![\"Ares](\"\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/A3171.jpg\" "\\"Ares")
It was initially built for the Constellation Program (CxP) to host Ares I launches, with a launch specific to the \u201cstick\u201d design of the rocket.<\/p>\nWith work continuing on a lengthy project to convert the Mobile Launcher (ML) for use with the Space Launch System (SLS), a NASA manager has spoken about the challenges of preparing the huge structure for the rocket\u2019s undefined manifest. The hope of SLS involvement with a mission to Europa included considerations for a second ML. However, the confirmed path for ML is for it to undergo another major modification period after just EM-1.<\/p>\n
\nMobile Launcher:<\/p>\n
The ML \u2013 designed by RS&H (base and structure), along with ASRC Aerospace Corporation (prop systems etc.) \u2013 consists of the main support structure that comprises the base, tower and facility ground support systems.<\/p>\n
This includes power, communications, conditioned air, water for cooling, wash-down, with the system designed with ignition over-pressure protection in mind.<\/p>\n
It was initially built for the Constellation Program (CxP) to host Ares I launches, with a launch specific to the \u201cstick\u201d design of the rocket.<\/p>\n
However, the cancellation of the Constellation Program (CxP) resulted in the ML receiving its pink slip.<\/p>\n
Parked up near the VAB, rumors of what would happen to the ML ranged from pulling the structure apart for scrap, through to a joke that was circulated throughout the KSC workforce claiming there was interest from Disney for turning it into a fun ride.<\/p>\n
Ironically, Disney engineers had already worked with the KSC team on the roller coaster Emergency Egress System (EES) \u2013 a giant structure that has since been ruled out as the EES for the SLS.<\/p>\n
SpaceX launch tickets (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n The launch mount was the first major element of the ML to be redesigned.<\/p>\n Over three years later, modification work is continuing, mainly related to the vast number of umbilicals that will be mated with SLS and Orion ahead of launches.<\/p>\n Testing of the arms and umbilicals is taking place at the Launch Equipment Test Facility (LETF) inside the Kennedy Space Center grounds.<\/p>\n However, the modified ML is likely to be just for one SLS launch \u2013 Exploration Mission -1 (EM-1) \u2013 given the following SLS mission will involve an evolution from the SLS Block 1 to the taller Block 1B.<\/p>\n At the outset, the development goal of the three ESD programs was Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2); current plans are for EM-2 to introduce both a fully human-rated Orion spacecraft and the higher performance Exploration Upper Stage (EUS).<\/p>\n As with the ramp up to EM-1, all three programs will have their development challenges getting ready for EM-2, which is currently forecast to launch no-later-than April 2023, though ESD maintains schedules pointing to an internal target of August 2021.<\/p>\n Mr. Hill said that while in theory both the SLS Block 1 (with ICPS) and Block 1B (with EUS) configurations might be able to support launching a spacecraft to Europa, ESD can realistically only support one launcher configuration within its budget.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are some other missions that we\u2019re looking at as an agency, like Europa, that we could probably \u2018get away with\u2019 using the ICPS, but to maintain the dual infrastructure (would be expensive),\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n \u201cI had our Ground Systems (program) take a look at what would it cost me to build another Mobile Launcher before EM-2, so I could have one for ICPS and one for (EUS).<\/p>\n \u201cThe low end was about 350 million dollars, the high end was about 500 million dollars \u2013 and the low end really didn\u2019t do anything for me, because we (would have) to strip the (existing) Mobile Launcher of all its guts, put it on the other one, and if we wanted to go back to the other one we were going to have to replicate all that.<\/p>\n \u201cThat coupled with the fact that most of the costs showed up in 2018 and 2018 is going to be a challenging year no matter what we look at.\u201d<\/p>\n With EM-2 now baselined using EUS, GSDO will be making major modifications to the Mobile Launcher after the EM-1 launch, removing the ICPS swing arm, relocating Orion infrastructure, and integrating a new swing arm and infrastructure for EUS.<\/p>\n Everything above the Core Stage Forward Skirt Umbilical (CSFSU) \u2013 such as the Crew Access Arm \u2013 will be changed to cater for the EUS, which is about 35 feet taller than the ICPS.<\/p>\n While the ICPS umbilical arm will become obsolete, it will be replaced by a hydrogen vent arm, a LOX umbilical arm and a LH2 umbilical arm for the EUS.<\/p>\n All the cryo skids will have to be redesigned, while the cryo lines on the ML Tower will also change in both length and diameter, to support the higher propellant flow rates required for filling the RUS \u2013 over five times that compared to the ICPS.<\/p>\n When asked about the possibility of flying a SLS launch in between EM-1 and EM-2, Mr. Hill understandably thought that was unlikely.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now we\u2019re committed to flying EM-1 and EM-2. Some of the modifications that we\u2019re making to the Mobile Launcher are going to be challenging to get in before August of \u201921 \u2013 or before \u201921 when we\u2019re targeting EM-2.<\/p>\n \u201cFrankly I don\u2019t think Europa is going to be ready by then, but we\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n That was always likely to be the case, with the Europa mission very much in a preliminary stage of evaluation. Also, EM-2 is highly likely to be baselined at the latter program date of 2023.<\/p>\n From an SLS-usage option, the only payloads that have political interest at the moment are the Europa and Mars Sample Return missions. The later has undergone a conceptual design within the SLS Program, involving a Mars lander carrying an ascent vehicle for a Mars sample return mission.<\/p>\n Europa is classed internally as the first cargo-only launch of SLS, along SLS\u2019 role with cargo has expanded via the cargo capacity inside the Universal Stage Adapter (USA) under Orion on the Block 1B rocket.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Europa, we now realize we\u2019ll probably do two missions \u2013 we\u2019ll do one orbiter and orbit for a couple of years, collect surface data and then do a lander later once we select a surface location,\u201d confirmed Mr. Hill from the ESD standpoint \u2013 which confirming the very early stage of evaluations.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we may be launching two Europa (spacecraft), but that\u2019s downstream, we\u2019re not really looking at that yet.\u201d<\/p>\n (Images: NASA and L2 which includes, presentations, videos, graphics and internal \u2013 interactive with actual SLS engineers \u2013 updates on the SLS and HLV, available on no other site. ML photo via Marek Cyzio. Europa mission renders by L2 Artist Nathan Koga. The full gallery of Nathan\u2019s (SpaceX Dragon to MCT, SLS, Commercial Crew and more) L2 images can be *found here*))<\/p>\n (L2 is \u2013 as it has been for the past several years \u2013 providing full exclusive SLS and Exploration Planning coverage. To join L2, click here: http:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/l2\/)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With work continuing on a lengthy project to convert the Mobile Launcher (ML) for use with the Space Launch System (SLS), a NASA manager has spoken about the challenges of preparing the huge structure for the rocket\u2019s undefined manifest. The hope of SLS involvement with a mission to Europa included considerations for a second ML. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30078,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3718,4011,1659,9012,8892,624],"class_list":["post-38962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-em-1","tag-em-2","tag-europa","tag-gdso","tag-ml","tag-sls"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38962"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38962\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30078"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"ML](\"\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Z31.jpg\" "\\"ML")
Although the ML is highly suited to the SLS vehicle, modifications \u2013 mainly to the Ares-specific elements of the structure, such as the launch mount \u2013 were required, ahead of the Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle\u2019s debut in 2018.<\/p>\n![\"2016-09-13-174531\"](\"\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/2016-09-13-174531-350x244.jpg\")
Exploration Systems Development (ESD) Deputy Associate Administrator Bill Hill explained that the program is still continuing to refine plans for work after EM-1.<\/p>\n![\"2016-09-13-174720\"](\"\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/2016-09-13-174720-350x240.jpg\")
Another mission with the possibility of using SLS is Europa Clipper, with a technical launch date in the same time-frame as EM-2.<\/p>\nSee Also<\/h4>\n
\n
![\"2015-07-07-163230\"](\"\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/2015-07-07-163230-350x253.jpg\")
Those modifications are wide-ranging, with an estimated cost of upwards of 150 million dollars and involving three years of work.<\/p>\n![\"2016-05-17-220143\"](\"\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/2016-05-17-220143-350x325.jpg\")
Two new hydraulic control systems will have to be built to support the two additional umbilical arms, which is a concern, due to the amount of remaining space to host them on the Tower.<\/p>\n![\"2016-09-13-174642\"](\"\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/2016-09-13-174642-350x245.jpg\")
For Europa, two missions would be involved, launching in either 2023 or 2025 from a planning process standpoint within the SLS Program.<\/p>\n