Orion isnt existing hardware. It will be ready for flight testing around same time as falcon heavy which will be crew rated. May as well use the cheaper rocket.
Quote from: Nathan on 08/21/2011 09:26 pmOrion isnt existing hardware. It will be ready for flight testing around same time as falcon heavy which will be crew rated. May as well use the cheaper rocket.And loose performance, as the Falcon Heavy's upper stage cannot give the same delta-v as the DCSS. You'd need three launches now to match two.
Quote from: Downix on 08/21/2011 09:39 pmQuote from: Nathan on 08/21/2011 09:26 pmOrion isnt existing hardware. It will be ready for flight testing around same time as falcon heavy which will be crew rated. May as well use the cheaper rocket.And loose performance, as the Falcon Heavy's upper stage cannot give the same delta-v as the DCSS. You'd need three launches now to match two.SpaceX already announced a new engine, in your timeframe you can be sure this new engine will be ready.
Quote from: apace on 08/21/2011 10:00 pmQuote from: Downix on 08/21/2011 09:39 pmQuote from: Nathan on 08/21/2011 09:26 pmOrion isnt existing hardware. It will be ready for flight testing around same time as falcon heavy which will be crew rated. May as well use the cheaper rocket.And loose performance, as the Falcon Heavy's upper stage cannot give the same delta-v as the DCSS. You'd need three launches now to match two.SpaceX already announced a new engine, in your timeframe you can be sure this new engine will be ready.I thought we were discussing before the 2018 point for that engine to be introduced. My appologies if that is not the case.
Quote from: Downix on 08/21/2011 10:09 pmQuote from: apace on 08/21/2011 10:00 pmQuote from: Downix on 08/21/2011 09:39 pmQuote from: Nathan on 08/21/2011 09:26 pmOrion isnt existing hardware. It will be ready for flight testing around same time as falcon heavy which will be crew rated. May as well use the cheaper rocket.And loose performance, as the Falcon Heavy's upper stage cannot give the same delta-v as the DCSS. You'd need three launches now to match two.SpaceX already announced a new engine, in your timeframe you can be sure this new engine will be ready.I thought we were discussing before the 2018 point for that engine to be introduced. My appologies if that is not the case.I bet the new engine is ready 2015.
Which is still two years later than this mission being discussed can be flown.
Quote from: apace on 08/21/2011 10:19 pmI bet the new engine is ready 2015.Which is still two years later than this mission being discussed can be flown.
I bet the new engine is ready 2015.
Quote from: Downix on 08/21/2011 10:24 pmQuote from: apace on 08/21/2011 10:19 pmI bet the new engine is ready 2015.Which is still two years later than this mission being discussed can be flown.Downix, they are not discussing the Orion 2013 test flight. This is a future hypothetical mission.
Launch 1: Orion on Delta IV-H to LEOLaunch 2: Delta IV-H, only payload is upper stage to LEORendezvous Orion and US and perform TLI
Quote from: strangequark on 08/21/2011 09:01 pmLaunch 1: Orion on Delta IV-H to LEOLaunch 2: Delta IV-H, only payload is upper stage to LEORendezvous Orion and US and perform TLIAddressing the technical side rather than the motivation side:a) How quickly do you suppose two sequential DIVH launches could be performed to the same rendezvous orbit? (Do CCAFS and VAFB inclination capabilities overlap?)b) Are you assuming some extended duration mission kit for the LEO departure stage, or are you assuming (very) prompt rendezvous?(EDIT to add: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21467)
Quote from: sdsds on 08/22/2011 05:09 amQuote from: strangequark on 08/21/2011 09:01 pmLaunch 1: Orion on Delta IV-H to LEOLaunch 2: Delta IV-H, only payload is upper stage to LEORendezvous Orion and US and perform TLIAddressing the technical side rather than the motivation side:a) How quickly do you suppose two sequential DIVH launches could be performed to the same rendezvous orbit? (Do CCAFS and VAFB inclination capabilities overlap?)b) Are you assuming some extended duration mission kit for the LEO departure stage, or are you assuming (very) prompt rendezvous?(EDIT to add: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21467)a) You would have to launch from CCAFS, practically speaking. There's a small overlap, for 51-57 degrees, but the plane change to get to an appropriate inclination for Lunar flyby would require almost 3000 m/s.b) Not assuming anything, just wondering what is practical. If the dev time on an extended duration kit isn't the long pole, then sure.
Perhaps you could send the crew to the ISS with Soyuz or a commercial US spacecraft if it's available. Then use Delta IV-H's to send first Orion to the ISS and then Centaur close to it. The crew would move to Orion and rendezvouz with Centaur and then on to the Moon? Cheaper than man-rating Delta IV-H or any other 25+ mT rocket.