Tag: HLV
-
EM-1: MAF gearing up for SLS Core Stage production
NASA and Boeing are ramping up their preparations to begin full-scale production of the first Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage assembly. The schedule calls for the completion of the Exploration Mission -1 (EM-1) Core Stage in time to be shipped to the Stennis Space Center for a full stage test firing in 2017. SLS…
-
Battle of the Heavyweight Rockets – SLS could face Exploration Class rival
With the recent announcement the Space Launch System (SLS) has become challenged by her schedule, the NASA rocket may soon find herself in a battle with a commercial “alternative”. SpaceX’s super powerful Exploration Class rocket is targeting crewed missions to Mars up to 10 years ahead of SLS – although both vehicles continue to avoid being…
-
VAB preparing for key role during SLS processing flow
The iconic Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the world famous Kennedy Space Center (KSC) may have fallen silent over recent years, but behind the scenes teams are working on a “roadmap of operations” for the giant building, ahead of its primary role with the integration of the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft. VAB:…
-
SLS positioning for ARRM and Europa missions
Space Launch System (SLS) managers are conducting a feasibility study into the use of a 5.4 meter payload fairing, with a view to enabling the use of the HLV for the Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM) spacecraft – set to launch in 2019 – and even a robotic mission to Europa. The effort is part…
-
SpaceX advances drive for Mars rocket via Raptor power
SpaceX Co-Founder and Vice President of Propulsion Development Tom Mueller has revealed the company is deep into the development of the first “full flow methane-liquid oxygen” rocket engine. Known as the Raptor, nine of these immensely powerful engines – on one or three cores – will be utilized to send SpaceX’s Super Heavy Lift Launch…
-
SLS launch rate requires repetitive cadence – Gerstenmaier
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) will launch at least once per year, as a “necessary” requirement, according to Bill Gerstenmaier. NASA’s Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations recently addressed concerns over the near term schedule for the monster rocket, which will not launch humans until the next decade. SLS: The new Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLV)…
-
RS-25 Second Life: SLS Core Stage engine set for summer testing
The RS-25 – the engine that enjoyed a hugely successful career with the Space Shuttle fleet – is set to begin its new life with the Space Launch System (SLS) this summer. Testing at the Stennis Space Center will initially focus on a new Main Engine Controller (MEC) and the ability to accommodate the full range of…
-
SMAT fires up to open SLS acoustic testing
The Scale Model Acoustic Test (SMAT) – a mini-me version of the SLS – has fired up for the first time at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The tests are focused on providing data to engineering teams who are tasked with designing the Sound Suppression System that will protect the Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle…
-
New SLS mission options explored via new Large Upper Stage
As NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket continues toward its initial debut in 2017, a Boeing proposal for a new Large Upper Stage for the rocket would see SLS gain the ability to perform more complex, long-range missions in a more cost-effective manner. New missions for SLS: As previously reported by NASASpaceflight.com, Boeing has brought…
-
SLS upper stage proposals reveal increasing payload-to-destination options
With less than a year to go before the inaugural flight of NASA’s Orion crew capsule and just over four years until the debut of the SLS rocket in 2017, work on the massive Heavy Lift Vehicle continues with ongoing proposals and studies targeting the vehicle’s upper stage. Expanding SLS capabilities: As the Space Launch…