A look at the Ariane 6 rocket. Credit Wikimedia Commons, SkywalkerPL
Posted on 12/03/2014 2:39:37 PM PST by BenLurkin
The design has been hotly contested among European Space Agency members, many of whom are in favor of other variants based on the upgraded Ariane 5. Some of the largest rockets of all time included those developed by NPO Energia, capable of lofting 100,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit. An Energia N1 Moon rocket exploded on the pad on July 3rd 1969, effectively ending the Soviet Union’s bid to put a man on the Moon. In comparison, the massive Saturn V rocket — thus far, the largest and most powerful ever fielded by the United States — could deploy the equivalent of 118,000 kg to low Earth orbit and 47,000 kg to a Trans-Lunar Insertion orbit around the Moon.
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
Do you know if there will be someplace we can watch the Orion mission online tomorrow?
Interesting that they noted only GSAT-16 for tomorrow on Ariane 5.
The upper passenger is DIRECTV-14.
Guess they only care about ISRO...
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Orion is a glorified Apollo capsule. Can’t we do better?
The STS (Space Shuttle Transport System) was only meant to operate in LEO (Low Earth Orbit, whereas the Orion is designed to have enough thrust to weight ratio to transport crew and cargoes into HEO (High Earth Orbit), cis-Lunar, and deep space destinations. Consequently, the mass of the Orion crew module must be much more conservative than those of the STS which operated only in LEO.
That’s a little WOMH and AGTM.
“And the wild card is Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Already in the game of sending cargo via its Dragon spacecraft to the ISS, SpaceX is developing a reputation for dependability when it comes to getting satellites into orbit at relatively low cost. SpaceX hopes to field its Falcon 9 Heavy with a lift capacity of 53,000 kg to LEO sometime in 2015, and many proposed missions are banking on the the Falcon 9 Heavy as a future service provider for solar system exploration.”
It’s nice that they mention the Falcon Heavy that is classified as a super heavy lift launch system, but they forget to mention that SpaceX is also developing ultra-heavy lift capability that will use the Raptor engine (1.6 million lbs. of thrust at liftoff) to launch the Mars Colonial Transporter. It’ll be a 10 meter diameter booster utilizing nine of those Raptors and might be called the Falcon X with a lift capability of 100 to 150 tons. Rumors put the Falcon XX at greater than 200 tons of capacity. SpaceX will leave the government rocket organizations in the dust.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raptor_%28rocket_engine%29
Next SpaceX Falcon 9 launch is 16DEC2014.
“SpaceX has stated that they will attempt to return the first stage of the Falcon 9 through the atmosphere and land it on an approximately 90 by 50 meters (300 ft × 160 ft) floating platform, called the autonomous spaceport drone ship, that is, as of October 2014, being built for SpaceX in Louisiana.[62] This will be the first flight which will attempt a solid surface landing, “with an improved probability of success” relative to previous water-based landing tests.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_launches
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3231054/posts
“Do you know if there will be someplace we can watch the Orion mission online tomorrow?”
http://spaceflightnow.com/2014/12/02/orion-eft1-mission-status-center/
Preview: Orion spacecraft poised for critical test flight
http://spaceflightnow.com/2014/12/03/preview-orion-spacecraft-poised-for-critical-test-flight/
Photos: Delta 4-Heavy with Orion on eve of launch
http://spaceflightnow.com/2014/12/03/photos-delta-4-heavy-with-orion-on-eve-of-launch/
Video: Orion countdown status briefing
http://spaceflightnow.com/2014/12/02/video-orion-countdown-status-briefing/
NASA astronaut Rex Walheim excited about Orion test flight
http://spaceflightnow.com/2014/12/03/nasa-astronaut-rex-walheim-excited-about-orion-test-flight/
ISRO = Indian Space Research Organization
Dec. 4
Delta 4-Heavy • Orion EFT-1
Launch window: 1205-1444 GMT (7:05-9:44 a.m. EST)
Launch site: SLC-37B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket will launch NASA’s Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle on Exploration Flight Test-1. The uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft will reach an altitude of 3,600 miles before re-entering the atmosphere to demonstrate the capsule’s heat shield. The largest of the Delta 4 family, the Heavy version features three Common Booster Cores mounted together to form a triple-body rocket. Delayed from September. [Nov. 18]
Dec. 4
Ariane 5 • DirecTV 14 & GSAT 16
Launch window: 2038-2148 GMT (3:38-4:48 p.m. EST)
Launch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana
Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA221, to launch the DirecTV 14 and GSAT 16 satellites. DirecTV 14 will provide direct-to-home television broadcasts across the United States. GSAT 16 will supply communications services for the Indian Space Research Organization. [Nov. 19]
See post #8.
Yes, we all read Spaceflightnow’s launch schedule page...which can be remarkably accurate....they got a mole in one of the agencies!
Are you kidding?
There are many things we could do, and do easily, 50-75 years ago that are well beyond our capabilities now.
We could not send two men to walk on the moon and return them safely to earth today, or at any time in the next ten years, for example.
I think we managed 11 manned moon missions with 6 landings in 9 years. The Vietnam war couldn’t stop us but the war on poverty is sure kicking our butts.
Orion is a glorified Apollo capsule. Can’t we do better?
...
When it comes to safety and cost efficiency, no.
Most of today’s passenger jet aircraft are glorified 707’s, yet they are much more fuel efficient, safer and reliable.
I think we managed 11 manned moon missions with 6 landings in 9 years
...
One has to consider that first design work on the F1 engine was in the early 1950’s and the first Saturn boosters were built while Eisenhower was still president. Von Braun had the moon in mind since he started designing rockets for America. It was the Soviet’s success that ended up giving NASA a blank check to go to the moon, though the media likes to give JFK all the credit.
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