It's official: Orion lands at sea.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=26290

Pat

On Dec 9, 4:48 am, Pat Flannery wrote:
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=26290

Pat

Thanks for the update. At least it looks like We are moving forward.
Do You know if there has been a release of the flight milestones, for
the booster test flight? I would like to know more detail on the
mission profile. I read somewhere that the instrument unit would be on
the stack. Is this correct? I have a friend who is working on the pad
modifications, (But He has not seen the mission flight plan).

Carl

On Dec 9, 3:48 am, Pat Flannery wrote:

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=26290

Wherein it sez, "reduced DSNE max sea surf temp from 36 to 31 C
consistent with likely landing locations,"

Likely, as likely on Planet Earth?

See http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/

Pat Flannery wrote:

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=26290

Pat

It worked for Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. Oceans are large, wet, and
usually fairly flat. Just be careful that the hatch don't pop off...

Is the heatshield going to be made of ablative material, or use space
shuttle tiles? And would those tiles like getting dunked in salt water
(only an issue if the capsule is to fly again).

The Capsule is to be reused. The heat shield was to be replaced for
the next flight. This was the original plan when it was to land on
land. The shield was to jettison before landing. The TPS for the
shield is still being tested, (as per a article I read last week). I
do not know what the sea water will do. I know that the Gemini 2 test
capsule was factory refurbished, and configured/flown for the MOL
test in 1966. It was the only reuse/re-flight of a recovered, (man
rated), space craft until the space shuttle flew in 1981. It would be
interesting to review some of the findings of the factory Q.A., &
Q.C., during that work.

Carl

surfduke wrote:

The Capsule is to be reused. The heat shield was to be replaced for
the next flight. This was the original plan when it was to land on
land. The shield was to jettison before landing. The TPS for the
shield is still being tested, (as per a article I read last week). I
do not know what the sea water will do. I know that the Gemini 2 test
capsule was factory refurbished, and configured/flown for the MOL
test in 1966. It was the only reuse/re-flight of a recovered, (man
rated), space craft until the space shuttle flew in 1981. It would be
interesting to review some of the findings of the factory Q.A., &
Q.C., during that work.

Orion on a stick is a joke, truly befitting of the American intellect.

We're talking the USS Dumb**** here.

surfduke wrote:
On Dec 9, 4:48 am, Pat Flannery wrote:

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=26290

Pat


Thanks for the update. At least it looks like We are moving forward.
Do You know if there has been a release of the flight milestones, for
the booster test flight? I would like to know more detail on the
mission profile. I read somewhere that the instrument unit would be on
the stack. Is this correct? I have a friend who is working on the pad
modifications, (But He has not seen the mission flight plan).


I think they are still quite a ways from getting anything that concrete
worked out.
If they can't fix that vibration problem with the first stage, then the
whole concept is pretty DOA.
That should have been spotted right at the time the idea for Ares 1 came up.

Pat

surfduke wrote:

The Capsule is to be reused. The heat shield was to be replaced for
the next flight. This was the original plan when it was to land on
land. The shield was to jettison before landing. The TPS for the
shield is still being tested, (as per a article I read last week). I
do not know what the sea water will do.

But is any other part of the launch vehicle to be reused? Looking at
the Apollo and Saturn V, the capsule must be a fairly small fraction of
the cost, and it seems better to just fly a new capsule on every
mission. You don't want something that wore out to break during a mission.

wrote:
Wherein it sez, "reduced DSNE max sea surf temp from 36 to 31 C
consistent with likely landing locations,"

Likely, as likely on Planet Earth?

See http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/


According to that map, a landing off California would give surface
temperatures between 12-18 C.

Pat

robert casey wrote:


Is the heatshield going to be made of ablative material, or use space
shuttle tiles? And would those tiles like getting dunked in salt
water (only an issue if the capsule is to fly again).


The original idea was that it would be reusable; I don't know if that's
still the case or not.
They could save a lot of recovery system weight if they'd gone with a
disposable ablative heatshield like Soyuz uses.
Ditch the heatshield after reentry and you need a lot smaller parachute
system.
Another thing this landing mode change could affect is the airbag
landing system they had planned. You try that at sea and the capsule
might capsize.
If they expect it to survive getting bounced around in waves, it's going
to have to be a lot tougher than the Shuttle tiles.
RCC (Reinforced Carbon-Carbon) maybe?

Pat