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Missions To The Moon (HSF) / Re: NASA's Artemis Program Updates and Discussion Thread 5

« Last post by Robotbeat on Today at 01:14 am »

As an example, the Artemis IV mission would be “substantially delayed” if NASA was capped at FY2022.

Alternatively, if the agency was cut 22 percent, NASA would have to “restructure or terminate currently ongoing major development work for Artemis IV” including Gateway, SLS Block 1B, Mobile Launcher-2 and the second SpaceX Human Landing System contract, and prioritize continuation of Artemis II and Artemis III “with potential delays to those flights.”

https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/nelson-details-devastating-impacts-if-nasa-funding-capped-at-fy2022-level-or-less/

Man… they’re almost making me agree with a budget cut when they talk about it like that. I think SLS IB and ML-2 and Gateway are unnecessary mistakes… if Artemis IV ended up being just a slightly refined version of Artemis III, it wouldn’t bother me…


…but ideally I’d want the money to spent on increasing mission cadence and maybe a surface base and a second lander

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General Discussion / Re: Chris G departure from NSF to SpaceX

« Last post by Asteroza on Today at 01:06 am »

So, um, what is ChrisG doing a SpaceX? PR/communications?

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SpaceX Super Heavy/Starship (BFR/BFS) - Earth to Deep Space / Re: SpaceX Starship : Texas Prototype(s) Thread 25 : Discussion

« Last post by OTV Booster on Today at 01:05 am »

This might be Zack's best deep dive yet.

Jax is quite good as the ring watcher guy. His study of the reinforcements they've made to the aft barrel sections and qd panel on all the ships through 30 was most enlightening. If 24 fails in flight at that section of the structure, then they'll have to redo them all again, or skip to 31.

Yes, a most excellent video. I've a hunch they're already deep in a structural redesign and only waiting for the input from a launch before they start bending metal.


If correct, it follows that if the launch goes south for a reason other than structure, they'll do the next launch with something we see, probably modified to address the shortcoming. If structure kills it we may see more reinforcement on what's out there or another dry spell while they turn out a new air (space?) frame.

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SpaceX General Section / Re: Starlink v2 mini satellites

« Last post by Asteroza on Today at 01:03 am »

Do they need to do a controlled reentry demo for each major series of sat perhaps? That would account for some...

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Missions To The Moon (HSF) / Re: NASA's Artemis Program Updates and Discussion Thread 5

« Last post by VSECOTSPE on Today at 12:50 am »

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson claims proposed spending reductions for fiscal year 2024 could have “devastating and potentially unrecoverable” effects on NASA programs, delaying or canceling many missions.

In a March 19 letter to Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, Nelson outlined the effects on NASA of two budget-cutting scenarios being considered by House Republican leadership. DeLauro published the letter this week along with similar letters she requested from other federal agencies.

One scenario considered rolling back discretionary spending across the board to fiscal year 2022 levels, which for NASA would mean $24 billion, $1.4 billion less than what NASA received in 2023. A second scenario proposed exempting defense spending from that cut, requiring deeper reductions for non-defense discretionary agencies. NASA estimated in that scenario its budget would be cut by 22% from 2023 levels to about $19.8 billion...

That cut, according to documents provided in the letter, would “significantly restructure or terminate” various elements of Artemis 4, including the upgraded version of the Space Launch System and lunar Gateway elements. That would, NASA stated, “threaten [the] ability to fly Artemis IV and defer lunar exploration beyond Artemis IV.” [emphasis in original]...

The other scenario, with NASA funding cut to 2022 levels, had less severe effects. It would “substantially delay” Artemis 4 and also cancel a procurement for a second Artemis lunar lander.

https://spacenews.com/nasa-warns-of-devastating-impacts-of-potential-budget-cuts/

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Missions To The Moon (HSF) / Re: NASA's Artemis Program Updates and Discussion Thread 5

« Last post by VSECOTSPE on Today at 12:49 am »

The Pressurized rover will be delivered by HDL (HLS-cargo). As it stands, HDL would be part of the services phase of HLS (i.e. after Artemis IV or V). The pressurized rover depends more on the budget of HLS/HDL than the budget of SLS and Orion. In other words, the pressurized rover might be ready before or after Artemis VII.

Of course.  But the point of a manned rover is to put a crew in it.  Even when other elements are delivered separately, crew transport is the pacing for most everything in a program like this, and Artemis unfortunately has to rely solely on Orion/SLS for the crew transport function.

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Missions To The Moon (HSF) / Re: NASA's Artemis Program Updates and Discussion Thread 5

« Last post by yg1968 on Today at 12:33 am »

The pressurized rover will be provided by JAXA, NASA has no plans for its own pressurized rover. However, NASA does have plans for a LTV (lunar terrain vehicle) for a which a draft RFP has been issued.

Of course.  That doesn’t make it immune from delays in the ostensible 9/31 launch date for Artemis VII or development issues at JAXA.

The Pressurized rover will be delivered by HDL (HLS-cargo). As it stands, HDL would be part of the services phase of HLS (i.e. after Artemis IV or V). The pressurized rover depends more on the budget of HLS/HDL than the budget of SLS and Orion. In other words, the pressurized rover might be ready before or after Artemis VII.

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SpaceX Missions Section / Re: SpaceX Starship : Orbital - First Flight : Starbase, TX : NET April 2023

« Last post by catdlr on Today at 12:31 am »

Probably have nothing to do with the topic of this thread whatsoever.

Could also be for upcoming hypersonic testing out of VSFB (The one that was canceled last month at the cape)

The subject subject starts at 25 seconds into video

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General Discussion / Robert "Hoot" Gibson on STS-27 top secret mission

« Last post by dronescapes on Today at 12:29 am »

Space Shuttle secret mission STS-27, just seconds from disaster. Ger the story from astronaut Hoot Gibson.
STS-27 was the 27th NASA Space Shuttle mission, and the third flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis. Launching on December 2, 1988, on a four-day mission, it was the second shuttle flight after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster of January 1986. STS-27 carried a classified payload for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), ultimately determined to be a Lacrosse surveillance satellite. The vessel's heat shielding was substantially damaged during lift-off, and crew members thought that they would die during reentry.

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Shuttle History - Pre-RTF / Re: Atlantis STS-27 – Battered and Bruised

« Last post by dronescapes on Today at 12:25 am »

A brand new interview with Robert "Hoot" Gibson with some very interesting insight on STS-27