Author Topic: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020  (Read 14714 times)

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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As the first two Atlas V DreamChaser ISS cargo missions were announced today (see http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=29416.msg1703799#msg1703799) seems like time for a thread for the first Atlas mission.

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Dream Chaser cargo missions will fly on the #AtlasV 552 configuration.

https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/887717143650988033

Note this is the Atlas mission thread. DreamChaser is still covered in it’s forum section.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #1 on: 07/19/2017 07:37 pm »
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The cargo version of Dream Chaser will be encapsulated in a fairing.
https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/887728502799314949

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This will be the first time #AtlasV has flown with a dual-engine Centaur, but it has flown before.
https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/887728251560448000

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#AtlasV hasn't flown w/a dual-engine Centaur, but the #AtlasV w/ @boeingDefense's #Starliner will also launch w/dual-engine Centaur.
https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/887729088483426305

Offline LouScheffer

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #2 on: 07/19/2017 08:12 pm »
Will the purchase price be public?  That would provide some insight into the current cost of an RL-10, since one more of these engines is the main difference between a 552 and a 551.

Online gongora

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #3 on: 07/19/2017 08:18 pm »
Will the purchase price be public?  That would provide some insight into the current cost of an RL-10, since one more of these engines is the main difference between a 552 and a 551.

I wouldn't expect it to be public.  SNC is buying the launch, not NASA.  Did O/ATK ever give a cost for their Atlas V purchases?

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #4 on: 07/19/2017 10:14 pm »
Will the purchase price be public?  That would provide some insight into the current cost of an RL-10, since one more of these engines is the main difference between a 552 and a 551.

I wouldn't expect it to be public.  SNC is buying the launch, not NASA.  Did O/ATK ever give a cost for their Atlas V purchases?
yes, only to certain Investors and financial/capital analysts but was after IR conference calls so that the info was not in public recordings and transcripts.

Offline LouScheffer

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #5 on: 07/20/2017 02:09 am »
Will the purchase price be public?  That would provide some insight into the current cost of an RL-10, since one more of these engines is the main difference between a 552 and a 551.

I wouldn't expect it to be public.  SNC is buying the launch, not NASA.  Did O/ATK ever give a cost for their Atlas V purchases?
yes, only to certain Investors and financial/capital analysts but was after IR conference calls so that the info was not in public recordings and transcripts.
Interesting.  This sounds like it would be the definition of illegal insider trading if the investors or analysts act on this knowledge.
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Insider trading is the buying or selling of a security by someone who has access to material nonpublic information about the security.
The cost of the rocket is surely material to any analysis of profitability of that contract, and the contract is certainly very material to Orbital.

Offline Star One

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #6 on: 07/20/2017 04:21 pm »
Why does the Dream Chaser flying in unmanned mode require a dual engine Centaur as I thought the dual engine was only required for manned missions to provide redundancy?

Offline Ictogan

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #7 on: 07/20/2017 04:26 pm »
Why does the Dream Chaser flying in unmanned mode require a dual engine Centaur as I thought the dual engine was only required for manned missions to provide redundancy?
Dual engine Centaur also increases the payload capability by lowering gravity losses - regular Centaur is really terrible in this department.

Offline Star One

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #8 on: 07/20/2017 05:32 pm »
Why does the Dream Chaser flying in unmanned mode require a dual engine Centaur as I thought the dual engine was only required for manned missions to provide redundancy?
Dual engine Centaur also increases the payload capability by lowering gravity losses - regular Centaur is really terrible in this department.

So that increase in payload capacity offsets the additional costs.

Offline Semmel

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #9 on: 07/21/2017 11:47 am »
Why does the Dream Chaser flying in unmanned mode require a dual engine Centaur as I thought the dual engine was only required for manned missions to provide redundancy?
Dual engine Centaur also increases the payload capability by lowering gravity losses - regular Centaur is really terrible in this department.

So that increase in payload capacity offsets the additional costs.

Example numbers: If dreamchasers drymass is 80% of the payload for one centaur engine, increasing the total payload by 20% due to using two centaurs essentially doubles the useful payload mass to the ISS.

Offline Star One

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #10 on: 07/21/2017 12:12 pm »
Why does the Dream Chaser flying in unmanned mode require a dual engine Centaur as I thought the dual engine was only required for manned missions to provide redundancy?
Dual engine Centaur also increases the payload capability by lowering gravity losses - regular Centaur is really terrible in this department.

So that increase in payload capacity offsets the additional costs.

Example numbers: If dreamchasers drymass is 80% of the payload for one centaur engine, increasing the total payload by 20% due to using two centaurs essentially doubles the useful payload mass to the ISS.

Does that makes this the most capable Atlas V ever launched then.

Offline notsorandom

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #11 on: 07/21/2017 03:05 pm »
Does that makes this the most capable Atlas V ever launched then.
To LEO yes, but not to higher energy orbits. The additional mass of the extra RL-10 starts to matter more than the additional thrust.

Offline Star One

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #12 on: 07/21/2017 03:09 pm »
Does that makes this the most capable Atlas V ever launched then.
To LEO yes, but not to higher energy orbits. The additional mass of the extra RL-10 starts to matter more than the additional thrust.

I did wonder that. Which makes the three stage variant used to launch New Horizons still the most capable to such orbits.

Offline Jim

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #13 on: 07/21/2017 06:24 pm »
I did wonder that. Which makes the three stage variant used to launch New Horizons still the most capable to such orbits.

There was no three stage.  The payload had a solid motor

Offline Star One

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #14 on: 07/21/2017 06:34 pm »
I did wonder that. Which makes the three stage variant used to launch New Horizons still the most capable to such orbits.

There was no three stage.  The payload had a solid motor
I've seen that referred to online as a third stage?

Offline Ictogan

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #15 on: 07/21/2017 06:52 pm »
I did wonder that. Which makes the three stage variant used to launch New Horizons still the most capable to such orbits.

There was no three stage.  The payload had a solid motor
I've seen that referred to online as a third stage?
It essentially does the job of a third stage, but was nevertheless part of the payload, not of the launch vehicle. Calling it a third stage for Atlas V would be the same as calling the Apollo CSM a fourth stage for Saturn V.

Offline GWH

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #16 on: 07/21/2017 09:20 pm »
552 lifts an extra 1800kg to LEO, assume ISS orbit.  Source: Tory Bruno
https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/888508087165792257

Offline yg1968

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #17 on: 07/22/2017 03:15 pm »
552 lifts an extra 1800kg to LEO, assume ISS orbit.  Source: Tory Bruno
https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/888508087165792257

Compared to the 551 (just to be clear).

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #18 on: 07/22/2017 04:49 pm »
552 lifts an extra 1800kg to LEO, assume ISS orbit.  Source: Tory Bruno
https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/888508087165792257

Compared to the 551 (just to be clear).
Make sure to use LEO-ISS figures not LEO-Reference as 552 Lift is less to ISS 51.6 than reference 28.7 inclination.

Offline Star One

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Atlas V 552 - first DreamChaser ISS cargo mission - 2020
« Reply #19 on: 07/22/2017 06:28 pm »
Will the DreamChaser wings have much clearance inside the fairing, I've seen this issue raised as a concern with the X-37B & the F9?
« Last Edit: 07/22/2017 06:28 pm by Star One »

Tags: tenacity Vulcan Atlas V 
 

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