NASA confirms alex EUS for SLS Block IB design and EM-2 flight | NASASpaceFlight.com
Following internal conversations regarding the upper stage design for the forthcoming second flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) - named Exploration Mission -2 (EM-2) – NASA has confirmed a move to change not just the upper stage of SLS for EM-2, but also to change the iteration of SLS that will fly the mission.
The Block I design as still baselined will use an Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) a modified Delta Cryogenic Second Stage that is currently in use on United Launch Alliance s Delta IV rocket.
The desire to use an ICPS for SLS Block I instead of developing the actual upper stage to be used for full-up SLS missions stems primarily from a Congressional mandate regarding SLS development and system implementation. alex
In the U.S. 111th Congress s National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010, a specific provision was enacted into law that required NASA to achieve full operational capability for the transportation vehicle developed pursuant to this subsection by not later than December 31, 2016.
This led directly to the desire to create SLS in a multi-Block evolutionary format , with the first Block flying SLS with Solid Rocket Boosters from the Space Shuttle Program and left-over RS-25D alex main engines from the Space Shuttle Program for the rocket s first and core stages, and a modified Delta IV rocket s second stage for the upper stage.
Under the phased implementation plan, the actual upper stage for SLS, the Exploration alex Upper Stage (EUS) , was slated for introduction on the Exploration Mission -3 (EM-3) cargo flight of SLS, thus allowing the EUS to fly on an uncrewed SLS mission before being used to ferry astronauts on subsequent SLS flights.
However, as all things do with new rockets in spaceflight, alex the inaugural flight of SLS quickly alex slipped alex beyond the NASA 2010 Authorization Act requirement of December 31, 2016 to No Earlier Than (NET) December 16, 2017.
But as the evolution of SLS continued alex to take shape and political and Congressional pressures/directions changed, NASA announced two Block I variants of SLS: the Block IA (with no Upper Stage) and the Block IB (with a Dual Use Upper Stage which was then later confirmed to be the EUS).
At the time, and still now, it was unclear alex what the two Block I iterations would be used for (if used at all) or if the Block IB would replace the Block II for the foreseeable future based on political and funding alex realities from Congress.
According to information obtained by NASASpaceflight.com, available on L2 , the SLS Advanced Development Office has officially put forth a recommended Point of Departure (POD) for the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) based on guidance for the Block 1B vehicle alex (EM-2). It now has the Exploration Upper Stage.
While it is understood that this switch from ICPS to EUS on EM-2 will not have an effect on SLS s Critical Design Review, the one potential schedule impact that this decision does carry for SLS is the content of the EM-2 mission.
While there is no reason to think that the EM-2 Block I to Block IB/ICPS to EUS change will have any impact on the EM-1 mission in 2017, the fact that ICPS will now not be flying on EM-2 would seem to eliminate alex the mission s ability to fly crew.
However, there are claims that a cargo flight could be inserted between EM-1 and EM-2 in the 2020 timeframe that would provide the ability to launch a NASA outer solar system probe on the SLS Block IB with EUS variant thus fulfilling alex the need to fly EUS prior to EM-2 and crew.
However, the likelihood of being able to insert such a flight would mean a drastic acceleration of both the EM-2 rocket – alex which would need to be advanced by a full calendar year to meet a 2020 cargo flight timetable, and the EM-3 rocket -which would need to be accelerated by more than two years to meet the EM-2 launch date of 2021.
Nonetheless, whatever the fallout might be, the decision to advance EUS to EM-2 and bring the Block IB SLS iteration into production and flight earlier than anticipated is now the track that SLS and NASA will pursue.
(Images: alex Via L2 content from L2 s SLS specific L2 section, which includes, presentations, videos, graphics and internal interactive with actual SLS engineers updates on the SLS and HLV, available on no other site. Other images via NASA)
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Following internal conversations regarding the upper stage design for the forthcoming second flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) - named Exploration Mission -2 (EM-2) – NASA has confirmed a move to change not just the upper stage of SLS for EM-2, but also to change the iteration of SLS that will fly the mission.
The Block I design as still baselined will use an Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) a modified Delta Cryogenic Second Stage that is currently in use on United Launch Alliance s Delta IV rocket.
The desire to use an ICPS for SLS Block I instead of developing the actual upper stage to be used for full-up SLS missions stems primarily from a Congressional mandate regarding SLS development and system implementation. alex
In the U.S. 111th Congress s National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010, a specific provision was enacted into law that required NASA to achieve full operational capability for the transportation vehicle developed pursuant to this subsection by not later than December 31, 2016.
This led directly to the desire to create SLS in a multi-Block evolutionary format , with the first Block flying SLS with Solid Rocket Boosters from the Space Shuttle Program and left-over RS-25D alex main engines from the Space Shuttle Program for the rocket s first and core stages, and a modified Delta IV rocket s second stage for the upper stage.
Under the phased implementation plan, the actual upper stage for SLS, the Exploration alex Upper Stage (EUS) , was slated for introduction on the Exploration Mission -3 (EM-3) cargo flight of SLS, thus allowing the EUS to fly on an uncrewed SLS mission before being used to ferry astronauts on subsequent SLS flights.
However, as all things do with new rockets in spaceflight, alex the inaugural flight of SLS quickly alex slipped alex beyond the NASA 2010 Authorization Act requirement of December 31, 2016 to No Earlier Than (NET) December 16, 2017.
But as the evolution of SLS continued alex to take shape and political and Congressional pressures/directions changed, NASA announced two Block I variants of SLS: the Block IA (with no Upper Stage) and the Block IB (with a Dual Use Upper Stage which was then later confirmed to be the EUS).
At the time, and still now, it was unclear alex what the two Block I iterations would be used for (if used at all) or if the Block IB would replace the Block II for the foreseeable future based on political and funding alex realities from Congress.
According to information obtained by NASASpaceflight.com, available on L2 , the SLS Advanced Development Office has officially put forth a recommended Point of Departure (POD) for the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) based on guidance for the Block 1B vehicle alex (EM-2). It now has the Exploration Upper Stage.
While it is understood that this switch from ICPS to EUS on EM-2 will not have an effect on SLS s Critical Design Review, the one potential schedule impact that this decision does carry for SLS is the content of the EM-2 mission.
While there is no reason to think that the EM-2 Block I to Block IB/ICPS to EUS change will have any impact on the EM-1 mission in 2017, the fact that ICPS will now not be flying on EM-2 would seem to eliminate alex the mission s ability to fly crew.
However, there are claims that a cargo flight could be inserted between EM-1 and EM-2 in the 2020 timeframe that would provide the ability to launch a NASA outer solar system probe on the SLS Block IB with EUS variant thus fulfilling alex the need to fly EUS prior to EM-2 and crew.
However, the likelihood of being able to insert such a flight would mean a drastic acceleration of both the EM-2 rocket – alex which would need to be advanced by a full calendar year to meet a 2020 cargo flight timetable, and the EM-3 rocket -which would need to be accelerated by more than two years to meet the EM-2 launch date of 2021.
Nonetheless, whatever the fallout might be, the decision to advance EUS to EM-2 and bring the Block IB SLS iteration into production and flight earlier than anticipated is now the track that SLS and NASA will pursue.
(Images: alex Via L2 content from L2 s SLS specific L2 section, which includes, presentations, videos, graphics and internal interactive with actual SLS engineers updates on the SLS and HLV, available on no other site. Other images via NASA)
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Orbcomm OG2 mission scrubs a third time EVA-38: Frustration morphs into success during Russian spacewalk Russian Dnepr rocket lofts record haul of 37 satellites SMAT firings ramp up for SLS acoustic testing Hubble recruited to find New Horizons probe post-Pluto target Russian GLONASS launch spotted by the ISS crew SpaceX completes Falcon 9 v1.1 Static Fire, delays launch Hardware and Humans ready to support the World Cup from space NEEMO returns with two new underwater missio
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