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Friday, August 29, 2014

NASA'a Mars Rocket for 2018- CNET

NASA's Mars rocket to launch on maiden voyage in 2018

The world's most powerful rocket, designed to carry humans to Mars, is scheduled for a test launch in 2018.
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Artist's concept of the SLS MKI's maiden voyage. NASA/MSFC
NASA's deep-space rocket -- the Space Launch System -- is the most powerful to date, designed to ferry humans to Mars. Scheduled to launch for the first time in 2018, it's the agency's first heavy-lift launch vehicle in over 40 years, and hopefully marks the first step for a manned Mars mission in the 2030s.

The rocket, which has been in development for three years, was officially approved by the space agency on August 27, which means a full commitment to the program.
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Artist's concept of SLS MKI on the launchpad. NASA/MSFC
"We are on a journey of scientific and human exploration that leads to Mars," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "And we're firmly committed to building the launch vehicle and other supporting systems that will take us on that journey."

The SLS will carry the Orion spacecraft, which in turn will carry the Mars explorers. For its first test flight, the SLS will be configured with a 70-metric-ton lift capacity and carry an uncrewed Orion craft beyond low-Earth orbit. The final version of the rocket is slated for a lift capacity of 130 metric tons, which will enable missions to destinations as far as Mars.

"Our nation is embarked on an ambitious space exploration program, and we owe it to the American taxpayers to get it right," said Associate Administrator and review process overseer Robert Lightfoot. "After rigorous review, we're committing today to a funding level and readiness date that will keep us on track to sending humans to Mars in the 2030s -- and we're going to stand behind that commitment."

The Orion spacecraft is scheduled for an uncrewed test flight of its own on December 4 of this year, attached to a Delta IV Heavy rocket. This flight, Exploration Test Flight 1, will test several of the Orion's key systems, including avionics, heat shielding and parachutes.

"We are keeping each part of the program -- the rocket, ground systems, and Orion -- moving at its best possible speed toward the first integrated test launch," said NASA Exploration Systems Development director Bill Hill. "We are on a solid path toward an integrated mission and making progress in all three programs every day."

The first of the three SLS rockets is projected to cost $7.021 billion, and the entire project around $12 billion.
 

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NASA want to send mankind to Mars by the 30s (203x)... But the Mars One project wants to do it by 2025 (to be more specifically, they want an entire colony by that time!)?

Hmm, NASA might need to pick-up the pace a bit...
The lift capacity of the Saturn V Moon rocket was 118 metric tons. A lift capacity of only 12 more metric tons seems kind of small for a Mars rocket. Maybe they'll use more than one launch and assemble a Mars ship in earth orbit. They would need something really heavy just for the shielding to protect against cosmic rays, not even counting the massive provisions and fuel needed. One estimate of the total cost of the Apollo program was $170 billion in 2005 dollars. Another estimate set the cost of each landing at $18 billion apiece in 2010 dollars. The $12 billion would be for just the first 3 Mars rockets. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_program#Program_cost
@xit1254 It's not just the lift capacity. It's also about the degree on which the rocket enters LEO or GEO. Higher degree means a better rocket, allthough I dont really know how is the SLS doing regarding that
Awesome cost/price point, it's less than what Obama wanted to give some illegal immigrants.
exosnews points out that SLS was to have launched in 2017, now a year has been added, I wounder what SpaceX could achieve with around $12 billion the SLS is costing?
Why the hell do we have a space program that cost billions get rid of it and put the money towards this country's debt !!!!!!!
@JoeShhmo Yeah, how dare we continue having a program that gives us multiple times the return of the money we put into it by way of scientific and technological discoveries!!!! Shame on us for our quest to better understand our universe!!!!!!  We are wasting that few pennies per American taxpayer!!!!!!!!
@pennmike NASA actually doesnt even cost a few pennies. It costs less than one penny. Less than half a penny. Just around 4/10 of a penny. This is the amount of money we put into humanities future. All of the other space agencies around the world probably just surpass Nasa in the amount of money spent. We are investing squat into our future. We are a dumb species.
Does NASA seriously think three or four astronauts are going to ride in the Orion capsule for 8 months or more all the way to Mars. Orion is NOT the vehicle that will get us into deep space. We need heavy-lift capability to put components in LEO and then assemble a transit craft to make the transit from Earth orbit to Mars orbit. We then need a craft, like SpaceX's Dragon 2 with integrated propulsion to take us from Mars orbit to surface and back. Orion is designed to do none of that. It's simply a 1.5 scale version of Apollo to take astronauts to LEO (at about 5 times the cost of current systems).
@kingwr I could not agree more. The ISS is one thing. But future exploration needs an orbiting depot to launch from. Either stick to robotic missions or enable faster flights that will not leave astronauts weak from the journey. A truly robust mission requires a robust crew to carry it out.
@ddcmall @kingwr Exactly!

We've been going into space for what? Thirty years?

How is it that we still do not yet have a depot of some sort in space? Such a contraption could easily further travel (human-based or autonomous) well into the depths of space...

In saying that, remember how in "Armageddon" the International Space Station was able to be utilized as a refuel point for the shuttles? THat's kinda on the right track, if that is in fact a real capability (though ideally, you'd have storage facilities of some sort, too, which the International Space Station does not).
This is all so foolishly wasting money.  A moon settlement, not funded by governments, should be a first step.  A trip to Mars should be privately funded, and would ideally have various outposts with limited human accommodations, supplies and communications relays for voice, video and data on the way to Mars, thereby reducing risks, and allowing for risk mitigation should there be problems.

Government does very little well, this is just another example.

What Lightfoot SHOULD have said is:
"Our nation is embarked on an ambitious space exploration program, and we owe it to the American taxpayers not to steel from their wallets to fund our pet project.  Towards that end, we are encouraging all interested to fund the private Mars exploration program of their choosing." Or something to that effect.  
@libertyforall1776  It may, or may not, be wasting money.  It all depends on ones personal perspective.  While I am fascinated at the prospect of man traveling to another planet, it is a questionable use of national resources at a time of economic instability at home (yes over $16 trillion in debt - and climbing, is economic instability), and never ending brutal and devastating conflicts overseas.  This may not be the best time in our history to take on such a monumental challenge (never say never, just not now).

As to relying on the private sector to place the first man on mars, it's just never going to happen.  Our capitalistic society is totally and completely driven by profit incentive, and there is no profit to be made from putting the first man on mars.  Maybe 100 years AFTER the first man on mars there may be economic incentive for the private sector to get involved in mars travel (e.g., the original version of the movie Total Recall).   
@dwjon @libertyforall1776 There are some that are not motivated by greed - Richard Branson and VIrgin Galactic, for example... Heck, he's sold half of the Virgin Group to make it a reality!

And apparently, his original inspiration behind the project was that space shouldn't be restricted to the mega-rich... Everybody - including the Everday Joe/Sally - should be able to afford to go into space, which he hopes his company will be able to offer in the medium-term future.

There is also the Mars One project... Whom wants to put humankind on Mars by the early 20s (202x).
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