The 1st mission for NASA’s new flagship mega-rocket, the Space Launch System, might be given to private companies
Last week, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine made an announcement that shocked the space world. He said the first mission for NASA’s new flagship mega-rocket, the Space Launch System , might be given to private companies instead. And if this comes to pass, it could signal a huge about-turn from NASA, with equally huge implications for the future of spaceflight.
NASA has consistently been adamant that the huge SLS rocket – which would be the biggest to launch since the Saturn V – is the only rocket capable of launching Orion into deep space. But the rocket has come under heavy criticism. Abouthas been spent over a decade so far to build it, with no first launch in sight. This is at a time when companies like SpaceX have built and launched other large rockets, like the Falcon Heavy, for considerably less cost.
Some even suggest that Falcon Heavy alone could do the mission. “I think it's conceivable that they could do it with a single launch of Falcon Heavy, if they expend the boosters [rather than landing them back on Earth],” says space consultant Rand Simberg. “Our goal would be to test Orion in lunar orbit in 2020 and free up the first SLS for the launch of habitation or other hardware in 2021,” Bridenstine said in a. “This would get us back on schedule for a crewed lunar orbital mission in 2022 with the added bonus of a lunar destination for our astronauts.”
And Orion itself would face some hurdles. Most notably, Bridenstine noted it currently does not have the capability to dock with something else in orbit. This is something that would have to be developed rapidly prior to the launch if the double rocket approach was selected.
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