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ULA to test sun shade
by
Removed Account
on 16 Apr, 2009 14:01
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First step toward extended cryo ops for Centaur. This week's AW&ST carried a blurb on an inflatable sun shield that will be test-flown sometime in early 2011.
The test deployment will take place after the primary payload separates. Once operational, it will inflate and deploy after the fairing is jettisoned. ULA says it could be adapted to other rockets or used for orbiting fuel depots.
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#1
by
sdsds
on 13 May, 2010 02:21
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First step toward extended cryo ops for Centaur. This week's AW&ST carried a blurb on an inflatable sun shield that will be test-flown sometime in early 2011.
The test deployment will take place after the primary payload separates. Once operational, it will inflate and deploy after the fairing is jettisoned. ULA says it could be adapted to other rockets or used for orbiting fuel depots.
Can anyone provide insight into the schedule for this test? Is the Centaur for it associated with a particular payload?
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#2
by
Robotbeat
on 13 May, 2010 03:34
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This is great news! I wonder, how transferable is this to the Delta IV upper stage, if at all?
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#3
by
jongoff
on 13 May, 2010 06:21
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#4
by
Skyrocket
on 14 May, 2010 09:23
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This is great news! I wonder, how transferable is this to the Delta IV upper stage, if at all?
According to
this document, the sunshade can be scaled for use on the Delta IV upper stages.
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#5
by
sdsds
on 14 May, 2010 14:48
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This is great news! I wonder, how transferable is this to the Delta IV upper stage, if at all?
According to this document, the sunshade can be scaled for use on the Delta IV upper stages.
The pace of this work is noteworthy: "With continued funding, the team is on-track for a test flight in 2012." I'm reading that to imply there isn't yet an assigned payload for the sunshade to ride with.
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#6
by
Skyrocket
on 14 May, 2010 15:02
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The pace of this work is noteworthy: "With continued funding, the team is on-track for a test flight in 2012." I'm reading that to imply there isn't yet an assigned payload for the sunshade to ride with.
No, there is not a flight selected. A good guess would be one of the GPS-2F missions as they have capacities for secondary payloads and long coast phases.
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#7
by
Danderman
on 14 May, 2010 15:49
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It would be great if ULA did more such experiments.
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#8
by
sdsds
on 14 May, 2010 15:50
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It would be great if ULA did more such experiments.
Funded by ... ?
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#9
by
Eric Hedman
on 14 May, 2010 16:29
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It would be great if ULA did more such experiments.
Funded by ... ?
The question every business asks or should be asking on every project.
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#10
by
Ben the Space Brit
on 14 May, 2010 16:35
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It would be great if ULA did more such experiments.
Funded by ... ?
Probably NASA. It is a fairly obvious cryogenic propellent depot precursor technology.
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#11
by
kevin-rf
on 14 May, 2010 17:37
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It would be great if ULA did more such experiments.
Funded by ... ?
Probably NASA. It is a fairly obvious cryogenic propellent depot precursor technology.
Huh? I thought this was a ULA internal project, funded by them... Propellant depot's are not on the NASA road map, so why would they even have a need to fund it?
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#12
by
Robotbeat
on 14 May, 2010 17:53
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It would be great if ULA did more such experiments.
Funded by ... ?
Probably NASA. It is a fairly obvious cryogenic propellent depot precursor technology.
Huh? I thought this was a ULA internal project, funded by them... Propellant depot's are not on the NASA road map, so why would they even have a need to fund it?
From the FY-2011 Budget Overview:
Led by NASA’s Exploration Directorate, components include:
Flagship demonstration program:
...
Demonstrates critical technologies such as in-orbit propellant transfer and storage, inflatable modules, automated/autonomous rendezvous and docking, closed-loop life support systems, and
other next-generation capabilities.
Most alternate plans for exploration that I've seen use prop depots. They are a good idea, and that's why NASA should fund it. Heck, it's even in the FY2011!
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#13
by
Antares
on 15 May, 2010 02:16
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Once the launch is already up there, it's pretty much gravy to do some experiments. The launch services company owns the excess performance, unless the customer requests (and pays for) otherwise.
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#14
by
FinalFrontier
on 15 May, 2010 02:29
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This is great news! I wonder, how transferable is this to the Delta IV upper stage, if at all?
According to this document, the sunshade can be scaled for use on the Delta IV upper stages.
I smell a cheap, quick, JUS ..........
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#15
by
Danderman
on 15 May, 2010 06:58
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First step toward extended cryo ops for Centaur. This week's AW&ST carried a blurb on an inflatable sun shield that will be test-flown sometime in early 2011.
The test deployment will take place after the primary payload separates. Once operational, it will inflate and deploy after the fairing is jettisoned. ULA says it could be adapted to other rockets or used for orbiting fuel depots.
As Dan Quayle would ask: why bother with a sun shade, why not just fly the Centaur at night?
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#16
by
meiza
on 15 May, 2010 13:23
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A heads up for others.
Arianespace doing a sunshade test with the ESC-A stage? They have a history of flying extra payloads already.
What about the Japanese?
Others don't use hydrogen for now.
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#17
by
Skyrocket
on 15 May, 2010 14:30
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Arianespace doing a sunshade test with the ESC-A stage?
Makes no sense, as ESC-A is not reignitable. Might be interesting later for the ESC-B.
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#18
by
meiza
on 16 May, 2010 19:36
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Ah, you're totally right of course! I actually thought about that but didn't check it.
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#19
by
Nancyloo
on 20 May, 2010 09:02
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Once the launch is already up there, it's pretty much gravy to do some experiments. The launch services company owns the excess performance, unless the customer requests (and pays for) otherwise.
I'd love to see the space community do a lot more to take advantage of the excess performance on these launches. This could be customer or ULA driven. Something as simple as the
DMSP demo seems inexpensive while providing great data. Sun shield demos, advanced MLI demos,
prox ops , avionic, solar array, cryo transfer, inflatable habitats or huge light weight mirrors all seem like great candidates for rideshare demonstration.
