that had been developed for Ares I was a strong match for the new core stage. “Constellation is why we’re here,” Navarro said. “When we got started on the Space Launch System, we looked at the Ares I design and really got into the exercise of upsizing the vehicle’s diameter and size. So on several fronts, we were off to a terrific start.” The selection of Boeing made it possible for the core stage to be built faster and, consequently, keep pace with the development of the Orion spacecraft, which had originated as part of the Constellation program. While the two-stage Space Launch System will be similar in appearance to the three-stage Saturn V rocket of the 1960s, Navarro said there will be big differences in both the performance of the rocket and the design and manufacturing techniques used to build it. “Saturn V was designed to go to the moon, and it performed exceptionally well,” Navarro said. “But the Space Launch System will evolve over time and be used on different types of missions. It’s upgradeable. The core stage will serve as the backbone of the vehicle, but new upper stages and components will be developed over time to meet new requirements.” After initial test launches, the Space Launch System— when the interim propulsion stage is replaced by a new, more powerful upper stage and advanced boosters are developed—will have approximately 20 percent greater thrust than the Saturn V. Whereas three astronauts flew in Apollo, Orion will carry up to four. “Physics doesn’t change,” said Charles Dutch, Space Launch System Avionics director. “There will still be a challenging climb through the atmosphere. But we have matured a lot over the past few decades in terms of tailoring our flight profiles more accurately to account for winds and other things we’re going to encounter. Space Launch System will have a lot of redundancies and electronic monitoring systems that give it more autonomy in flight—things that weren’t available in the Apollo era.” Many members of today’s Space Launch System team are too young to have experienced live television images of astronauts walking on the moon. But they have front-row seats to the next journeys—not only back to the moon but perhaps to Mars and beyond. n william.j.seil@boeing.com PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Boeing is building the 200-foot (60-meter) core stage and avionics for the Space Launch System. Also shown in this artist’s concept are components produced by industry partners and NASA. BRANDON LUONG/BOEING Frontiers February 2014 27
Frontiers February 2014 Issue
To see the actual publication please follow the link above