Author Topic: What Will LM do?  (Read 16052 times)

Offline realtime

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RE: What Will LM do?
« Reply #20 on: 10/22/2005 06:43 pm »
It may depend on whether NASA is willing to support two LEO vehicles.  From a redundancy standpoint, this makes sense.  If one has problems, you can still launch crews with the other.  No troubleshooting HSF downtime of years, like we've seen with STS.

They could want one vehicle for LEO and one for lunar missions.  If so, there would be a downselect to two vehicles, not one.  From a financial standpoint this is a very tough sell.

I can't see NASA selecting a winged vehicle for both lunar and LEO ops, but who knows?


Offline gladiator1332

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RE: What Will LM do?
« Reply #21 on: 10/23/2005 07:52 pm »
Well NASA could build the CEV as they want it now, capsule for ISS and Moon. After they get the CEV development rolling, they could then help fund a project like the X-37. I agree that we need a capsule for the Moon missions, it doesn't make sense to bring wings to the Moon. However, a winged spacecraft does have some great advantages for the ISS.
The good thing about something like the X-37 is that NASA wouldn't have to cover the entire bill. Right now the X-37 is just a technology demonstrator with DARPA, however, why can't things be upscaled and the shape used for a transfer craft to the ISS? This is what Boeing intended to do in the first place for the OSP.
With this way, we are getting a capsule that will be great for exploration, and a great transport craft for the ISS. The idea of a spacecraft returning to Earth and landing like an airplane is great. I mean, the Shuttle has proven this. Now if NASA can get a winged craft like the X-37, which would offer a quicker turnaround time between missions. Maybe we can get a spacecraft that is wha the Shuttle fell short of being. The Shuttle is not a "mistake" its just way too big to do the job that NASA needs. You don't need wings to go to the Moon, and why use a large craft for crew transport. Right now, NASA really needs two spacecraft, a smaller simpler, winged Shuttle-like spacecraft, and a capsule for exploration. They won't be able to fund both themselves, however, they can look elsewhere and give aid to projects like the X-37, or Lockheeds lifting body concept. However, since metal has been already cut on the X-37, and is currently being funded by DARPA, this would most likely be the best place to look.

Offline kraisee

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RE: What Will LM do?
« Reply #22 on: 10/27/2005 02:49 am »
I think that the Northrop Grumman/Boeing team is likely to get all the contracts for the new spacecraft - CEV CM & SM and the LSAM.   Boeing owns North American, the people who built the CSM for Apollo, and NG is the company which built the Apollo LM.   So that team already has all the possible experience with this type of hardware.

If the spacecraft get snatched by them, Lockheed Martin has a lot of experience with building Shuttle ET's and Atlas LV's, so I think they will actually end up getting the contract for all the liquid-fuelled rocket stages on CLV and SDLV, with ATK obviously providing the solids.

B/NG = All spacecraft
LM = All stages
ATK = All Solids

If I were LM, I'd give very serious consideration to purchasing Pratt & Whitney (new owners of Rocketdyne too), and planning a liquid fuelled flyback booster alternative to the SRB's - because we all know it's only a matter of time before the EPA has a serious go at cleaning up the pollution they produce every time they fly.   LM would be wise to have a liquid booster replacement under development when Congress starts asking about alternatives which don't pollute...
"The meek shall inherit the Earth -- the rest of us will go to the stars"
-Robert A. Heinlein

Offline Avron

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RE: What Will LM do?
« Reply #23 on: 10/27/2005 04:55 am »
Quote
kraisee - 26/10/2005  10:49 PM

I think that the Northrop Grumman/Boeing team is likely to get all the contracts for the new spacecraft - CEV CM & SM and the LSAM.   Boeing owns North American, the people who built the CSM for Apollo, and NG is the company which built the Apollo LM.   So that team already has all the possible experience with this type of hardware.

...

B/NG = All spacecraft
LM = All stages
ATK = All Solids
...

Thats the way I read it... but with the delays in downselecting, who knows...

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