NASASpaceFlight.com Forum
International Space Station (ISS) => ISS Section => Topic started by: Ronsmytheiii on 11/24/2011 03:39 am
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As presented at the GER conference from the Boeing corporation:
http://ipv6.nasa.gov/exploration/about/isecg/ger-webcast.html
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Thanks for posting this.
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Funny that they mention Soyuz access multiple times for the EML-1 gateway, but never commercial crew. I suppose there's no real reason CST-100 or Dragon couldn't be modified in similar ways to Soyuz and launched on a larger launch vehicle (EELV Heavy or Falcon Heavy) just like Soyuz would need to launch on Proton (at least?) to get to EML-1.
EDIT:I'm pretty sure Soyuz-on-Proton would need at least another stage added, perhaps some version of the Fregat stage, to get all the way to EML-1 and back. Proton does ~5-6mT to GTO (which is much less than escape or all the way to EML-1), compared to ~13mT for Delta IV Heavy... Though the difference for payload to LEO is far less. The reason for Delta IV Heavy's much greater performance to GTO compared to Proton when they both have roughly similar performance to LEO is that Delta IV uses hydrogen (especially important for the upper stage to use hydrogen)... So what launch vehicle are they thinking would launch the >7mT Soyuz to EML-1? Delta IV Heavy should be capable of that from a pure performance standpoint (not counting the delta-v to brake at EML-1), but it'd be pretty odd to say the least (wouldn't make sense)... and Proton doesn't have nearly the delta-v needed for that, though maybe it could swing it with an added upper stage. And even modifying Proton for manned launch would be quite the undertaking. But launching a pared-down Progress on a Proton (with an added Fregat stage?) to a slow-boat ballistic trajectory (requiring a minimal braking delta-v) to EML-1 would probably work pretty well for unmanned logistics.
Anyway, interesting proposal.