The Aerospace study into man-rating Delta-IV-H has been released.
OSP was one of the two designed major customers of the EELVs alongside DoD payloads. If the program had proceeded then, the EELVs would have been built as human-rated according to NASA's requirements and the pads would have been built to double as crewed launch sites. The DoD would have used the same machine and pads for their own launches and that would have been that.
It has been said that man-rating EELVs was considered extremely difficult in the OSP days, including but not limited to problems caused by steep ascent profiles. What has changed since then that would make things easier?
Well, my concern with man-rating Delta or Atlas is simple, what is the history of either system with people?
Well, my concern with man-rating Delta or Atlas is simple, what is the history of either system with people? Delta, as far as I am aware, has not been used in any human space flight. Atlas, however, is full of bits that have been used in human space flight. It is an evolution of the old Mercury lifter. The engine is derived from a russian human-lift vehicles engine. It seems a better fit to me, honestly.
Quote from: Downix on 11/05/2009 01:36 pmWell, my concern with man-rating Delta or Atlas is simple, what is the history of either system with people? Delta, as far as I am aware, has not been used in any human space flight. Atlas, however, is full of bits that have been used in human space flight. It is an evolution of the old Mercury lifter. The engine is derived from a russian human-lift vehicles engine. It seems a better fit to me, honestly.Do intentions actually count? Energiya never lifted any actual humans.
Human-triggered AbortThere seems to be an assumption that for a launch vehicle to be "human rated" it must have an automated system that would detect trouble and trigger the abort/escape system.Why?For sake of discussion, assume there is no solid propellant; just liquid. Why isn't it enough to give the pilot an abort button, give the ground controller an abort button, and give range safety an abort button?
Quote from: sdsds on 11/05/2009 02:48 pmHuman-triggered AbortThere seems to be an assumption that for a launch vehicle to be "human rated" it must have an automated system that would detect trouble and trigger the abort/escape system.Why?For sake of discussion, assume there is no solid propellant; just liquid. Why isn't it enough to give the pilot an abort button, give the ground controller an abort button, and give range safety an abort button? Letś use Challenger as an example, how fast can you hit that button when breakup takes under a half second?
Here's something I've wondered about: How much of the existing Atlas V is Atlas ICBM heritage? For that matter, does the existing Delta IV have any Thor IRBM heritage, or are these things just names?