Nearly $1B on SLS Launch tower

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018...-be-used-once/

Ok, that's not quite accurate, but seriously, this is just nuts.

And as the article points out, even if SLS launches more than once, they'll
have to modify it again for the revised upper stage.
Compare this to the Mobile Launchers build for Apollo, which where modified
for the Saturn IB. Granted it was "just" a milkstool but even that was more
complex to design and build than I would have guessed.

There's really no excuse for this sort of costs.

SLS needs to die.

In article ,
says...

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018...-be-used-once/

Ok, that's not quite accurate, but seriously, this is just nuts.

And as the article points out, even if SLS launches more than once, they'll
have to modify it again for the revised upper stage.
Compare this to the Mobile Launchers build for Apollo, which where modified
for the Saturn IB. Granted it was "just" a milkstool but even that was more
complex to design and build than I would have guessed.

There's really no excuse for this sort of costs.

SLS needs to die.

Do note that this is an old article that for some reason got recycled on
Twitter. The date on the article is 2/20/2018.

Back in 2018, the Block 1 with the ICPS (a modified Delta IV upper
stage) was to only have been launched once. Since then, delays to the
Exploration Upper Stage have caused NASA to switch to using the ICPS for
more than just the first flight.

Again, I'm not sure why this old article is making the rounds, but
things have changed since then (e.g. several more years of delays for
the EDS). That's still damning. Going many billions over budget on SLS
development doesn't make up for getting to use the first launch tower
more than once.

Jeff
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