Discovery orbiter

[CyranoAH]

Actually, what I heard is that they changed the foam from the one they had to a cheaper one, not more expensive.

Daniel

[Sancho]

Originally posted by Chairboy
Virgil, can you cite a source for the foam thing?

I'm not Virgil, but search google for "shuttle columbia foam freon" or something like that.  Here's one news article on it:

link

[2bighorn]

Originally posted by ASTAC
..so we are looking at like probrably 10 years before a replacement is ready.

Yes, first flight of CEV (Crew Exploration Vehicle) is scheduled for 2014.

Two major teams, one headed by Lockheed Martin and one by Northrop Grumman and Boeing, are competing. The winner will be chosen in 2008.

Lockheed has already unveiled its project...

Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) Procurement

[Gunslinger]

I just thaught of something.

It'd be interesting if the Govt threw $1billion at Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites and see what they come up with.  

I'd bet they come up with something pretty interesting in a fairly short amount of time.  Alot of their research has allready been done and they don't have the tremendous overhead that Lockheed/Boeing have that sucks alot of the dollars out of Govt Contracts.

[CyranoAH]

Thought about that as well... but I fear Rutan & co. lack the knowledge of space flight in order to come up with something that can present a real alternative.

Sub-orbital is one step, but going orbital is a whole different league. I believe Rutan himself acknowledged that in an interview.

Daniel

[Gunslinger]

Originally posted by CyranoAH
Thought about that as well... but I fear Rutan & co. lack the knowledge of space flight in order to come up with something that can present a real alternative.

Sub-orbital is one step, but going orbital is a whole different league. I believe Rutan himself acknowledged that in an interview.

Daniel

Good point but,
One would think that with funding he could "hire" that knowledge.

[CyranoAH]

Originally posted by Gunslinger
Good point but,
One would think that with funding he could "hire" that knowledge.

Hmm perhaps, but I think he regards himself as a maverick of aerospace engineering... I bet he has received offers from the main companies in the sector, but he wants to remain an independent with restricted budgets...

I think it's like asking the designer of the best piston-engine aerobatic airplane of the world to design a jetliner. He surely could, but he would lack a lot of hands-on knowledge.

Hiring him as an external consultant? I bet they've already done that

Daniel

[detch01]

Getting into orbit isn't that big a deal in comparison to what Rutan's already accomplished. I have no doubt that if he put his mind to it he'd be able to design something to get up there. It's the getting back down part where it gets a little tricky.



asw

[Holden McGroin]

Originally posted by detch01
Getting into orbit isn't that big a deal in comparison to what Rutan's already accomplished.

All he needs to do is design a system that will achieve a payload with 60 times the energy of SS1 to acheive an orbital velocity.

[detch01]

Originally posted by Holden McGroin
All he needs to do is design a system that will achieve a payload with 60 times the energy of SS1 to acheive an orbital velocity.

I don't see that being an insurmountable problem for Rutan who is one of the most inventive aerospace engineers in the US today and his company is one of the most successful and capable independent aerospace prototype shops in the world.
I doubt SS1 would survive a launch into orbit, let alone space flight or re-entry. But then it wasn't designed for it, was it?

asw

[Holden McGroin]

Not insurmountable, but certainly a big deal.

Rutan is working on it.

According to Space.com,

One gets the feeling that in restricted niches of the Mojave Spaceport here, work is already underway on bigger and better spaceships. Asked directly about that prospect, Rutan is quick with a “no comment” that comes wrapped in a guarded smile.

“You think this is cool?” Rutan asked, pointing to the freshly flown SpaceShipOne. “Wait 'til you see SpaceShipTwo ... it is erotic,” he added, alluding to the smooth lines of a craft that would seem tangible and touchable - not a minds-eye image of vaporware.

   

[Ack-Ack]

Originally posted by Boroda
I have heard rumours that here we have a hysterically-swift preparation for at least 3 Soyuz spaceship launches. I have heard this from 3 different sources that have absolutely no connection, and all three are not from Internet.

Rescue operation?

Space Shuttle autonomy is 14 days IIRC?

If they'll burn Discovery - it will mean a huge step back in space exploration I hope it's only a rumour

I think this is response to grounding of the remaining shuttles.  A week after Discovery's launch, another shuttle was supposed to go up as a possible rescue vehicle.  It was said then that the Russians would then prepare some Soyuz capsules in the event there was trouble.  The fall back plan in case the Discovery got into trouble was to dock with the space station and the Soyuz capsulse when then arrive with supplies until a rescue vehicle(s) can be sufficiently prepared.


ack-ack

[CyranoAH]

Originally posted by Holden McGroin
Not insurmountable, but certainly a big deal.

Rutan is working on it.

According to Space.com,

I think SpaceShip Two is just a bigger version of SS One, designed to carry more passengers per flight. I don't think he'll consider orbital flight until affordable suborbital flight is achieved, which was the goal of the Ansari X-Prize in the first place.

Daniel

[Boroda]

Originally posted by Ack-Ack
I think this is response to grounding of the remaining shuttles.  A week after Discovery's launch, another shuttle was supposed to go up as a possible rescue vehicle.  It was said then that the Russians would then prepare some Soyuz capsules in the event there was trouble.  The fall back plan in case the Discovery got into trouble was to dock with the space station and the Soyuz capsulse when then arrive with supplies until a rescue vehicle(s) can be sufficiently prepared.

I imagine two Shuttles docked to ISS... Or they'll abandon Discovery? Is ISS life-support system capable of withstanding 9 people aboard? As a resupply ship - Progress is cheaper and brings more payload.

As I said above - it's all very sad.

Launching 3-4 Soyuz to rescue missions will probably mean that ISS will have to be conservated like Skylab

Why did they launch Discovery with a crew of 7 astronauts? Isn't the minimal crew only 2 people?

[Hangtime]

When it's time to retire them, boost the shuttles to high orbit and leave 'em with the space station. Handy-dandy mars or moon trans orbital exploration vehicles.