An artist’s impression of the Cape Kennedy space launch system.
NASA
NASA on Thursday completed its eighth final test of a “green run” of the main stage for the largest rocket ever built, known as the Space Launch System (SLS).
SLS as a result of the 2010 conference command is leading the space agency to develop flight systems suitable for human exploration of Mars.
Under a program called Artemis – the twin sister god of the Greek god Apollo – NASA plans to use the baseline version of the Space Launch System to return astronauts to the Moon, after which it will grow to support the flyby of the Earth. Red Planet in 2033.
The key stage confirmed Thursday will provide the backbone for initial and subsequent iterations of SLS, so it is not true to say that successful testing of the platform is a major milestone. on the way to Mars.
But first the new rocket must show that it is a fitting follower of Saturn V, the rocket that sent U.S. astronauts to the last Moon nearly 50 years ago.
SLS is the first U.S.-developed exploration class launch vehicle from Saturn V. The Space Shuttle was not designed for deep space missions.
Space group graphic explaining the main stage of SLS.
NASA
Even in its original version, called Block 1, SLS will be larger than Saturn V. It is designed to carry a payload of 95 tons to low earth orbit, and 26 tons all the way to the Moon.
Block 1 will become a “1B” variant with a more powerful monitoring platform, increasing the payload it can carry to the Moon to 40 tons.
A later evolution called Block 2 would be able to lift 45 metric tons to the Moon.
The rockets will be arranged in both cargo and crew versions, with astronauts traveling in an upgraded version of the Orion space capsule originally developed for the Constellation program that was postponed by the President Obama.
It was that move by the 44th president that led Congress to lead the current effort, ordering the use of technology developed for the Constellation program.
The RS-25 engines tested Thursday were partially used to save money, having successfully completed 135 Space Shuttle missions.
After the moon, NASA will be ready to deal with Mars, which will enter a stage of orbit around the Sun in 2033 that is ideal for enabling missions from Earth.
The favorable coexistence of Martian and Earth orbits occurs only every 15 years.
But regaining the ability to send astronauts to the Moon is seen by the space agency as an important stepping stone to Mars’ mission on a human level.
As a US astronaut said on NASA TV on Thursday in the main stage test, “The Moon will continue to Mars, and we should be in forty years. ”
It would be difficult to overstate the engineering challenges associated with such missions.
Just to get back to the Moon with enough payload, SLS needs to generate nearly nine million pounds of effort, accelerating over 500 seconds of shooting to 23 times the speed of sound.
The four engines tested Thursday need to mix 537,000 gallons of hydrogen fuel with 196,000 gallons of dissolved oxygen to generate 2 million pounds of effort, in the process heating the hydrogen from minus-423 Fahrenheit levels to 6,000 degrees.
The rest of the effort is provided by solid rocket motors attached to either side of the main stage – the largest rocket stage ever built, making it the most powerful rocket in the world.
There has been a lot of talk lately about finding less difficult ways to get back to the Moon and beyond. New, non-traditional providers of launch services are sometimes cited as appropriate alternatives to the current effort.
However, NASA does not appear to be convinced that these alternatives are viable.
According to information pages on the space agency’s website, “SLS is the only rocket that can send an Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and large cargo to the Moon on a single mission.”
Other approaches would be more complex, such as requiring multiple refueling in a low-earth orbit, thus reducing the likelihood of mission success.
There seems to be a consensus within NASA that any program aimed at accomplishing human missions to Mars needs a start-up vehicle with SLS performance and features.
Former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, who was accused of reorganizing the human exploration program after the cancellation of Constellation, said, “SLS not only allowed the Group to get people back to the Moon and on to Mars soon. but it will enable the U.S. to transform the behavior of blades to planets outside our solar system. “
After completing all eight tests in the “green run” series, the main stage that will power these messages will now move to Cape Kennedy for matching with the rest of SLS architecture.
It is not often that an administration has the opportunity to lead a campaign that could be remembered as a thousand years like that, but this could be one of those moments.
If humans ever go to Mars at any time in the 21st century, the mainstay of the Space Launch System tested this week is likely to be an essential part of the solution for their transport there.
Boeing’s main level contractor
BA