Posts Tagged ‘HLV’

Full steam ahead for ATK’s SLS booster drive

ATK are making good progress on both the initial five segment boosters, set to launch with the opening launches of the Space Launch System (SLS), and the Advanced…

Gerstenmaier expands on recently announced asteroid mission

In a recent presentation to the human exploration and operations committee of the NASA Advisory Counsel (NAC), William Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate,…

Captured Asteroid mission – Redefining EM-2 for the bold challenge

NASA administrator Charlie Bolden has officially announced an ambitious mission to send a crew to a captured asteroid as early as 2021. Mission planning is scheduled to begin…

Pad 39B transition making good progress ahead of SLS debut

Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39B is fast returning to the status of an active launch pad, with new elevator towers now visible on the surface of the former…

Two mid-span supports required to avoid booster sag for QM-1

ATK will use two “mid-span” supports on their upcoming static test of their five segment Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). The large pieces of hardware will help mitigate “sagging”…

MAF undergoing major modification work ahead of SLS production

The Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) has begun its transformation back into the birth place of giant rockets that will enable the United States to return to deep space…

Safety Panel impressed with challenged Exploration Program

NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) have provided a report to NASA administrator Charlie Bolden stating they are impressed with the Agency’s work towards the opening missions for…

SLS takes on new buckling standards, drops Super Light alloy

With a recent decision to switch the Space Launch System (SLS) core from aluminum-lithium to non-lithium alloys, NASA has come full circle on a journey that started nearly…

Mobile Launcher redesign plan for SLS nears completion

Teams at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) are expected to complete a redesign plan for the giant Mobile Launcher (ML) by the end of the month. Re-purposed for…

SLS launch to Orion separation – sequence outlined by NASA

The NASA teams working on the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft are continuing to build a huge collection of documentation that will provide the tools to…

Orion’s ATV Service Module deal may allow ESA astro on EM-2 mission

As was expected, NASA and ESA managers announced the European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) will live on as the bulk of the Orion Service Module. With an emphasis…

The Dark Knights – ATK’s Advanced Boosters for SLS revealed

A presentation overviewing ATK’s preliminary proposal for the upcoming advanced booster competition for Space Launch System (SLS) claims the new motor will be 40 percent cheaper and 23.5…

Boeing discusses use of SLS for robust lunar program

As the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket continues development for its debut mission in December 2017, the Boeing company has identified several exploration architectures that would be enabled by…

SLS on track to CDR as engineers work though a baffling issue

As the Space Launch System (SLS) heads on to the path towards its Critical Design Review (CDR), engineers are close to mitigating an issue relating to the core stage’s slosh…

Year in Review (Part III) – SLS development, mission possibilities take shape

2012: The year when the Space Launch System rocket began to take shape. For NASA, 2012 saw tremendous progress toward the development of the SLS rocket – the…

Shuttle Scrubber: SLS working to avoid GUCP leaks

With a deep heritage between the Shuttle’s External Tank and the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage, a NASA team recently evaluated recommendations to mitigate against leaks of…

VAB integration between SLS and Orion outlined by SPIO

NASA’s Spacecraft and Payload Integration Office (SPIO) has outlined the complex process of integrating Orion on to the Space Launch System (SLS) stack during processing inside the Vehicle…

J-2X powerpack completes 2012 testing ahead of SLS role

The powerpack assembly for the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) J-2X engine has completed its year of testing at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The engine is…

NASA interest in 2024 Mars Sample Return Mission using SLS and Orion

The Mars Program Planning Group (MPPG) have added meat to the bones of a proposal that would result in the Space Launch System (SLS), Orion and a Mars…