Questions tagged [sls]
The Space Launch System (SLS) is NASA's rocket replacement for the Space Shuttle for large payloads. Use for questions about the vehicle and the launching of any payloads.
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Why not build Saturn V's again?
Why is the US developing a new rocket and spacecraft as opposed to building the Saturn V and Apollo stacks again?
The SLS / Orion development programs certainly can't cost less than the unit cost of ...
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Is the SLS irrelevant if the Falcon Heavy launch is successful this year?
My take is that, like so many bad, and good, NASA ideas, the SLS will get the axe after spending billions on the NASA subcontractor(s). Regardless if the SLS comes to full life cycle, NASA will not ...
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What is a "Major Component Failure" referred to in news reports about the unsuccessful Space Launch System core stage test firing?
In reporting about the unsuccessful green run of the SLS core stage, Ars Technica mentions
About 50 seconds into what was supposed to be an 8-minute test firing, the flight control center called out, ...
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When Artemis runs out of rollbacks
On 2022 Sep 26, Artemis I was moved from its launchpad back to its "garage" to shelter from a hurricane.
It was reported that
NASA managers have said the system is rated for two more ...
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How much of the second SLS has been built?
It took 10+ years to design and build the first SLS rocket, but Artemis 2 is scheduled for May 2024, less than 2 years from now. How much of the second rocket has been built?
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Why can the Falcon 9 be reused while the SLS cannot?
In reading about SLS, I learned that the reason they won't reuse their rocket is that the weight of the parachutes to enable recovery is too much of a sacrifice. How is the weight of the hardware and ...
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Do the solid rocket boosters of the Shuttle and SLS have a self-destruct system and was it activated during the Challenger disaster?
Videos of the Challenger shuttle explosion show both solid boosters speeding on after the main tank detonated. Were they eventually self-destructed by the ground control, or why not, and why not ...
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Why does the government still fund SLS while SpaceX is cheaper and has the same capabilities if not better?
Due to SpaceX's recent advancements in now proven rocket tech, why does the government still fund (what some would argue to be bloated) cost-plus contracts with Boeing and Lockheed? Am I missing ...
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Why isn't the Delta IV Heavy ever used for crewed spaceflight?
In 2014 the Orion spacecraft was launched on top of the Delta IV Heavy for the first time. Why do they build another rocket, the SLS, instead of launching the Orion on the Delta also with humans on ...
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How can Artemis 1 take so much longer for Earth-Lunar transit than the Apollo missions did?
The Artemis I mission will take 8-14 days to get from Earth to the Moon. Apollo 11 only took 3 days. Similarly the return will be 9-19 days for Artemis I and just over 2 days for Apollo 11.
Why is the ...
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What are the differences between SLS and Ares V?
SLS is to a large degree a continuation of the canceled Ares V, basically the STS without the orbiter. But what changes in design were made from Ares V to SLS? What were the reasons for those changes? ...
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What is the purpose of the aft skirt on the Space Shuttle and SLS Solid Rocket Boosters?
The Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) used by the Space Shuttle and SLS have a skirt near the bottom.
What is it for? Is it only to support the stack?
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Why won't the SLS boosters be recovered?
The SLS will be using five segment boosters derived from the four segment ones used during the STS program.
Almost all of the STS boosters were recovered and reused, however NASA doesn't plan to ...
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Black/White patterns on SLS boosters, fairings - Are these still roll patterns
The main purpose of the large black/white patterns on many of the early rockets was to make it easier to spot whether the rocket is rolling. The pattern on the Saturn V was changed to avoid picking up ...
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What's the advantage of using an SLS system rather than a number of small lift rockets?
I just read this article, in which former director Kraft is described as deriding NASA's current plan to use a single heavy-lift vehicle (Space Launch System, or SLS) as a primary launch platform. Why ...
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Where are the lost RS-25D Block 2 engines?
There were 21 RS-25D Block 2 engines made. Two of them never flew. Three of them were lost with the Columbia disaster. 16 of them are tagged for SLS's use, including 14 previously flown, and the two ...
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What does the software quality process for NASA's SLS look like?
What does the software quality process for NASA's SLS look like? What are the relevant standards that they have to comply to? Do they have to show that they are CMMI compliant, for example? I'm ...
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Could Orion repeat any of the Hubble Space Shuttle servicing missions?
I have a distinct feeling that there's some apparent no-go on the question in the title, but currently can't put my finger on it;
For the lifting mass to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), let's assume that SLS (...
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Why not crash the ICPS into the Moon?
The Wikipedia article on Artemis 1 says that an ICPS disposal burn was performed after spacecraft separation. This was intended to send the ICPS into heliocentric orbit after passing the Moon. Why ...
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How will the SLS first stage be supplied with engines? Copy manufacturing the RS-25 or replacing it?
The SLS is a very opinionated subject among bloggers. I'm looking for what substance there might be behind the following general claim (without specific source). Is it truthful and if so, what is the ...
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Do Orion's solar panels have adjustable sweep?
In this video overview of NASA's proposed EM-1 mission, the solar panels on the Orion spacecraft are initially shown extending perpendicular to the spacecraft (at around 3:46).
Shortly after that, as ...
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Will SLS be launched as often as the space shuttle was?
Again, I did some research, and again, the results aren't that impressive.
I was able to find that SLS is to become the " successor to the retired Space Shuttle, and the primary launch vehicle of ...
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Could the solid boosters of SLS be replaced by reusable Falcon 9 first stages?
Is it feasible to redesign the Space Launch System to use a pair of reusable Falcon 9 first stages instead of the five-segment solid boosters now being developed? The reason would be to lower launch ...
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Which are the benefits and challenges for a new SLS rocket version with four SRB? [closed]
Which are the benefits and the challenges for a new Space Launch System (SLS) version with four Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB)? Benefits i mean what would gain in payload capabilities, how much more ...
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Why were Solid Rockets chosen for the SLS
The SLS and the STS seem to be the only rockets utilizing SRBs... Why did they choose to go with them over LH/LOX or Kerosene/LOX? Wouldn't it also be easier to upgrade those rockets in the future?
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What do the banana values mean in this tweeted plot of heavy lift vehicle capabilities?
@FreddieR's answer to What are the longest current rocket payload fairings, capable of carrying long space station sections? contains the following graphic. It's attributed to Ken Kirtland and I found ...
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Can the SLS reuse its solid rocket boosters?
We know that the SLS is going to use solid rocket boosters that are decedents of the boosters used on the Space Shuttle. The new version is supposed to be bigger and better, but will NASA be able to ...
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Space Launch System (SLS) costs
What is a good estimate for SLS' annual fixed cost and variable per flight cost? What references are used for these costs?
I've seen uncited figures of $1B+/launch variable cost.
Wikipedia quotes a ...
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Why will SLS Block I bring less mass to LEO than the STS shuttle system did?
The Space Transportation System (STS) could bring a fully loaded shuttle orbiter of 109 tons to orbit (or maybe empty+payload 68+25=93 tons). The Space Launch System (SLS) Block I is based on STS, but ...
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Why did NASA design the SLS do the job of both the Ares I and Ares V?
The design of the Constellation program called for two main launch vehicles, The Ares I and the Ares V. The Ares I was said to be human-rated and was to be used to carry the Orion vehicle and its crew ...
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What is the cabling on the exterior of the SLS solid rocket boosters that wasn't on the shuttle solid rocket boosters?
I noticed what appears to be foamed-over cabling running roughly parallel to the systems tunnel on the exterior of the SLS Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). The cabling appears to run all the way from the ...
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How many US states receive large amounts of money due to SLS?
That NASA is spread out over so many locations across the US is history and discussed elsewhere in this site. Briefly, Congress approves funding and the funding ends up in many, many of congress' ...
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Escape system of SLS vs Ares I
One of the criticism directed at the Ares I rocket was the danger during a launch termination of the solid-propellant 1st stage. As far as I understood it, a terminated Titan IV solid-propellant ...
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How feasible is a manned flight to Apophis in 2029 using Artemis or Starship?
Apophis will fly by Earth around GEO altitude in 2029. May NASA consider launching an Orion spacecraft on a (sub-)orbital trajectory whose apogee is very close to Apophis so that astronauts can study ...
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Does the SLS mobile launch platform share any hardware with STS or even Saturn I/V MLP?
Following up on this question, does the SLS mobile launch platform reuse any hardware from the STS (Space Shuttle) or even Saturn mobile launch platforms?
The launch tower looks very similar to the ...
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What is the status of the F-1B engine development?
In this article https://arstechnica.com/science/2013/04/new-f-1b-rocket-engine-upgrades-apollo-era-deisgn-with-1-8m-lbs-of-thrust/ and in several answers on this site a modernized F-1 engine is ...
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RS-25 Hot Fire Test
Yesterday, NASA Stennis successfully completed a hot fire test of Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 a.k.a SSME. It was noted in the webcast before the test started that they were testing the 'engine controller'...
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What happened to ArgoMoon?
The primary objective of the Italian ArgoMoon cubesat was to image the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) after being jettisoned from it.
Argotec engineers noticed the inability of the Interim ...
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What hardware does SLS actually share with STS?
I was thinking about it for a while and realized I really don't know. I'm guessing it's:
The RS-25s
The SRB segments
SRB seals/joints
SRB nosecone assemblies +(avionics/separation motors/housings)?
...
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What are these discs on the Crawler-Transporter?
I've just watched this footage of SLS's Mobile Launcher Platform being rolled out to LC-39B for fitting tests.
On the front of the drive trucks are two rotating discs with red markings which are ...
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How will the SRBs used by the SLS differ from those used by the Shuttle?
The Space Launch System, which recently secured funding from Congress, uses many features that were developed from the Shuttle program, including the first-stage engines and boosters, and it's overall ...
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How do they simulate the SLS engine environment?
I was reading an Aviation Week article about the restart of SSME (RS-25E) production for SLS.
There is a paragraph in it that is interesting to me.
On the SLS, the engine inlets will receive ...
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What engine-out capabilities does SLS have?
Falcon 9 can complete its mission with the loss of any one engine. The Space Shuttle could reach orbit with one engine out starting a few minutes into flight. Most other rockets don't have any ...
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What's next for Orion?
Orion's Exploration Flight Test 1 today appeared to go very well.
The only information on future Orion flights I was able to find suggests that the next step is an unmanned circumlunar flight ...
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Could the SLS reach orbit without solid rocket boosters?
Could the SLS block 1 reach orbit without solid rocket boosters, and if so, how much payload could it lift?
If it couldn't reach orbit in the block 1 config, could it do so with the Exploration ...
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Why will Artemis II not orbit the Moon?
The Artemis II mission will loiter in an elliptical, high-Earth orbit before the Orion uses its own propulsion to complete the trans lunar injection (tli), thus using the fuel it might’ve otherwise ...
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RS-25E cost estimate but sentence confusing (approximately: help; maybe)?
So recently someone found out that the industry studies for SLS had been FOIAed by a site called government attic. While the other studies are interesting in their own right (check them out honestly), ...
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How can SLS be ready to carry humans after just a single test flight?
Artemis I is the maiden flight of the SLS, and the very next SLS mission, Artemis II, is planned to already carry a human crew.
I don't understand how this is possible. How can a hyper-complex rocket, ...
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Is there a G-force curve estimated for a SLS launch?
Has the G-force curve for the launch of Block 1, Block 1B, or Block 2 (crew and or cargo) Space Launch Systems been determined? If there is no published estimates for the curve, is the estimate of the ...
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What is the time sequence for SRB burn-out and separation?
I understand that SRBs cannot be throttled or shut down, they need to "burn out". Since they are often used in pairs, I assume there is a statistical spread in the burn duration of the two ...
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