nathansr - 4/4/2007 5:01 PMWould a 6 segment srb solve the Ares I's mass-to-orbit problems (assuming that the problem is with the Ares I rather than the Orion - which isn't necessarily the case!)? What are the issues here? Obviously this hasn't been tested at all whilst a 5 segment version has. The vehicle may be too tall & thus unstable. Even if the 6 segment SRB does nothing for Ares I would it be useful for Ares V? Or would stability issues be a problem here too?Just thinking out loud.
kraisee - 5/4/2007 2:34 PMEven more seriously, is there another way to move large dangerous objects to and from Utah? I don't know the territory there at all, but are there any rivers flowing within 100 miles of ATK's plant, which run to the sea? That might allow barges to be used instead of rail cars, and then you might have the option to increase the diameter. Of course, if we could take Utah out of the loop altogether... But that's never going to happen because that state has way too much pull for this program.
Scotty - 5/4/2007 5:19 PMIf the SRB was made larger than the current 148 inch in diameter, you could not move them via the rail system.Then how would you get them to and from Utah?The rail road was the limiting factor in the maximum diameter of the SRB.There were plans for 156 inch diameter solids at the beginning of the Shuttle program, but when the predecessor of ATK won the contract, that idea went out the window for good.A 18 foot diameter (216 inch) solid would be ideal for Ares I.Anyone have 50 or so of them in storage at your house?
wannamoonbase - 5/4/2007 8:38 PM And you can't tell me that with all the money and time being spent on Ares 1 that tooling for the casings is a limiting factor. It was built once it can be built again and probably better and more efficient now.I don't buy the tooling arguments when you consider all the costs in these programs. If you were doing it each time you built a vehicle perhaps, but not on a long term program such as this.
CFE - 5/4/2007 9:47 PM1. Is there a way to airlift the motor segments from the ATK plant in Utah, in the same way that Atlas V is airlifted from the plant in Colorado? 2 If not, the Aerojet plant in Florida should be renovated. .
yinzer - 5/4/2007 6:13 PMQuotekraisee - 5/4/2007 2:34 PMEven more seriously, is there another way to move large dangerous objects to and from Utah? I don't know the territory there at all, but are there any rivers flowing within 100 miles of ATK's plant, which run to the sea? That might allow barges to be used instead of rail cars, and then you might have the option to increase the diameter. Of course, if we could take Utah out of the loop altogether... But that's never going to happen because that state has way too much pull for this program.Regarding rivers and Utah: no. Surprisingly emphatically no.
Scotty - 5/4/2007 3:19 PMIf the SRB was made larger than the current 148 inch in diameter, you could not move them via the rail system.Then how would you get them to and from Utah?The rail road was the limiting factor in the maximum diameter of the SRB.There were plans for 156 inch diameter solids at the beginning of the Shuttle program, but when the predecessor of ATK won the contract, that idea went out the window for good.A 18 foot diameter (216 inch) solid would be ideal for Ares I.Anyone have 50 or so of them in storage at your house?
Jim - 5/4/2007 9:58 PMI am telling you and you must buy it.1. The company is out of business2. It is not just the tooling that is gone, but also the heat treatment facilities3. All the money is being used to qualify just a modified SRM, not a whole new design from ground zeroJust as battleship metal is made anymoreAlso there is no efficency improvements. The same processes would be involved. If the same ones weren't involved, then more money to qualify the new processes