Why SLS Will Be NASA's Last Rocket

[Elderberry]

 Logically Answered 7/7/2021

Since the inception of NASA, NASA has been the leader in terms of rocket development, technology, innovation. From the Saturn V and the Space Shuttle to the perseverance rover and the Space Launch System, NASA has consistently used technology that they oversaw. More recently though, NASA has become more and more open to simply being commercial customers instead of being involved in the development process itself. This is because NASA is often heavily limited by congress in a variety of different venues from budgetary limitations to a lack of freedom. NASA has opted to leverage the private space industry to expand the power engineers have in the overall process and reduce the influence of Congress in space programs. Considering this trend, it's quite possible that SLS may be NASA's last in-house rocket. This video explains the various reasons NASA is stepping away from rocket development and why SLS will be NASA's last in-house rocket for at least quite some time.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39j0qJJeVqE

[AARguy]

I'm not sure what this refers to. I have worked with NASA on and off for years. I never saw them build anything. They let subcontracts to get things built, Boeing to Lockheed built the Shuttle and the Space Station. Morton built the boosters. Fairchild built the remote cameras. Now SPACEX is just another subcontractor.

[Elderberry]

I'm not sure what this refers to. I have worked with NASA on and off for years. I never saw them build anything. They let subcontracts to get things built, Boeing to Lockheed built the Shuttle and the Space Station. Morton built the boosters. Fairchild built the remote cameras. Now SPACEX is just another subcontractor.

Until the COTS Program came about all the rockets used by NASA were designed by NASA and built by NASA selected Contractors.

Under COTS, private companies design their own rockets to satisfy the performance requirements specified under the COTS Program.

I worked 30 years as a NASA subcontractor at JSC. I attended several design reviews over the years.

Saturn V

Wernher von Braun

As the largest production model of the Saturn family of rockets, the Saturn V was designed under the direction of Wernher von Braun at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, with Boeing, North American Aviation, Douglas Aircraft Company, and IBM as the lead contractors.

Space Shuttle

Before the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969, NASA began studies of Space Shuttle designs as early as October 1968. The early studies were denoted "Phase A", and in June 1970, "Phase B", which were more detailed and specific. The primary intended use of the Space Shuttle was supporting the future space station, ferrying a minimum crew of four and about 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg) of cargo, and able to be rapidly turned around for future flights.

Two designs emerged as front-runners. One was designed by engineers at the Manned Spaceflight Center, and championed especially by George Mueller. This was a two-stage system with delta-winged spacecraft, and generally complex. An attempt to re-simplify was made in the form of the DC-3, designed by Maxime Faget, who had designed the Mercury capsule among other vehicles. Numerous offerings from a variety of commercial companies were also offered, but generally fell by the wayside as each NASA lab pushed for its own version.
All of this was taking place in the midst of other NASA teams proposing a wide variety of post-Apollo missions, a number of which would cost as much as Apollo or more[citation needed]. As each of these projects fought for funding, the NASA budget was at the same time being severely constrained. Three were eventually presented to Vice President Agnew in 1969. The shuttle project rose to the top, largely due to tireless campaigning by its supporters[citation needed]. By 1970 the shuttle had been selected as the one major project for the short-term post-Apollo time frame.

When funding for the program came into question, there were concerns that the project might be cancelled. This led to an effort to interest the US Air Force in using the shuttle for their missions as well. The Air Force was mildly interested, but demanded a much larger vehicle, far larger than the original concepts. To lower the development costs of the resulting designs, boosters were added, a throw-away fuel tank was adopted, and many other changes made that greatly lowered the reusability and greatly added to vehicle and operational costs. With the Air Force's assistance, the system emerged in its operational form.

Space Launch System

The Space Launch System (SLS) is an American super heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle, which has been under development by NASA since its announcement in 2011. It replaced the Ares I, Ares V, and Jupiter planned launch vehicles, which all never left the development phase. Like those proposals, it is a design derived from the components and technology of the earlier Space Shuttle.

It had been planned to become the primary launch vehicle of NASA's deep space exploration plans throughout the 2010s (now 2020s),[25][26] including the planned crewed lunar flights of the Artemis program and a possible follow-on human mission to Mars.[27][28][29] SLS is intended to replace the retired Space Shuttle as NASA's flagship vehicle. Following the cancellation of the Constellation program, the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 envisioned a single launch vehicle usable for both crew and cargo. In 2013, SLS was projected to be the most capable super-heavy lift vehicle ever built.[30][31]

The initial variant of SLS, Block 1, was required by the U.S. Congress to lift a payload of 70 t (69 long tons; 77 short tons)[32] to low Earth orbit (LEO), but it was later planned to exceed that requirement with a rated payload capacity of 95 t (93 long tons; 105 short tons).[33] As of 22 December 2019, this variant is planned to launch Artemis 1, Artemis 2, and Artemis 3.[34] The later Block 1B is intended to debut the Exploration Upper Stage and launch the notional Artemis 4 through Artemis 7.[35] Block 2 is planned to replace the initial Shuttle-derived boosters with advanced boosters and would have a LEO capability of more than 130 t (130 long tons; 140 short tons), again as required by Congress.[32] Block 2 is intended to enable crewed launches to Mars.[29]

As of 2018, SLS was planned to have the world's highest-ever total LEO payload capability,[36][37] but not the world's highest ever injection mass.[38][39][40][needs update] The SLS is planned to launch the Orion spacecraft and use the ground operations and launch facilities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket will use the Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. The rocket's first launch is currently scheduled for 4 November 2021.

COTS Program

]Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) was a NASA program to coordinate the development of vehicles for the delivery of crew and cargo to the International Space Station by private companies. The program was announced on January 18, 2006[1] and successfully flew all cargo demonstration flights by September 2013. NASA has suggested that "Commercial services to ISS will be necessary through at least 2015."[2]

Purpose

Unlike any previous NASA project, the proposed spacecraft are intended to be owned and financed primarily by the companies themselves and will be designed to serve both U.S. government agencies and commercial customers. NASA will contract for missions as its needs become clear.

Falcon 9

Falcon 9 is a partially reusable two-stage-to-orbit medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured by SpaceX in the United States.

In 2008, SpaceX won a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program to deliver cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) using the Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule. The first mission under this contract launched on 8 October 2012.[21] Falcon 9 has been human-rated for transporting NASA astronauts to the ISS as part of the NASA Commercial Crew Development program. Falcon 9 has been certified for the National Security Space Launch[22] program and NASA Launch Services Program as "Category 3", which can launch the most expensive, important, and complex NASA missions.[23] Falcon 9 has been considered as the world's most advanced space launch vehicle by various sources