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#76 2022-11-25 09:31:34

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,825

Re: Viability of NASA SLS launch system; should it be cancelled?

News article posting of $4.1 billion I have seen with all of the construction equipment required to produce this plus other parts sitting on the ground in various state of being built. True cost may never be known as you indicated since its been a decade in coming to launch with its many builds and testing or renewed parts and pieces to make it happen. Seems that nasa did not care about the viability of the ride along stuff as its all seeming to fail to deploy or operate correctly.

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#77 2022-12-06 11:59:55

Grypd
Member
From: Scotland, Europe
Registered: 2004-06-07
Posts: 1,879

Re: Viability of NASA SLS launch system; should it be cancelled?

I Wish I had more time to be able to be on this forum but as im not an US citizen perhaps I can put my penny in

SLS is as stated a pork barrel project but this has been the case with most US space launch capability for at least the last 50 years. It is an unfortunate result of what is a democracy people elected are intrested in being elected and as such when these come up  the first question is what is in it for me. And dont get me wrong often this is a point of view were elected officials are looking out for those who elected them they want jobs and prosperity to come to their people. It just makes everything a bit more expensive.

But on this thread we asked why is the SLS not more reusable the answer is simple it is proven technology and I have to ask if your senate and congress actually trust Space X and Musk im not sure.


Chan eil mi aig a bheil ùidh ann an gleidheadh an status quo; Tha mi airson cur às e.

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#78 2022-12-06 12:29:41

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 17,029

Re: Viability of NASA SLS launch system; should it be cancelled?

For Grypd re #77

This post is inspired by your comments ...

As a resident, I've taken it pretty much for granted that our political system favors keeping constituents employed, where possible.  The unexpected and abrupt termination of the momentum the US had going immediately after Apollo was out of the control of Congress, but what was ** in ** their control was the fate of the workforce, and the corporate structures that delivered Apollo.

It seems to me that there is a great deal more to the story of the long investment in SLS than we (humans) might (understandably) think of.

While the individual workers in the various companies engaged with SLS were not operating at the level of performance they might have achieved at SpaceX, what they ** have ** done is to sustain their families for all these years.

Your post caused me to reflect upon the implication of the Congress providing funds for an entire generation of bright young people to acquire a high level education, along with nurturing a positive attitude toward US spaceflight capability.   At this point, we have no way of knowing, but I would not be at ALL surprised to learn that some of the members of that cohort are now working for either Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, or other entrepreneurial organizations.

(th)

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#79 2022-12-09 18:40:03

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,825

Re: Viability of NASA SLS launch system; should it be cancelled?

We do have the topic of how expensive it has been to create and what we have done to create from existing.

Splashdown! Here's how NASA will recover the Artemis I Orion capsule in the Pacific Ocean

NASA's Orion capsule is expected to splashdown at 12:40 p.m. EST Sunday, Dec. 11.

Concluding its 25½-day mission, Artemis' Orion capsule will slow from a dizzying 25,000 mph – roughly a dozen times faster than a rifle bullet – to 300 mph after entering the Earth’s atmosphere. The capsule's heat shield should reach a roasting 5,000 degrees, or twice the temperature of molten lava.

After a series of parachutes deploy, NASA engineers predict the 11-by-16½-foot capsule should slow to about 20 mph before gliding earthward and striking the sea's surface within eyesight of the recovery ship's crew, 50 to 60 nautical miles off the San Diego coast.

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#80 2023-01-27 22:37:52

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,825

Re: Viability of NASA SLS launch system; should it be cancelled?

First word I have seen of the flight NASA’s ‘Mega Moon Rocket’ aced first flight and is ready for crewed Artemis II launch

Seems it's going to get another flight as data is within range even though they are still going through all of the data still.

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