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NASA's SLS rocket's Mobile Launcher-2 increase from $383M to $2.7B

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Re: NASA's SLS rocket's Mobile Launcher-2 increase from $383M to $2.7B

#11

Post by somenameforme »

akira2501 wrote: post #5

For perspective 2.7B is 0.04% of the entire US budget for 2024. This is a rocket that goes to the moon. If your reaction is "lord help us" then perhaps space exploration just isn't in your blood.

This isn't for the rocket, just the structure that it's connected to before launch. Tens of billions of dollars have already been wasted on the rocket. I say "wasted" because it's already essentially obsoleted by the Falcon Heavy which has been ready to go for years, is reliable, and launches at a tiny fraction of the cost. And by the time Starship comes into play you're talking about a Ford Pinto being sold at Lambo Veneno Roadster prices.

Re: NASA's SLS rocket's Mobile Launcher-2 increase from $383M to $2.7B

#13

Post by bewaretheirs »

ragebol wrote: post #10
akira2501 wrote: post #5

For perspective 2.7B is 0.04% of the entire US budget for 2024. This is a rocket that goes to the moon. If your reaction is "lord help us" then perhaps space exploration just isn't in your blood.

It's not for the rocket. A moon rocket for 2.7B would be a steal. This is just for a mostly static steel tower (on a mobile carrier?) that holds the rocket up and provides some piping etc to the rocket before launch. The mobile carrier is not included in the price AFAIK, but not sure.

It's tower on a large steel platform but it also includes significant GSE (ground support equipment) - cabling and cryogenic plumbing to connect to the rocket to let it be fueled and readied for launch, all connected via mechanical arms to pull the quick disconnects away from the rocket, in some cases into armored boxes to protect against the rocket exhaust. Plus a crew access arm to let astronauts board, elevators so they don't have to climb stairs in their space suits, etc., etc.,

It is carried around by one of the two existing crawler-transporters, which moves it between the VAB where the rocket is built and the launch pad.

Re: NASA's SLS rocket's Mobile Launcher-2 increase from $383M to $2.7B

#14

Post by ceejayoz »

akira2501 wrote: post #5

For perspective 2.7B is 0.04% of the entire US budget for 2024. This is a rocket that goes to the moon. If your reaction is "lord help us" then perhaps space exploration just isn't in your blood.

Artemis has cost nearly $100B so far, and with increases like this, that seems unlikely to slow down.

Re: NASA's SLS rocket's Mobile Launcher-2 increase from $383M to $2.7B

#15

Post by deepsun »

perihelions wrote: post #4

How is it that government contractors can't build this thing on even a 9-year engineering schedule (July 2019–September 2028) when SpaceX is iterating almost exactly the same thing, on a timescale of months? They've already launched 4 SLS-sized vehicles, and have very visibly been redesigning the ground-support equipment each time around. The next launch for instance (next month!) debuts mechanical arms attached to t…

Well, they do a lot of fundamental try/test that others use then, including SpaceX. Didn't want to defend NASAs schedules, of course, but still they are often the first pioneers in many areas. And that plays not really well with public money, unlike private startups that can do whatever.

Re: NASA's SLS rocket's Mobile Launcher-2 increase from $383M to $2.7B

#17

Post by Diederich »

somenameforme wrote: post #11
akira2501 wrote: post #5

For perspective 2.7B is 0.04% of the entire US budget for 2024. This is a rocket that goes to the moon. If your reaction is "lord help us" then perhaps space exploration just isn't in your blood.

This isn't for the rocket, just the structure that it's connected to before launch. Tens of billions of dollars have already been wasted on the rocket. I say "wasted" because it's already essentially obsoleted by the Falcon Heavy which has been ready to go for years, is reliable, and launches at a tiny fraction of the cost. And by the time Starship comes into play you're talking about a Ford Pinto being sold at Lambo…

Falcon Heavy, fully expendable, can send about 15,190kg to TLI (Trans Lunar Injection). The Saturn V sent about 48,600kg to TLI.

The current SLS can send about 27,000kg to TLI, and block 2 is expected to send between 43,000kg and 47,000kg to TLI.

Could the Falcon Heavy be used on a multi-part moon mission? No doubt, but it's not in the same weight class as SLS.

Re: NASA's SLS rocket's Mobile Launcher-2 increase from $383M to $2.7B

#18

Post by Animats »

bewaretheirs wrote: post #13
ragebol wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not for the rocket. A moon rocket for 2.7B would be a steal. This is just for a mostly static steel tower (on a mobile carrier?) that holds the rocket up and provides some piping etc to the rocket before launch. The mobile carrier is not included in the price AFAIK, but not sure.

It's tower on a large steel platform but it also includes significant GSE (ground support equipment) - cabling and cryogenic plumbing to connect to the rocket to let it be fueled and readied for launch, all connected via mechanical arms to pull the quick disconnects away from the rocket, in some cases into armored boxes to protect against the rocket exhaust. Plus a crew access arm to let astronauts board, elevators s…

What, this isn't even an new crawler/transporter? It's just the gantry and plumbing?

Re: NASA's SLS rocket's Mobile Launcher-2 increase from $383M to $2.7B

#19

Post by fredgrott »

perihelions wrote: post #4

How is it that government contractors can't build this thing on even a 9-year engineering schedule (July 2019–September 2028) when SpaceX is iterating almost exactly the same thing, on a timescale of months? They've already launched 4 SLS-sized vehicles, and have very visibly been redesigning the ground-support equipment each time around. The next launch for instance (next month!) debuts mechanical arms attached to t…

all space projects are R and D projects....how do I know? jet engine technology took 50 years before we could go years without a test fighter pilot dying....

fun fact...its part of the legal boilerplate astronauts sign...

Re: NASA's SLS rocket's Mobile Launcher-2 increase from $383M to $2.7B

#20

Post by DennisP »

nerdjon wrote: post #7

And it will be 3 years late! I honestly would love to know how much money is 'wasted' by NASA because of these companies that seem to, over promise and then need a lot more money. And I don't say wasted because I think that the money spent at NASA is not worthwhile. But how much else could be done if that money could be spent elsewhere or at the very least be properly estimated in the beginning so it could have been…

Stoke Space seems like it has potential. Same engineering philosophy as SpaceX, really innovative design, going for 100% reusability from the start. Everyday Astronaut visited them last year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY8nbSwjtEY

https://www.stokespace.com

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