It's less of a problem when you consider that the astronauts will be taking SLS, not HLS into orbit. That still leaves the lunar descent and ascent scenarios though
I guess that's the plan for now, and maybe for good. The only issue is if Elon is really wanting to send dozens or more at a time to moon or Mars, tons of 4-person SLS launches just can't really do it.
It's less of a problem when you consider that the astronauts will be taking SLS, not HLS into orbit. That still leaves the lunar descent and ascent scenarios though
The SLS launch abort system is like 7600kg. Think of how many extra astronauts you could bring for that. Obviously it doesn't count as full payload mass because you jettison it halfway up, but in a sane world all astronauts would be midgets which probably balances out the numbers. That's like 100 extra midgets on each rocket. I'd try to get the exact maths but google ai keeps saying it's an offensive question. But it did tell me NASA won't hire anyone under 4'10".
"How many NASA astronauts with height of 4'10" would fit in the cubic space of the SLS capsule if they all suddenly developed diabetes and had their legs cut off above the knee due to complications?"
"How many NASA astronauts with height of 4'10" would fit in the cubic space of the SLS capsule if they all suddenly developed diabetes and had their legs cut off above the knee due to complications?"
The Shuttle did technically abort once by aborting to a lower than intended orbit (which was one of the 4 abort modes available.) But its less of an abort in the traditional sense than it was a thank God the problem with the engine didn't blow up the whole stack ala Challenger 2.0
I guess that's the plan for now, and maybe for good. The only issue is if Elon is really wanting to send dozens or more at a time to moon or Mars, tons of 4-person SLS launches just can't really do it.
Could Starship be modded to just get a traditional LEM like lander to the moon? Just accept that the modded Starship will be disposable for the mission, change the faring to something like Saturn had with the lander in stow so Orion could have something to sit down on the moon?
More importantly, where the fuck is the lander Blue Origin sold us like a decade ago? I've seen zero developments on it. I know Apollo had delays making the LEM but it's insane that we've seen nothing about the lander. I highly doubt we'll ever see a Starship land on the moon. I'd trust an upgraded LEM over something like Starship.
It was the closest way to approximate midget astronauts without it being "offensive," since as you know medical conditions can't be offensive, just tragic. So the AI had no issue spitting out a completely unrealistic "packed them to the brim then closed the door" number for how many could fit
For what purpose? Apollo did the Apollo-style thing because it didn't have spare juice. Why would you bring a direct landing vehicle all the way to the moon just to deliver a landing module
Does anybody else look at Facebook Reels/YouTube comments of bolides and get depressed? Literally a bunch of adults wondering why there isnt a crater, mad at nasa for not being able to track a 1 meter wide space rock, and/or claiming its actually invisible Iranian missiles bc Trump said something mean on X
Does anybody else look at Facebook Reels/YouTube comments of bolides and get depressed? Literally a bunch of adults wondering why there isnt a crater, mad at nasa for not being able to track a 1 meter wide space rock, and/or claiming its actually invisible Iranian missiles bc Trump said something mean on X
Aw...Libtards aside you guys have a beautiful part of the country both the nature and architecture. I just really want to see/hear a daytime meteor but no one else shares my sentiment. Seems like 80% of people online think they are fake or nasa that nasa should be able to do something about it.
It'd be nice if someone got around to it eventually though. Not that they should shoot little rocks, those are cool (except for target practice I guess) but if your space lasers can shoot a big rock they can shoot a little one too, y'know. Plus, remember how tiny the villain's ship was in Men In Black 2? And that bitch was bad news. It's good to cover your bases.
For what purpose? Apollo did the Apollo-style thing because it didn't have spare juice. Why would you bring a direct landing vehicle all the way to the moon just to deliver a landing module
Because they are sooooo far behind and obviously need some measurable progress. Besides, the SLS rocket isn't some revolutionary machine. It uses a bunch of left-over shuttle parts that are cost prohibitive (like the engines are advance engines designed to be reusable so they cost like $150,000,000 each verse SpaceX's reusable raptors costing like $5,000,000) and they dump the engines after launch in the case of SLS.
At this point might as well just design a single use lander so they can at least achieve a landing again. Starship is really not an ideal lunar lander and Blue Origin doesn't seem to have made much progress in their design, which isn't much more than a single use lander, since they unveiled it nearly a decade ago.
At this point it'd be cheaper and easier to just design a LEM 2.0. You'd gain the benefit of jettisoning mass at each stage of the mission which would probably help make it easier to do.
I love watching SpaceX's advancements but its clear Starship isn't doing a lunar landing this decade.
I mean, just use the LEM 1.0 again if that's all you wanna do. Or dig up the GE Apollo D-2 or something, that'd be cool.
But I think the whole point is a modern version that interfaces the current stuff we wanna do. Developing all that and new lunar tech that might be actually useful. It's not like we have any pressing need to go back to the moon otherwise. There's nothing there but dinosaur bones.
I mean, just use the LEM 1.0 again if that's all you wanna do. Or dig up the GE Apollo D-2 or something, that'd be cool.
But I think the whole point is a modern version that interfaces the current stuff we wanna do. Developing all that and new lunar tech that might be actually useful. It's not like we have any pressing need to go back to the moon otherwise. There's nothing there but dinosaur bones.
Orion is arguably the same concept as the Apollo CM but modernized. Why not do that with the LEM as well? The advancements in computer miniaturization should allow for some weight savings. If a separate launch vehicle puts it into orbit you could probably make it a larger LEM. Some of the other designs for the lander competition were basically modernized/larger LEM's.
Just seems like lunar Starship landings are 10+ years away and I just don't like carrying a top heavy rocket down to the lunar surface then lifting all that mass back up. Seems dumb.
Blue Origins lander looked like a modernized LEM but we haven't heard much about it since it was unveiled. I doubt its nearing flight-ready status and now the launch vehicle for it is in question and delayed at least several years.
Since we're already flying a modernized CM why not just modernize a LEM?
I think the eventual idea is you leave it up there and keep refuelling it to use as a moon bus since it's not a reentry edition anyway. It's a lot less dumb when you consider that, because you're only lifting that part from Earth the once and then the rendezvous you have to do are in LEO where things are chill and cool and not around the moon where your nuts are toast and fucked if something goes wrong.
But yes the initial idea with Orion involved at all is kinda dumb.
I think they're just being conservative at first with that though. Or they got sued into having to do it so BO could play too. idk, I'm fuzzy on the timeline there.
Aw...Libtards aside you guys have a beautiful part of the country both the nature and architecture. I just really want to see/hear a daytime meteor but no one else shares my sentiment. Seems like 80% of people online think they are fake or nasa that nasa should be able to do something about it.
