Nice article Chris - is their any indication about funding from NASA or congress for these science missions?
That's a really interesting write up. Thanks!Quote from: BrightLight on 11/04/2014 01:51 amNice article Chris - is their any indication about funding from NASA or congress for these science missions?And I actually read the article, unlike Brightlight
I like that a Mars sample return is being discussed. The article mentions the mars ascent vehicle docking with a crewed orion to transfer the sample canister. Does anyone know if the transfer will take place in Earth orbit or Mars orbit?
A Mars sample return mission is on the order of $7-$9 billion.It's rather nutty for the HEOMD people to start penciling-in a mission for another directorate that it is impossible for that directorate to afford. That's essentially assuming that the Science Mission Directorate would spend an entire decade's worth of procurement on a single mission. Not realistic at all.
Then there is talk of MSR for 2024.And after that, EM-4, again, no outline, but date of August 15, 2025.I would think that EM-3 or EM-4 is one of those missions that returns the MSR canister?
The timeline is all messed up for the asteroid sampling mission. If the robotic part (not yet designed or funded, going to an as-yet unidentified asteroid on a mission of unknown duration) is launched in 2021, then the Orion part of the mission can't happen until 2023-2024 or so at least, or maybe even later, if returning the rock to lunar orbit takes years via SEP.And having an Orion intercept, somehow, a Mars sample-return mission seems to me to at least double the cost and complexity and risk. Shouldn't the spacecraft returning from Mars be coming in like a bat out of Heck? Or is it going to carry fuel to enter Earth orbit? And if, God forbid, there's an accident on the Orion end, who wants to explain to the public why the sample return capsule couldn't just parachute into the desert, like Stardust? This mission really sounds like make-work. And figure $2 billion each for the SLS flights, plus billions more for the robotic part... No, a handful of dirt and rocks from Mars isn't worth $6 billion+.This notional manifest just can't be serious. And maybe I'm one of "the usual suspects," but there's no money for this, and I believe there won't be when the bills need to be paid.
IRRC there is only enough RS-25 on hand for 3 or 4 flights. So the production have to be restarted by about 2020 if there is going to be SLS flights after the RS-25 supply get used up.
Quote from: Zed_Noir on 11/04/2014 06:06 amIRRC there is only enough RS-25 on hand for 3 or 4 flights. So the production have to be restarted by about 2020 if there is going to be SLS flights after the RS-25 supply get used up.That will likely be my next article. That is changing.
Quote from: Chris Bergin on 11/04/2014 10:59 amQuote from: Zed_Noir on 11/04/2014 06:06 amIRRC there is only enough RS-25 on hand for 3 or 4 flights. So the production have to be restarted by about 2020 if there is going to be SLS flights after the RS-25 supply get used up.That will likely be my next article. That is changing.Chris, you are such a tease. Ha haNow I'm going to be checking hourly until I see the story.
Quote from: wannamoonbase on 11/04/2014 11:54 amQuote from: Chris Bergin on 11/04/2014 10:59 amQuote from: Zed_Noir on 11/04/2014 06:06 amIRRC there is only enough RS-25 on hand for 3 or 4 flights. So the production have to be restarted by about 2020 if there is going to be SLS flights after the RS-25 supply get used up.That will likely be my next article. That is changing.Chris, you are such a tease. Ha haNow I'm going to be checking hourly until I see the story. Sorry! I agreed to a news embargo on that. Not sure when it will be released, I'm hoping real soon, but when a company is responsive and then asks a favor (wasn't really a demand embargo, more a cooperation embargo) then I'm always going to agree.
After reading the article. Do I understand the proposed Mars sample return mission need the the EUS to be in service along with EVA from the Orion/MPCV? The EUS is currently a powerpoint, need to be in service.The Orion have to be in service with a working service module from someone.Doing EVA from the Orion/MPCV means more redesigns to support EVA with the capsule. Along with new EVA gear, unless you take them from the ISS program.IRRC there is only enough RS-25 on hand for 3 or 4 flights. So the production have to be restarted by about 2020 if there is going to be SLS flights after the RS-25 supply get used up.If the above four projects get full funding than SLS could manifest scientific missions if the payloads also get funded. That is a lot of funding over several presidential & Congressional terms.