BOLE comes online.

also I dont think anyones mentioned, weather is back up to 90% PGO

[Gargamel]

Am i hearing chatter of another Hydrogen leak?   I missed the lead on the subject as I jump in and out of the NASAspaceflight stream.

[intelliCom]

4 minutes ago, Gargamel said:

Am i hearing chatter of another Hydrogen leak?   I missed the lead on the subject as I jump in and out of the NASAspaceflight stream.

Somewhere on the upper stage I think. I'm also jumping in and out.

[tater]

 

 

[Barzon]

 

Edited November 16, 2022 by Barzon

[tater]

Maybe they can malletize it.

 

[Rutabaga22]

Just now, tater said:

Maybe they can malletize it.

 

What does that mean?

Snow Day Alarm Winter weather warning for tomorrow. 100% staying up for SLS.

[Barzon]

3 minutes ago, Rutabaga22 said:

What does that mean?

 

hammer it into shape, basically. 

 

ICPS LOX is in replenish, red crew are gonna torque bolts on the valve. currently in discussions. standby.

[Minmus Taster]

10 minutes ago, Barzon said:

 

Just let it fall apart, I'm truly tired of this rocket.

[Barzon]

1 minute ago, Minmus Taster said:

Just let it fall apart, I'm truly tired of this rocket.

Calm down, all will be well. It'll get off the ground eventually.

[Minmus Taster]

1 minute ago, Barzon said:

Calm down, all will be well. It'll get off the ground eventually.

"eventually"

[darthgently]

At this point, with all the leaks up to this point I say launch!  It would be like the 4th of July!  Achieve orbit or go out in a blaze of glory!

Just Do It! (swoosh)

[cubinator]

Two technicians and a safety lead are going to the pad.

[Minmus Taster]

Just now, cubinator said:

Two technicians and a safety lead are going to the pad.

I really hope it doesn't explode with them on it, watching SLS fail is only fun when people aren't getting hurt (physically at least).

[Barzon]

Red crew advise it should take ~15 minutes to fix the leak. Been told roughly where the leak is but I don't think I can say.  Got a goodish pic of where it is that I'll post if Derrol specifies it's location.

[darthgently]

I'm out of likes.  Big day