Tag: SLS
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SpaceX to fly two private individuals on a Dragon 2 lunar mission
In a hastily arranged announcement, Elon Musk has revealed a plan to launch a Dragon 2 spacecraft on a circumlunar mission, with two paying customers. The launch, which will be conducted by a Falcon Heavy rocket in late 2018, is being seen as a major statement of intent by SpaceX, especially when NASA is conducting a…
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RS-25 conducts test for SLS as team waits on new engine controllers
The RS-25 team has conducted the latest hot-fire test of development engine 0528 at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi on Wednesday. While the team continues to wait for delivery of flight versions of the new engine controller units (ECU), they took the opportunity to conduct an engine test firing to evaluate a design trade-off…
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Investigating the potential of including a crew on the maiden flight of SLS
With NASA’s management officially informing the workforce that evaluations are taking place into installing a crew on to the first flight of the Space Launch System (SLS), the challenge of ensuring crew safety will gain additional focus. Without an uncrewed test flight, a modification to the Exploration Mission -1 (EM-1) profile is likely, ranging from…
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VAB completes platform installation for SLS stacking
The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) has finally completed the installation of a large set of huge work platforms that will allow for the stacking of the Space Launch System (SLS) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The work involved the removal of the old Shuttle hardware, ahead of the installation of 10 levels of platforms.…
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MAF hit by tornado; all personnel safe as damage assessments begin
NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) has been hit by a tornado in the early afternoon hours of Tuesday. The immediate extent of damage and injuries is not yet known, though video and photos on social media show several overturned vehicles and severely damage buildings. MAF is currently being used by NASA for construction of the core stage of the…
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Proof is in the Core as SLS pushes towards maiden launch
The first fully-welded Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage propellant tank was recently moved to its proof testing facility at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), to begin final preparations for the first set of tests to begin. The liquid hydrogen (LH2) qualification tank will be a pathfinder for Core Stage prime contractor Boeing and NASA…
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Boeing and NASA prepare for the assembly of the first SLS rocket
Prime contractor Boeing recently discussed the current progress of assembly and production for the first Core Stage elements of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS). With assembly of the major structures almost complete, all the different first-time pieces are working their way along parallel paths at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans, Louisiana, as…
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Software and Service Module cited as main critical paths to EM-1 launch date
A top level overview at NASA’s Advisory Council (NAC) has shown most of the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft flows are on track for a 2018 launch of Exploration Mission -1 (EM-1). However, engineers are continuing to battle against critical path issues with the European Service Module and flight software. Path to EM-1:…
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Orbital ATK reviews SRB plans and competitiveness for SLS EM-1 and beyond
With booster casting operations for SLS’s EM-1 mission well underway at Orbital ATK’s manufacturing facility in Utah, the company is looking ahead in terms of how the boosters’ flight data will be transmitted to ground stations during flight. Moreso, the company is looking beyond EM-1 to the build operations for the EM-2 flight boosters as…
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KSC evaluating the groundwork challenges for SLS Block 1B upgrades
NASA’s monster rocket will evolve into an even larger vehicle early in her lifetime, as the Block 1 rocket grows into the workhorse known as the Block 1B. With a large increase in capability – and height – the Block 1B will require a revamp of numerous elements of the KSC ground systems, ranging from…