Unfortunately, many of these reports aren't public, as far as I know.
So what LV do they propose to use?
Quote from: Patchouli on 05/26/2017 04:31 amSo what LV do they propose to use?Delta IV Heavy, launching from the Cape, can send 23.7 tonnes to 400x409 km at 52 degrees. That's enough to send the Orion and its SM, albeit not fully-fueled.
Quote from: sevenperforce on 05/26/2017 05:50 pmQuote from: Patchouli on 05/26/2017 04:31 amSo what LV do they propose to use?Delta IV Heavy, launching from the Cape, can send 23.7 tonnes to 400x409 km at 52 degrees. That's enough to send the Orion and its SM, albeit not fully-fueled.The Air Force does not want and will not fund it's RS-68 engine to be changed for human rating.They own it. They control it.
They own it. They control it.
Send up a couple Orion trained Astronauts as part of a regular ISS crew launch. Launch an Orion on D-IVH with two out of four Service Module propellant tanks deleted. Orion flies automated to ISS and docks. Crew of two test Astros get aboard then fly a week long shakedown flight in orbit before entering and splashing down in the Pacific.
Well, I think the LAS, an empty Orion and an empty service module together weigh ~21 mT. According to Rocketbuilder.com, the heaviest Atlas can send 18856 to LEO, but that isn't including the 5 meter fairing which the LAS replaces. I think it would just be a matter of stripping some parts out of the service module to get enough fuel load to do an ISS mission. Strip out 2 out of 4 propellant tanks, some of the O2 and N2 tanks, 3 out of 6 of the H20 tanks and use 2 panel solar panels vs 3 panel. Rocketbuilder website doesn't include a dual-centaur upper stage, so that might boost things even farther. If we are considering a Delta-IV Heavy, why not just use a SLS without an upper stage? 4 SSMEs cost ~$50 million each and the SRBs are what? $50 million each? That is $300 million in rocket hardware not counting the rest of the core stage. It would be in the same ballpark as what NASA pays for a Delta-IV heavy. Another option would be Orbital's NGL if that gets off the ground. Think it will use the VAB so resources for Orion would be close by.
Crazy to think Falcon 9 could probably send an underfueled Orion to LEO. Crazy how close it is to Delta IV Heavy to LEO.