Forums
L2 Sign Up
SLS/Orion
SpaceX
Commercial
ISS
International
Other
Shop
Home
Help
Tags
Calendar
Login
Register
Forums
»
SLS / Orion / Beyond-LEO HSF - Constellation
»
Missions To The Moon (HSF)
»
Launch of LOP-G PPE
Print
Pages: [
1
]
Go Down
Author
Topic: Launch of LOP-G PPE (Read 2129 times)
hektor
Senior Member
Posts: 2706
Liked: 1193
Likes Given: 54
Launch of LOP-G PPE
«
on:
02/13/2018 11:06 am »
I understand that the LOP-G PPE will now launch alone on a US ELV in FY 2022.
What are the possible contenders :
- Falcon Heavy
- New Glenn - will it be ready ?
- SLS/EUS as a rehearsal before EM-2
- Vulcan - will it be ready ?
- Delta IV Heavy- will it still exist ?
Logged
brickmack
Full Member
Posts: 975
USA
Liked: 3273
Likes Given: 101
Re: Launch of LOP-G PPE
«
Reply #1 on:
02/13/2018 04:30 pm »
SLS seems pretty unlikely.
Being that the PPE has so much propulsion capability, one nice thing is that it doesn't technically need insertion to lunar orbit or even TLI. SNC already has talked about a close derivative of their PPE bid being usable as an ISS-to-cislunar cargo vehicle. Even Falcon 9 could most likely deliver this to slightly-past-LEO with booster reuse. But this would reduce stationkeeping/translational capability a lot (until the first cargo flight delivers more propellant), so probably not ideal. Direct insertion all the way to NRHO/LDRO would be great, but probably only Vulcan-ACES could do that, and that almost certainly won't be available in 2022 unfortunately. Falcon Heavy, Vulcan-Centaur V, and New Glenn all easily have enough performance for sending a ~12 ton spacecraft to TLI and should be available by then. Delta IV Heavy can get close, but not quite. OrbATK's NGL should also be able to do it in its larger configurations, but who knows if that will ever exist...
If they do launch on Vulcan or NG (or FH with stretched fairing), it might be a nice idea to use the surplus performance available to combine a small hab module pre-integrated with the PPE and have it bring that with it to lunar orbit. Makes for a slightly more useful EM-2.
Logged
Print
Pages: [
1
]
Go Up
Tags:
Forums
»
SLS / Orion / Beyond-LEO HSF - Constellation
»
Missions To The Moon (HSF)
»
Launch of LOP-G PPE
Advertisement
Advertisement
Tweets by NASASpaceflight
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
0