Ares I ML construction images:

[wannamoonbase]

....They're trying to reduce the amount of Pad-Work to the barest minimum, ideally less than 14 days.

Ross.

That's 12 or 13 days more than they would need with an Atlas V or Delta 4.

Ares 1 is going to cost a bundle to fly if the best they can do.  If I was an Ares 1  guy I wouldn't be bragging about 14 days.

[Zpoxy]

I took this yesterday afternoon. As you can see another internal internal bulkhead has been added. It's getting harder to see the changes as they add more steel. It will be interesting when they start adding the umbilical tower.

[MarsMethanogen]

Wow, the things I continue to learn from this Forum.  I did not know that an entirely new MLP was being constructed for the Ares Program.  When I saw the articles and read other threads about the "hand-off" of the existing MLP-1 to the Constellation Program, I had assumed that this was the first of what eventually would be all three MLP's being handed over as the STS Program came to a close.  So I can be perfectly clear on this, then:

1) The recent, celebratory, hand-over of MLP-1 to Constellation is ONLY for Ares 1-X.  That seems to align with the article I just read;
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/features/MLP1_handover.html
that states, "Following the Ares I-X flight test, MLP-1 will be disassembled."
2) MLP-1 lends itself to adaptation to Ares 1-X given that it is a 4-segment, not a 5-segment RSRM first stage, but such precludes its use for the actual Ares 1?
3) All new MLP's are being built for Ares 1 and the existing MLP's 2 & 3 will meet a fate similar to MLP-1 and be disassembled after STS comes to a close?
4) Is the new MLP being built for Ares 1 also for eventual use for Ares V, or will a new MLP be built exclusively for use with Ares V.
Sorry if I'm long-winded folks, but I have this thing about being very clear in my questions in order to expedite acquistion of clear answers.  Thanks!

[MarsMethanogen]

Wow, the things I continue to learn from this Forum.  I did not know that an entirely new MLP was being constructed for the Ares Program.  When I saw the articles and read other threads about the "hand-off" of the existing MLP-1 to the Constellation Program, I had assumed that this was the first of what eventually would be all three MLP's being handed over as the STS Program came to a close.  So I can be perfectly clear on this, then:

1) The recent, celebratory, hand-over of MLP-1 to Constellation is ONLY for Ares 1-X.  That seems to align with the article I just read;
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/features/MLP1_handover.html
that states, "Following the Ares I-X flight test, MLP-1 will be disassembled."
2) MLP-1 lends itself to adaptation to Ares 1-X given that it is a 4-segment, not a 5-segment RSRM first stage, but such precludes its use for the actual Ares 1?
3) All new MLP's are being built for Ares 1 and the existing MLP's 2 & 3 will meet a fate similar to MLP-1 and be disassembled after STS comes to a close?
4) Is the new MLP being built for Ares 1 also for eventual use for Ares V, or will a new MLP be built exclusively for use with Ares V.
Sorry if I'm long-winded folks, but I have this thing about being very clear in my questions in order to expedite acquistion of clear answers.  Thanks!

I just found the answer to all of these questions in another thread.  Please disregard and accept my apologies for taking up bandwidth.

[Ronsmytheiii]

[edkyle99]

....They're trying to reduce the amount of Pad-Work to the barest minimum, ideally less than 14 days.

Ross.

That's 12 or 13 days more than they would need with an Atlas V or Delta 4.

Ares 1 is going to cost a bundle to fly if the best they can do.  If I was an Ares 1  guy I wouldn't be bragging about 14 days.

Delta IV needs weeks (and more than two of them) at the pad after erection to vertical.  And that is for an unmanned payload.  That is after it spends weeks in the HIF.  ULA has yet to process a Heavy in less than several *months*.

Atlas V is in its vertical hanger, stacked on its launch pad, for weeks as well - and this is just for the Mediums that have flown.  It is rolled out to its pad several weeks prior to launch, for propellant loading tests, then rolled back, etc..  Again, this is only for Mediums and only for unmanned satellite payloads.  The 24 hour thing that plays for the news is roughly the equivalent of rolling back the mobile service tower at most other pads.

The real launch campaign time comparison between the various vehicles should be the time from launch vehicle hardware arrival on dock to launch.  I'm not saying Ares I wins that race - in fact I doubt that it would simply because it is a bigger, heavier vehicle that requires big solid motor segment stacking - but that is part of the comparison that should be made, rather than time visible standing on a launch pad.  Man hours is the true comparison. 

 - Ed Kyle

[Ronsmytheiii]

[Ronsmytheiii]

Aerial  overview:

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=4

[Ronsmytheiii]

another update:

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=4

[Ronsmytheiii]

After a long break, more pictures!

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=4

[Ronsmytheiii]

Lut stacking has begun:

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=4

[rcoppola]

This is certainly a hidden gem inside the much maligned CxP. Thanks for sharing this. I wonder though, if Ares 1 is shelved for the Ares V Light, can they modify this design to accommodate the size and weight of the Ares V? The tower is too short at 345ft, and unlike Apollo which was empty on the MLP, the Ares V will have 2 5 Seg SRBs packed with solid fuel on the way to the pad.

[MKremer]

This is certainly a hidden gem inside the much maligned CxP. Thanks for sharing this. I wonder though, if Ares 1 is shelved for the Ares V Light, can they modify this design to accommodate the size and weight of the Ares V? The tower is too short at 345ft, and unlike Apollo which was empty on the MLP, the Ares V will have 2 5 Seg SRBs packed with solid fuel on the way to the pad.

For the pad structure itself, probably easier to add structures and change the internal systems with this design as opposed to the amount of work needed to modify the original Apollo pads to support the Shuttle.

The tower shouldn't be all that difficult to raise and modify. Just time and money.

[Oberon_Command]

While we're on the subject of adapting the MLP to other LVs, hypothetically speaking how easy would it be to adapt this MLP to hold a crewed EELV?

[padrat]

Last I had heard was that Ares V is getting its own MLs, along with new super-crawlers which have yet to be designed.

[MKremer]

While we're on the subject of adapting the MLP to other LVs, hypothetically speaking how easy would it be to adapt this MLP to hold a crewed EELV?

Atlas or Delta? Pretty much zilch. Way, way different booster types.

[MKremer]

Last I had heard was that Ares V is getting its own MLs, along with new super-crawlers which have yet to be designed.

The crawlers for sure. For any HLV mobile pad, I guess it would depend on how radically different it would need to be.

(I hope Hans and Frans both get to finally be retired to places of honor where the public can appreciate them and their history.)

[MoonLady]

Question for Danny Dot:

Is this the MLP that you were questioning the CDR/PDR status during the Augustine meeting that Hanley stated was 51% complete, then Bo called him on it?

Another question for anybody in the know:

Thought I read somewhere that there was an issue that the MLP & Ares requirements and/or specs weren't in synch but KSC chose to continue "at risk" with procurement as is or something, knowing there were design conflicts? If so, how much of the MLP design is dependent on Ares requirements that haven't been firmed up yet and is this new MLP modifiable to comply (& at what cost)?

[kraisee]

The Ares-I ML is nowhere near strong enough to support an Ares-V.   The Launch Umbilical Tower (LUT) element could probably be moved over to a different Launcher Platform (LP) section (with appropriate modifications), but the Launcher Platform section for Ares-V is going to have to be a completely different unit.

Ross.

[bad_astra]

It's good of NASA to spend so much time and effort on the environment, working on their future coral reef.