When NASA launched its giant rocket to the moon in 1969 the world watched it on television in department stores and on a giant screen in Central Park. It's the strongest rocket ever flown.
The weight of some four school buses could be propelled by this rocket. Six times it sent astronauts to the moon. America's first space station, Skylab, was put into motion.
A class of rocket the industry calls a "super heavy-lift launch vehicle" is about to be launched by NASA. The SLS will be the most powerful vehicle ever blasted into space. It isn't a better rocket. It is designed to do things that have never been done before. NASA plans to use the SLS to carry resources and people to establish a permanent presence on the moon and possibly even send astronauts to Mars.
It's a great truck. We built it. The chief engineer for NASA's SLS rocket said he was ready to fly.
Future human exploration of deeper space is dependent on returning to the moon. How the human body will hold up to space radiation and isolation is a looming problem. In an inhospitable world where astronauts will have to harvest water ice from the moon's shadowy craters, missions to the moon will inform NASA how to keep people safe.
"It's a great pick-up truck. I'm glad we built it. And I'm ready to fly."
Paula do Vale Pereira, an assistant professor of aerospace engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology, told Mashable that these are crucial lessons before we send them to Mars.
How NASA's new SLS rocket (left) stacks up against the Saturn V and the Statue of Liberty. Credit: Bob Al-Greene / Mashable
NASA didn't need a giant moon rocket after the Apollo missions ended. The International Space Station was built by NASA and the Space Shuttle was built to bring astronauts to Earth.
NASA looked at human exploration of deep space in the aughts and considered using parts from the Apollo era to build a new rocket. The proof was already proven. The job had been completed.
NASA's Blevins said that they looked at reviving that.
"It was better to just move on."
It would have taken a long time to rebuild Saturn V because of the technology and materials that were no longer around. Parts and processes would have to be resurrected. The agency didn't have any plans for the new car. He said it was better to just move on.
The engines of the Space Shuttle were used in the design of the SLS. NASA engineers are better at understanding those engines than anyone else. They are strong.
The Saturn V rocket blasting off in 1967. Credit: NASA
The main goal of the single rocket design was to get NASA astronauts to the moon and back without being killed.
There are six different ways in which SLS can be changed. At times the rocket will carry astronauts to the moon and at other times it will carry cargo to the moon.
"We're more like a group of rockets," said Blevins. SLS is a place to go. It was a targeted mission.
"We're more like a fleet of rockets."
The SLS configurations are designed around the central rocket booster. It's the most important part of the car. The majority of rockets are made of giant fuel tanks. It holds 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen.
After eight minutes, the orange rocket stage will burn out. It will have accomplished its task by that time. The cargo will be blasted into space.
There's more to push SLS beyond Earth.
Six different SLS rocket configurations. Credit: NASA / MSFC
The SLS has two rocket boosters on top of it. Solid rocket boosters use fuel compounds that give them a powerful push through the atmosphere.
The shuttle design was used to create these boosters. They are larger on the SLS. These rockets carry 25 percent more fuel than the Shuttle's, and give 75 percent of the SLS's thrust, or force pushing down against Earth, during the first couple of minutes.
Engineers testing an SLS solid rocket booster in the Utah desert. Credit: Northrop Grumman
Boosters are taken to the max by the team. These are the biggest boosters ever built.
Between the core stage and the two boosters, the SLS will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust, which is 15 percent more thrust than theSaturn V.
The rocket has more thrust than any other that has been sent to space.
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Reusability is in high demand in the rocket world.
It's for good reason. It's cheaper to launch expensive engines and hardware again. The SLS is a single-use rocket, unlike the Falcon 9 that lands after launching. The NASA inspector general is not happy with the prices of the first four SLS launches. NASA has a human spaceflight program.
The SLS is the right rocket for this particular mission because it is a single-use rocket.
"I enjoy reusability," said the man. He mentioned that NASA built the Space Shuttles, which flew 135 crewed missions. He said that the primary goal is to prove that NASA can establish a presence on the moon. He said that reusability is an important business case for companies who are constantly launching satellites. The SLS will only fly once a year for the first 10 years. Building and maintaining infrastructure like ships to land giant rockets and building boosters with added structure and weight would be required to create reusability for rarer moon missions. It doesn't make sense for these limited Artemis missions to be constructed with a reuse in mind. If NASA flew six or seven moon missions a year it would make sense.
That could be the future.
"We fall in love with machines. And what we should do is fall in love with missions."
SLS is a rocket that is suited for this job because of its problematic commercial contracts and cost overruns. Not a new SLS or a reworked V. The spaceships that will be used for the Artemis missions will have rocket boosters that can be used for moon landings.
We like machines. Falling in love with missions is what we should do.
The SLS has the advantage of demonstrated technology. It's reliable, but not next-gen technology. Life aboard a giant tower teeming with fuel is a big benefit.
The components that were proved in the shuttle missions are in the SLS. I'm confident that things won't explode.
She said that the chances of things going wrong are low.
NASA's SLS rocket waiting to launch in August 2022. Credit: NASA / Ben Smegelsky
August 29, 2022, is the date for the first launch of the SLS rocket. A rocket will propel an uncrewed spaceship to the moon.
The plan for human exploration hinges on this test. A journey back to the moon is a very difficult one.
Vale said it was still hard.
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