CEV Mockup Pictures

Pictures of the CEV Mockup currently build at the Johnson Space Center:
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/solarsyste ... ockup.html

Cool, looking nice

Yes they are not wasting time are they!!

What about the rockets its going to sit on, I wonder what stage they are at? Or how long before we see some plans or mockup models or something?


Iain

hehe -- it's supposed to just be strapped on top of an SRB. I seriously doubt there's much work to do there. Same with the capsule, of course -- it's basically a modernized and enlarged version of the Apollo capsule. Quick, dirty, and simple as anything.

No it sits on a new upper LH2/O2 upper stage, I wonder when we will see some details of that.

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/spacetravel-05zzzzd.html CEV
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/solarsyste ... ockup.html
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums ... &start=141

http://www.planet3earth.co.uk/CEV%20&%20Lander.htm

I thought it was going to use an SSME (LH2/LOX) on the orbital insertion (upper)stage, then the service module itself was to have a CH4/LOX motor for on-orbit manuvers (and trans-earth injection burn on lunar missions).

I'm not sure that NASA has settled on a SSME yet, as I remember it using an Apollo era J-2 rocket motor was one of the options also considered. Personally I think they should go with the SSME as they have had more flights and are in current production. Using the J-2 would mean restarting the production line.

I think your right about the service module using Methane/LOX though. I think I posted a link under the "why do we even use the shuttle" thread that gave a presentation on what the configuration would be.

Here is NASA's page on it.
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/solarsystem/cev.html
It says, "Astronauts will launch on a rocket made up of a single shuttle solid rocket booster, with a second stage powered by a shuttle main engine."

There is a lot more though, so read the link.

They arnt hanging around with this are they? Here's NASA's call for interested parties for the SRB derived first stage of the CEV launch vehicle. They will be buying all the hardware from ATK but are asking if anyone wants to bid on the production effort (whatever that is), you have until Dec 2 if you are interested to put a proposal in.

Cant see anyone other than ATK being able to do this, so I am a bit confused about why NASA feel they need to let another contract.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=18754

It may be required procedure to publish their intent to seek bids, silly but likely.

Or it may be that some other primary contractor will be responsible for making that roman candle into a steerable independent launch vehicle.

As I recall, there is a capacity for limited control of burn rate in the extant SRB, but thrust vectoring has to be something not previously considered. The challenges of turning a strap-on into a standalone booster are probably numerous and daunting, and perhaps Thiokol isn't really the best choice for addressing some of the more perplexing issues.

Don't know whether anyone's seen this or how credible it may be as far as comment goes but check it as it seems to make interesting reading.

Perhaps Griffin does have other motives:

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/lunar-05zzy.html

The full article is worth a read

I dunno, Op-ed is by definition NOT engineering, which means that it isn't particularly relevant to actual reality.

The author is pretty savvy, though, but I think his perspective may be a little too cynical. The conspiracy-theory flavor is not exactly contributing to the credibility of the article, either.

He's right about a lot of things, like the propensity of the extant contractors to overrun their budget estimates and such; and it is clear that Griffin really doesn't see the CEV/CLV system supporting the ISS to any large extent.

But the notion of a person whom was appointed by a second-term administration deliberately sabotaging a pet project so that it can be re-invented later (and by whom? The person appointed his successor by the incoming [and probably Democratic] administration AFTER Griffin publicly and spectacularly falls on his face) is beyond preposterous.

Griffin is attempting to live within his means, even though he is constrained (as are many engineers, believe me) by limitations having nothing to do with physics, chemistry or mathematics. He needs to be on the right track in only 3 years from now or it's back to acedemia for him. I am sure that if he didn't want the job, he would have indicated so to the administration prior to his appointment.

To suggest that he has some hidden agenda involving the deliberate failure of VSE is to say that he is an idiot, because that would be putting his personal politics before doing his job, and if that's him then Rutan and Musk and the Chinese will all beat NASA to the moon.

I totally reject the idea that Griffin is deliberately trying to make things worse. He is trying to move forward as quickly as possible with the resources he has. He is wisely building on everything that has been done in the past by Apollo and the shuttle and is adding an increment of new technology. He is standing on the shoulders of giants to reach the moon.

Well said.



No--its not even worth toilet paper. EELV assembly costs still more engines. Even 5 SSMEs or RS-68s are better than 15 to 18 RS-68s expended by Delta IV. HLLV will also have use for Heavy interplanetary probes, Europa landers, etc.