LIVE: ESA and NASA Announcement on Orion SM - Jan 16, 2013

[docmordrid]

http://www.spacenews.com/article/german-space-chief-confident-europe-will-keep-building-orion-prop-modules-for-nasa#.UQNg1L-9LTo

German Space Chief Confident Europe Will Keep Building Orion Prop Modules for NASA

Jan. 24, 2013

Woerner said NASA is ready to let Europe build all future Orion propulsion modules.
>
<hits paywall>

[Ben the Space Brit]

FWIW,  I don't really think that there has been any real thought, let alone a decision about what happens after EM-2.  That said, unless EADS makes a complete hash of things, I doubt that there will be much pressure to change manufacturers of the SM after the first few test flights.

The only possible competition would be if the ATV-derived SM is only an interim design and, after EM-2, will be directly evaluated against the LM unit to see what will be the 'production' model used.

[john smith 19]

http://www.spacenews.com/article/german-space-chief-confident-europe-will-keep-building-orion-prop-modules-for-nasa#.UQNg1L-9LTo

German Space Chief Confident Europe Will Keep Building Orion Prop Modules for NASA

Jan. 24, 2013

Woerner said NASA is ready to let Europe build all future Orion propulsion modules.
>
<hits paywall>

Given that the ATV thrusters are from Aerojet and the main engine will be supplied by NASA that's only part of the module.

[john smith 19]

The only possible competition would be if the ATV-derived SM is only an interim design and, after EM-2, will be directly evaluated against the LM unit to see what will be the 'production' model used.

Which begs the question "How much work has LM done on the SM?"

[yg1968]

Asked if NASA-ESA deal is intended to be for the long term, Williams says it "points in that direction"; current one limited by ISS contract

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/298459080874422272

A couple of other tweets of interests:

Dumbacher: gap between 1st 2 SLS flights (2017 and 2021) driven by budget to get crew systems in Orion. "It is not a desirable situation."

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/298470915673554944

Dumbacher: current long-term plans (post-2021) call for 1 SLS/Orion launch every 2 years. Subject to change as plans and budgets evolve.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/298472907837935617

[Lars_J]

Dumbacher: current long-term plans (post-2021) call for 1 SLS/Orion launch every 2 years. Subject to change as plans and budgets evolve.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/298472907837935617

On SLS/Orion every two years. Now that's what I call exploration! 

[pippin]

aka "Chinese flight rates"

[Rugoz]

On SLS/Orion every two years. Now that's what I call exploration!

Maybe a la mars one, slowly building a colony

[ChileVerde]

A couple of other tweets of interests:

Dumbacher: gap between 1st 2 SLS flights (2017 and 2021) driven by budget to get crew systems in Orion. "It is not a desirable situation."

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/298470915673554944

If "crew systems" means ECLSS, this may have appeared last July:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=30050.0

    http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/675947main_HEOC%20Minutes%20July%202012-508.pdf

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Washington, DC
    NASA ADVISORY COUNCIL
    Human Exploration and Operations Committee
    July 23-24, 2012 Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD
    MEETING MINUTES

    In response to a question from Mr. Malow, Mr. Hill indicated that the 2017 mission is included in the out-year profile; however, the 2021 mission is not in the profile yet because NASA is assuming flat-funding. The “tall pole” for Orion is the ECLSS, and the 2017 mission will have some of that.

[ChileVerde]

Dumbacher: current long-term plans (post-2021) call for 1 SLS/Orion launch every 2 years. Subject to change as plans and budgets evolve.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/298472907837935617

It would have been nice if there had been an additional sentence like "The flat budget assumption we're currently operating under would allow for 1 SLS/Orion launch every year, but we're planning to use the money saved for developing other necessary exploration systems."

But there wasn't, it seems, so perhaps one every two years really is all that the projected budget can support.

Edit: expanded last sentence.

[Khadgars]

Dumbacher: current long-term plans (post-2021) call for 1 SLS/Orion launch every 2 years. Subject to change as plans and budgets evolve.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/298472907837935617

On SLS/Orion every two years. Now that's what I call exploration! 

I find it ironic that people love to praise the Chinese for their accomplishments and use it as fear mongering when their flight rate is worse than that with much less capabilities.