Author Topic: Orion - Venus Flyby?  (Read 26105 times)

Offline Endeavour_01

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Re: Orion - Venus Flyby?
« Reply #40 on: 12/24/2014 08:30 pm »
I was thinking the same thing Orion  and the EDS would be the last parts to launch not just on time frame constraints but also due to propellant boil off on the EDS.

But SLS Block II probably could lift everything for a flyby mission in one go.

This is where I think you use other launch vehicles in addition to SLS.  Since you can only launch one SLS in the short timeframe you have to get all of the elements into LEO prior to your EDS burn, I'd launch the hab and consumables on one or two EELVs (like F9H and/or D-IVH) and then launch your crew (in an Orion) and the EDS on the SLS.

You could even use a manned Dragon or CST-100 or Dreamchaser to check out and assemble the hab and consumables modules before committing the SLS to launch.

So, I see a lot of work for everyone in any BLEO mission...

Exactly. EELVs can do a great job of supplementing this type of mission. Commercial rockets and NASA rockets can be used together to great effect.
I cheer for both NASA and commercial space. For SLS, Orion, Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Dragon, Starship/SH, Starliner, Cygnus and all the rest!
I was blessed to see the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-99. The launch was beyond amazing. My 8-year old mind was blown. I remember the noise and seeing the exhaust pour out of the shuttle as it lifted off. I remember staring and watching it soar while it was visible in the clear blue sky. It was one of the greatest moments of my life and I will never forget it.

Offline Nilof

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Re: Orion - Venus Flyby?
« Reply #41 on: 12/29/2014 12:33 am »
The bare minimum for a flyby would be an Orion plus a habitat module similar in capability  to a DOS station module such as a BA330 or DSH.
Though even Orion plus Skylab II would only be about 59,000kg for a crewed planetary flyby mission this is very reasonable.

It might not have to be that big, especially if you did 2 people like Inspiration Mars - BA330 is huge! (Close to Skylab size).
A Sundancer or a Russian DOS or Mir core would be big enough for such a small crew but Bigelow decided to skip Sundancer for the BA330 and the latter may not be possible in the present political environment.

There is lots of experience in making modules in the 10-ton range from the ISS program. The first high-TRL option I'd think of would be a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module derived hab, which would weigh in at about 4 tonnes empty while having three times the habitable volume of an Orion.

Does anyone know if the Raffaello MLPM is still lying around somewhere since the Space Shuttle retired? For a oneshot mission like the 2021 Inspiration Mars flight, reusing an already built and flight-proven hab module sounds like the best option.
« Last Edit: 12/29/2014 12:02 pm by Nilof »
For a variable Isp spacecraft running at constant power and constant acceleration, the mass ratio is linear in delta-v.   Δv = ve0(MR-1). Or equivalently: Δv = vef PMF. Also, this is energy-optimal for a fixed delta-v and mass ratio.

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