Artemis - Orion

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west point

Engineer
Joined
Jun 9, 2015
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We cannot minimize the example of what the just completed mission has proved. The various delays with the batteries and hurricane proved the mission pre launch was well planned. Then a rocket 1 - 1/2times the thrust of Saturn 5. New SRBs that had no problem. As well most powerful earth launched rocket ever. Yes just a little more noise. Then a perfect flight plan that went past moon to farther than any other space craft lunched from earth. The perfect return to a Pacific landing less than a mile from planned touchdown spot. What does this spotless misssion mean? Have no idea.
 
I would expect that the space shuttle design would be different enough that a new one will need a clean sheet design from lessons learned from original design. Especially the design of the heat tiles that brought down the ??? . Electronics and especially computers as the old ones in original are now manufacture dicontinued and only old farts know how to operate them.
 
It’s been almost a half-century since the Space Shuttle was designed. I would think that they could have made significant progress since then in furthering its concept. Perhaps to the point where it could even take off on its own, from an airport, without the need to launch it attached to fuel tanks and boosters, at least for shorter missions…
 
There is that minor issue of packing enough thrust (8.8 Million Pounds of it for the SLS) and fuel, on something that can take off from a runway to place that much weight on its way to interstellar flight. The Space Shuttle, in spite of all the fancy Hollywood footwork with it, was really not designed for putting anything beyond low earth orbit. It was primarily designed for building the ISS. One has to take cognizance of limits placed by just the Physics of it.

In fact, the Space Shuttle for all its capabilities proved to be too complex and unreliable and expensive. In fact SpaceX has been able to achieve a more reliable and less expensive platform for doing essentially what the Shuttle was originally expected to do.

Of course, meanwhile we all await the invention of Teleportation. :D
 
There is that minor issue of packing enough thrust (8.8 Million Pounds of it for the SLS) and fuel, on something that can take off from a runway to place that much weight on its way to interstellar flight. The Space Shuttle, in spite of all the fancy Hollywood footwork with it, was really not designed for putting anything beyond low earth orbit. It was primarily designed for building the ISS. One has to take cognizance of limits placed by just the Physics of it.

In fact, the Space Shuttle for all its capabilities proved to be too complex and unreliable and expensive. In fact SpaceX has been able to achieve a more reliable and less expensive platform for doing essentially what the Shuttle was originally expected to do.

Of course, meanwhile we all await the invention of Teleportation. :D
I teleport every night when I go to sleep. Oh, the crazy places I've found myself at.... 🤣
 
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