NASA released new illustrations of SpaceX's Dragon XL spacecraft, which the agency last year awarded with a contract to deliver cargo to the lunar Gateway in orbit around the Moon:
Dragon XL will be used to resupply Gateway, a lunar outpost for Artemis astronauts. This resupply ship will also include a toilet and beds to provide extra space in HALO for science.
<sarcastic> Also, the last image in the set envisions the Dragon XLe (e is for electric) where the forward bulkhead thrusters have apparently been replaced with with starlink krypton thrusters </sarcastic>
Quote from: cohberg on 03/17/2021 08:22 pm<sarcastic> Also, the last image in the set envisions the Dragon XLe (e is for electric) where the forward bulkhead thrusters have apparently been replaced with with starlink krypton thrusters </sarcastic>Actually, there appears to be hall effect thrusters....see image 3.edit: or are those payload mounts?
I don't know if this is true but it would make sense:https://twitter.com/artemis360_moon/status/1372292826977902594QuoteDragon XL will be used to resupply Gateway, a lunar outpost for Artemis astronauts. This resupply ship will also include a toilet and beds to provide extra space in HALO for science.
If any of you wondered why there is a grapple fixture mounted on the side of Dragon XL, that is because Canadarm 3 can only reach the external payloads, on the back end of Dragon XL, by walking off the Lunar Gateway and onto Dragon XL.From that position Canadarm 3 will move the external payloads to temporary mounting locations on Gateway exterior.
Canadarm 3 can only reach the external payloads, on the back end of Dragon XL, by walking off the Lunar Gateway and onto Dragon XL.
Quote from: woods170 on 03/18/2021 08:57 amCanadarm 3 can only reach the external payloads, on the back end of Dragon XL, by walking off the Lunar Gateway and onto Dragon XL.Thanks for that. So to confirm: this needs to be a powered PDGF, and it is on the pressurized section of Dragon XL? And the arm can get there even if Dragon XL is docked at ESPRIT (as seems to be shown in the graphics) rather than directly to HALO?
Quote from: yg1968 on 03/17/2021 09:06 pmI don't know if this is true but it would make sense:https://twitter.com/artemis360_moon/status/1372292826977902594QuoteDragon XL will be used to resupply Gateway, a lunar outpost for Artemis astronauts. This resupply ship will also include a toilet and beds to provide extra space in HALO for science.Does it make sense? A disposable cargo container is becoming more of a full fledged habitat module with a very short service life. If dragon was bringing those to the station and leaving them behind maybe that would make sense. (Future crews could relocate them back into subsequent dragon vehicles) Otherwise it's a recurring weight and cost to each dragon XL mission. Plus there is likely more stringent requirements on dragon if it is planned to be occupied like a habitat vs. infrequently accessed like a cargo craft. Or maybe this is just on the first dragon XL before the ESA habitat module is available... That could make sense.
It might be better to think of it as a self- propelled outhouse.
Quote from: rakaydos on 03/18/2021 09:47 pmIt might be better to think of it as a self- propelled outhouse. That's it, you've forever ruined an entire spacecraft for me
Quote from: steveleach on 03/18/2021 09:53 pmQuote from: rakaydos on 03/18/2021 09:47 pmIt might be better to think of it as a self- propelled outhouse. That's it, you've forever ruined an entire spacecraft for me Even better - a self propelled outhouse you can sleep in with your three closest friends!
Quote from: AstroWare on 03/19/2021 04:55 amQuote from: steveleach on 03/18/2021 09:53 pmQuote from: rakaydos on 03/18/2021 09:47 pmIt might be better to think of it as a self- propelled outhouse. That's it, you've forever ruined an entire spacecraft for me Even better - a self propelled outhouse you can sleep in with your three closest friends! It is the same with the Orion.
Dragon XL will be bringing waste back from the station, [...]
Quote from: Avatar2Go on 03/21/2021 09:13 pmThe mission of SLS/Orion is as given by NASA, to provide deep space launch capability for manned or larger unmanned missions. For lunar, minor bodies, or planetary missions. The moon mission already exists. The others have been discussed, so SLS is designed to handle them as needed.Europa Clipper might have been one such mission, but the torsional loading for SLS was too high, as well as uncertainty about availability during the launch window. SLS has the power to reduce cruise phases by several years.The lunar lander may be another mission, depending on that selection process. The large deep space habitats now being designed, will require heavy lift on the order of SLS. It's somewhat of a chicken and egg problem. The mission design depends on the launcher, so the launcher has to exist.Emphasis mine.That is a false narrative. The first two elements of the deep space habitat (which is now known as Lunar Gateway) will be launched combined on a Falcon Heavy. Which is a launcher that is considerably less capable than SLS block 1 (64 metric ton to LEO vs 90 metric ton to LEO).All future elements of Lunar Gateway are in the same order of dimensions and mass as the first two elements.So no, the Lunar Gateway does not need the performance of SLS to get its elements into space.What those elements do need however is a means of tugging them to the Gateway. For the first launch that is fairly easy given that one of the two modules has its own propulsion system.Later modules don't have this and require a tug of sorts to get them to Gateway. And that is a secondary role envisioned for Orion.Now that it is necessary to bring along Orion (for lack of a genuine deep space tug), than is becomes necessary to launch module and Orion on SLS.But here is the thing: SpaceX is currently developing for NASA the Dragon XL. Which is basically a (temporary) pressurized Lunar Gateway module, having its own propulsion system, and capable of autonomously docking to Lunar Gateway.One of the things that NASA and SpaceX have not publically mentioned is that part of the Dragon XL contract is to study using a modified Dragon XL as a deep space tug.It would basiscally see Dragon XL doing away with the large pressurized section and replacing it with a docked Gateway module such as iHAB or ESPRIT. Dragon XS (that's what I refer to it, for lack of an actual name currently) would tow the module out to Gateway and dock to it. Canadarm 3 would then be used to remove the module from Dragon XS and attach it wherever the module is supposed to go on Gateway.And voila: that would take away the last reasons for developing SLS beyond Block 1.
The mission of SLS/Orion is as given by NASA, to provide deep space launch capability for manned or larger unmanned missions. For lunar, minor bodies, or planetary missions. The moon mission already exists. The others have been discussed, so SLS is designed to handle them as needed.Europa Clipper might have been one such mission, but the torsional loading for SLS was too high, as well as uncertainty about availability during the launch window. SLS has the power to reduce cruise phases by several years.The lunar lander may be another mission, depending on that selection process. The large deep space habitats now being designed, will require heavy lift on the order of SLS. It's somewhat of a chicken and egg problem. The mission design depends on the launcher, so the launcher has to exist.
Saving this interesting info here before it got buried in the SLS discussion thread<snip>
