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NASA planning document may offer clues to changes in Artemis program, Ars Technica

NASA planning document may offer clues to changes in Artemis program, Ars Technica
    

      Fly me to the Moon –

             

The plan asks a lot of Boeing.

      

           –         

/ A video still showing a rendering of an Exploration Upper Stage in flight.
: Artemis I, Uncrewed test flight of Orion on Block 1 of SLS (January) : Artemis II, Uncrewed flight of Orion around Moon on Block 1 of SLS (August) :: Artemis III, Integrated lunar lander launched to Moon on Block 1B of SLS (October) : Artemis IV, Crewed flight of Orion for human Moon landing on Block 1 of SLS (September) : Science mission, Launch of Europa Clipper on Block 1 of SLS (June)

  • : Artemis V, Crewed flight of Orion to Moon on Block 1B of SLS
  • (June) : Science mission, Launch of Europa Lander on Block 1B of SLS (August)

  • : Artemis VI, Crewed flight of Orion to Moon on Block 1B of SLS
  • (February)

    Boeing on the critical path In addition to this, such a plan would necessitate building an extra SLS core stage before fall 2026 – four instead of three. This appears to be a change of heart by NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine, who until now

    has said

    Boeing will have its hands full completing three core stages by that time.

    A reliance on Boeing would come as the contractor is already struggling with both the SLS rocket and its Starliner spacecraft for NASA. Largely due to issues with the core stage, the SLS rocket will be delayed at least four years beyond its original launch date of December , with billions of dollars in overruns . NASA’s inspector general has characterized

    Boeing’s execution on the SLS program as “poor.” Moreover, Boeing’s Starliner crew spacecraft had several significant software issues during its first flight in December (and was unable to fly up to the International Space Station.)

    The new plan, if implemented, would substantially cut commercially developed rockets
    – such as SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and Blue Origin’s New Glenn — back from the Artemis program. Previously, NASA had said it would launch elements of its Human Landing System on commercial rockets, because such vehicles cost much less than the estimated $ 2 billion rate per launch of the SLS vehicle. Now, perhaps, private rockets may be called upon to launch smaller pieces such as a lunar rover to the Moon’s surface. Lunar lander The Marshall document does not specify the components of the Human Landing System that will be launched on the SLS rocket. NASA is still in a blackout period as it seeks to award preliminary contracts for the ascent, descent, and transfer modules of its Human Landing System. Those awards are likely to come some time in mid-March. There are four known bidders for lander development contracts: teams led by Boeing, Blue Origin, and Dynetics, as well as a plan from SpaceX. Of those, only Boeing has proposed building a fully integrated lander that would be launched on the Block 1B version of its SLS rocket. However, other bidders would presumably be allowed to propose integrated landers to be launched on the SLS booster.

    The SLS launch manifest only tells part of the story of the Artemis Program. It does not specify the role a Lunar Gateway would play, although at the very least it does appear that the Gateway is pushed off into the future after a Moon landing. In that sense, this plan appears to be similar to that proposed by the US House of Representatives in its H.R. 01575879 NASA authorization legislation

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