Quote from: rcoppola on 05/19/2014 06:09 pmI see 2 dates throughout 2017 for orbital tests but I have not seen any dates mentioned for a Pad abort and/or In-flight abort? Which I'm assuming would need to be towards the end of 2016? Will there be an additional Atlas V available for an in-flight abort test in 2016?The way things are going you have to wonder if there will be an Atlas spare by then.Maybe they'll have to seriously start considering an alternative launcher.
I see 2 dates throughout 2017 for orbital tests but I have not seen any dates mentioned for a Pad abort and/or In-flight abort? Which I'm assuming would need to be towards the end of 2016? Will there be an additional Atlas V available for an in-flight abort test in 2016?
Quote from: Star One on 05/19/2014 08:28 pmQuote from: rcoppola on 05/19/2014 06:09 pmI see 2 dates throughout 2017 for orbital tests but I have not seen any dates mentioned for a Pad abort and/or In-flight abort? Which I'm assuming would need to be towards the end of 2016? Will there be an additional Atlas V available for an in-flight abort test in 2016?The way things are going you have to wonder if there will be an Atlas spare by then.Maybe they'll have to seriously start considering an alternative launcher.ULA already has 2 yrs of RD-180 engine stock and I believe they recently asked NPO Energomash to increase their supply rate from once per year to once every 6 months (citation needed )So from what I understand, Atlas V will continue as normal until at least 2017.
Quote from: newpylong on 05/20/2014 01:00 pmDoesn't need to be an Atlas for an abort test. In fact that would be a waste of an expensive booster.Maybe not for the pad abort, but for the in-flight abort test you would need a flight configuration Atlas V LV.
Doesn't need to be an Atlas for an abort test. In fact that would be a waste of an expensive booster.
Quote from: Garrett on 05/20/2014 01:41 pmQuote from: Star One on 05/19/2014 08:28 pmQuote from: rcoppola on 05/19/2014 06:09 pmI see 2 dates throughout 2017 for orbital tests but I have not seen any dates mentioned for a Pad abort and/or In-flight abort? Which I'm assuming would need to be towards the end of 2016? Will there be an additional Atlas V available for an in-flight abort test in 2016?The way things are going you have to wonder if there will be an Atlas spare by then.Maybe they'll have to seriously start considering an alternative launcher.ULA already has 2 yrs of RD-180 engine stock and I believe they recently asked NPO Energomash to increase their supply rate from once per year to once every 6 months (citation needed )So from what I understand, Atlas V will continue as normal until at least 2017.I really doubt that situation as outlined here is going to remain the same. Also what engines they do have will go to priority national defence payloads not to this.
Quote from: Zed_Noir on 05/20/2014 01:18 pmQuote from: newpylong on 05/20/2014 01:00 pmDoesn't need to be an Atlas for an abort test. In fact that would be a waste of an expensive booster.Maybe not for the pad abort, but for the in-flight abort test you would need a flight configuration Atlas V LV.That's how they originally planned to do it, but if RD-180 becomes as priceless as people think they have other ways of doing an inflight abort test ("little joe" type of vehicle).Quote from: Star One on 05/20/2014 02:28 pmQuote from: Garrett on 05/20/2014 01:41 pmQuote from: Star One on 05/19/2014 08:28 pmQuote from: rcoppola on 05/19/2014 06:09 pmI see 2 dates throughout 2017 for orbital tests but I have not seen any dates mentioned for a Pad abort and/or In-flight abort? Which I'm assuming would need to be towards the end of 2016? Will there be an additional Atlas V available for an in-flight abort test in 2016?The way things are going you have to wonder if there will be an Atlas spare by then.Maybe they'll have to seriously start considering an alternative launcher.ULA already has 2 yrs of RD-180 engine stock and I believe they recently asked NPO Energomash to increase their supply rate from once per year to once every 6 months (citation needed )So from what I understand, Atlas V will continue as normal until at least 2017.I really doubt that situation as outlined here is going to remain the same. Also what engines they do have will go to priority national defence payloads not to this.I thought the Russians were only threatening to withhold the engine for national security payloads, in which case we could continue to use Atlas V for crew transportation.
I really doubt that situation as outlined here is going to remain the same. Also what engines they do have will go to priority national defence payloads not to this.
I thought the Russians were only threatening to withhold the engine for national security payloads, in which case we could continue to use Atlas V for crew transportation.
Quote from: arachnitect on 05/20/2014 04:50 pmI really doubt that situation as outlined here is going to remain the same. Also what engines they do have will go to priority national defence payloads not to this.Quote from: Garrett on 05/20/2014 01:41 pmI thought the Russians were only threatening to withhold the engine for national security payloads, in which case we could continue to use Atlas V for crew transportation.Assuming the announcement will be enacted as formulated: Continuing delivery would depend on the US-government plediging not to use RD-180 for military purposes. How likely is such a pledge? Would that pledge need to include the present stock?
Quote from: guckyfan on 05/20/2014 05:51 pmAssuming the announcement will be enacted as formulated: Continuing delivery would depend on the US-government plediging not to use RD-180 for military purposes. How likely is such a pledge? Would that pledge need to include the present stock?Could you imagine any US administration giving that kind of pledge, as I can't.
Assuming the announcement will be enacted as formulated: Continuing delivery would depend on the US-government plediging not to use RD-180 for military purposes. How likely is such a pledge? Would that pledge need to include the present stock?
Quote from: guckyfan on 05/20/2014 05:51 pmQuote from: arachnitect on 05/20/2014 04:50 pmI really doubt that situation as outlined here is going to remain the same. Also what engines they do have will go to priority national defence payloads not to this.Quote from: Garrett on 05/20/2014 01:41 pmI thought the Russians were only threatening to withhold the engine for national security payloads, in which case we could continue to use Atlas V for crew transportation.Assuming the announcement will be enacted as formulated: Continuing delivery would depend on the US-government plediging not to use RD-180 for military purposes. How likely is such a pledge? Would that pledge need to include the present stock?Could you imagine any US administration giving that kind of pledge, as I can't.
"There's no telling where this [partnership] is going to lead in half a dozen years, but our intention is to closely mimic what the commercial customer desires on an airliner, to be able to provide them with at least a similar type of service on a spaceliner," Ferguson said.
Quote from: Zed_Noir on 05/20/2014 01:18 pmQuote from: newpylong on 05/20/2014 01:00 pmDoesn't need to be an Atlas for an abort test. In fact that would be a waste of an expensive booster.Maybe not for the pad abort, but for the in-flight abort test you would need a flight configuration Atlas V LV.They don't need it for either test and I suspect they won't use one.Apollo used Little Joe.Orion is going to use a Peacekeeper.
Quote from: newpylong on 05/21/2014 01:24 pmQuote from: Zed_Noir on 05/20/2014 01:18 pmQuote from: newpylong on 05/20/2014 01:00 pmDoesn't need to be an Atlas for an abort test. In fact that would be a waste of an expensive booster.Maybe not for the pad abort, but for the in-flight abort test you would need a flight configuration Atlas V LV.They don't need it for either test and I suspect they won't use one.Apollo used Little Joe.Orion is going to use a Peacekeeper.First the Peacekeeper SLV more commonly known as the Minotaur IV+ is under-power for this inflight abort test. The Minotaur have a LEO payload capacity of 1735 kg with 2,200 kN thrust from the first stage. Somehow don't see the Minotaur lift the 10 ton CST-100 capsule and service module stack to the Max-Q of the Atlas V. Second without a successful LES abort test of the CST-100 from the Atlas V at Max-Q. You have no way of gauging the effectiveness of the CST-100 abort system.
If the Peacekeeper first stage can get a much heavier Orion to Max-Q it can get CST-100. Simple.
First the Peacekeeper SLV more commonly known as the Minotaur IV+ is under-power for this inflight abort test. The Minotaur have a LEO payload capacity of 1735 kg with 2,200 kN thrust from the first stage. Somehow don't see the Minotaur lift the 10 ton CST-100 capsule and service module stack to the Max-Q of the Atlas V.
Quote from: newpylong on 05/22/2014 01:13 pmIf the Peacekeeper first stage can get a much heavier Orion to Max-Q it can get CST-100. Simple.It will be carrying 150klb of ballast with Orion
Quote from: Jim on 05/22/2014 01:40 pmQuote from: newpylong on 05/22/2014 01:13 pmIf the Peacekeeper first stage can get a much heavier Orion to Max-Q it can get CST-100. Simple.It will be carrying 150klb of ballast with Orion70 tons of ballast?
Quote from: Elmar Moelzer on 05/22/2014 02:31 pmQuote from: Jim on 05/22/2014 01:40 pmQuote from: newpylong on 05/22/2014 01:13 pmIf the Peacekeeper first stage can get a much heavier Orion to Max-Q it can get CST-100. Simple.It will be carrying 150klb of ballast with Orion70 tons of ballast?My Jimspeak interpretation: you need the whole Minotaur IV LV not just only the 1st stage. The avionics are in the upper stage. Unless someone have a single stage LV available with a Thiokol SR-118 solid motor.