Very nice article. This is the first good news about payloads for the SLS and a worthy one at that, lets hope the KDP is to go forward. With SLS utilization, maybe Congress will invest in EML habitat (wishful dreaming).
Quote from: BrightLight on 02/03/2015 01:02 amVery nice article. This is the first good news about payloads for the SLS and a worthy one at that, lets hope the KDP is to go forward. With SLS utilization, maybe Congress will invest in EML habitat (wishful dreaming).I find this all rather ironic. Serious consideration of an SLS-launched Europa mission is obviously good news for the SLS program. But surely funding an expensive mission such as Europa Clipper can only make it harder to garner funds for human missions on SLS, which are ostensibly its prime purpose.
Even if SLS Block IB were available right now, I would not favor it for this mission for the following reason. Gravity assist with a smaller rocket can still get the same probe to the destination. We would be several years more in receiving the data, but at far less cost. When you can put the probe in dormant mode and awaken it later when needed, I do not think it is worth hundreds of millions to billions of dollars more to get the same data sooner. That money can be saved and better spent on another purpose while still getting the same date from Europa belatedly. In fact, I think FH with crossfeed would be an ideal bird for this mission.Re. the speculation re high energy EDS: if SLS is used (I hope it isn't), I would see EUS supplemented by a Delta upper stage or an ion engine as a kick stage.
Delta will be gone ....
Am I the only person here whose thinking this is strangely reminiscent of the Jupiter Icy Moons plan?
Quote from: newpylong on 02/03/2015 11:13 pmDelta will be gone ....If the Delta IV heavy goes away, it will be replaced by something equivalent: DoD and NRO will see to that.
I think SLS's fate will be determined sometime within it's first 4 launches. There's enough engines and -should- be enough 5-seg boosters for that many before they have to look at more RS-25's and new boosters. IMHO, that's when a decision will be make to committ to SLS for the long term, or just fly out existing hardware, before those additional developments need funding committed. The status of SpaceX's BFR will play a big role here, IMO. If cancelled, likely there'd still be a push to fly out existing hardware for those 4 flights, not unlike the flying out of some of the left over Apollo hardware. EM-1 and EM-2 are two. Europa Clipper could be a 3rd. Is a 4th being discussed? Perhaps an Orion flight with a secondary payload? Or a Mars sample return mission?If SLS is not cancelled and NASA orders new composite boosters from ATK and has Rocketdyne produce RS-25E (or more RS-25D's) then I could see something like Europa Clipper competing with the development funds of those new SLS items.
Quote from: TomH on 02/03/2015 09:49 pmEven if SLS Block IB were available right now, I would not favor it for this mission for the following reason. Gravity assist with a smaller rocket can still get the same probe to the destination. We would be several years more in receiving the data, but at far less cost. When you can put the probe in dormant mode and awaken it later when needed, I do not think it is worth hundreds of millions to billions of dollars more to get the same data sooner. That money can be saved and better spent on another purpose while still getting the same date from Europa belatedly. In fact, I think FH with crossfeed would be an ideal bird for this mission.Re. the speculation re high energy EDS: if SLS is used (I hope it isn't), I would see EUS supplemented by a Delta upper stage or an ion engine as a kick stage.From Blackstar's posts, I gather the big advantage of a faster trajectory to Jupiter (i.e., SLS rather than Delta) is that, because the spacecraft need not last so long, testing it on the ground before launch is cheaper. I have seen no evidence, however, that the savings from reduced testing would outweigh the increased costs of the larger launch vehicle, and I agree with you that getting the data several years earlier does not justify spending hundreds of millions more.
Politics aside, I want to see that probe swiftly and safely sent to Jupiter without pulling my eyelids groaning "Oh gawd how many Venus fly-bys do we have left to go?!?"
Quote from: redliox on 02/04/2015 11:44 amPolitics aside, I want to see that probe swiftly and safely sent to Jupiter without pulling my eyelids groaning "Oh gawd how many Venus fly-bys do we have left to go?!?"Maybe I can use the same logic on my wife: "But Honey, think of how much faster we could get to the grocery store if we bought the Lamborghini instead of the Honda!"