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Old April 17th 17, 06:07 PM posted to sci.space.policy
Fred J. McCall[_3_]
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Default SLS launches likely delayed

JF Mezei wrote:

On 2017-04-16 22:46, Fred J. McCall wrote:
Looks like NASA's first two launches of the SLS for their lunar tests
will be delayed by a year or more. That means SpaceX will almost
certainly be there before them.


The announcement of the first flight being manned may have more to do
with the delay than budgets.


What announcement? They haven't decided that yet. There is a delay
in the CURRENT schedule, which assumes the first launch is unmanned.
There is an even bigger delay if they decide to fly the first launch
manned.


That article had a link to a NASA web page which describes its concept
for Mars. That page does not paint Orion/SLS as sending man to Mars.


Then you must not have read it very carefully. You think they're
going to get there on the wings of butterflies, perhaps?


NASA wants to build ISS-2 in lunar orbit to test the transit ship there.
So SLS/Orion act as shuttles to/from the vehicle in lunar orbit.


Wrong. Go read it again.


NASA admits Orion isn't big enough to being crews on months long mission
to Mars and back.


Of course not. That's why there's a hab module that flies with it.
Again, go read it again.

snip


Question: when the expedition returns from Mars, it is easier to park
the big ship in Earth orbit or Moon orbit? (no aerobraking on Moon).


You don't 'park the big ship' because there is no 'big ship'. There's
an Ares capsule with a hab module. You punt the hab module and
reenter directly in the Ares capsule.

No, I don't think that's a great plan, but it is the plan. Go read it
again.


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