News NASA's Future: The News and Updates Thread

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NASA: NASA Selects Space Launch System Advanced Booster Proposals

 

[anemazoso]

Anyone find it cool that the F-1 is being worked on?

Even though I think the SLS is a farce, the space geek engineer side of me loves it.

 

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NASA: Constructing Next-Generation Space Habitat Demonstrators

 

[N_Molson]

Delta 2 rises again

[FONT=VERDANA, ARIAL, HELVETICA, SANS-SERIF][SIZE=+2]NASA gives the Delta 2 rocket a new lease on life

[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=VERDANA, ARIAL, HELVETICA, SANS-SERIF][SIZE=-2]BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: July 16, 2012[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=VERDANA, ARIAL, HELVETICA, SANS-SERIF][SIZE=+2]

[/SIZE][/FONT]One of the world's most reliable space boosters ever built, suspended in a state of uncertainty for the past several months, won a rebirth today when NASA purchased three more Delta 2 rockets for future launches.

[FONT=VERDANA, ARIAL, HELVETICA, SANS-SERIF][SIZE=-2]FULL STORY[/SIZE][/FONT]

 

[iamwearingpants]

Yes! Oh god yes! I thought she would never launch again!

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Falcon 9 also got the first NASA science spacecraft launch contract too.....

July 16, 2012

Joshua Buck
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
[email protected]

George H. Diller
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
[email protected]


CONTRACT RELEASE: C12-029

NASA SELECTS LAUNCH SERVICES CONTRACT FOR JASON-3 MISSION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has selected Space Exploration
Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., to launch the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Jason-3 spacecraft in
December 2014 aboard a Falcon 9 v1.0 rocket from Complex 4 at
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The total value of the Jason-3 launch service is approximately $82
million. This estimated cost includes the task ordered launch service
for the Falcon 9 v1.0, plus additional services under other contracts
for payload processing, launch vehicle integration, mission-unique
launch site ground support and tracking, data and telemetry services.
NASA is the procurement agent for NOAA.

Jason-3 is an operational ocean altimetry mission designed to measure
precisely sea surface height to monitor ocean circulation and sea
level. Jason-3 will follow in the tradition of previous missions such
as TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1 and the Ocean Surface Topography
Mission/Jason-2. The Jason-3 mission will be developed and operated
as part of an international effort led by NOAA and the European
Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites in
collaboration with NASA and the French space agency, Centre National
d'Etudes Spatiales.

Processed data from the satellite will be used in a broad range of
applications including operational ocean and weather forecasting,
ocean wave modeling, hurricane intensification prediction, seasonal
forecasting, El Nino and La Nina forecasting and climate research.
The data will help address questions about global climate change.

The Launch Services Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center is
responsible for launch vehicle program management of the Jason-3
launch services.

For more information about NASA and its missions, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov


-end-

 

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NASASpaceflight: KSC All Hands: Spaceport must continue to adapt to NASA changes

 

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Aviation Week: NASA Will Explore F-1 Upgrade For Heavy Lifter

Space News: Boeing Awarded $175 Million To Modify Delta 4 Upper Stage for SLS Flights

NASA: Firing Room Modifications Focus on Flexibility

 

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NASA: NASA's Space Launch System Passes Major Agency Review, Moves to Preliminary Design

NASA News Release: RELEASE : 12-256 - NASA'S Space Launch System Passes Major Agency Review, Moves to Preliminary Design

SPACE.com: NASA's Giant Rocket for Deep-Space Travel Passes Key Review

Parabolic Arc: Space Launch Systems Moves to Preliminary Design Phase

 

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SPACE.com: Is NASA Off Course? Your View Wanted

 

[N_Molson]

NASA : SLS highlights - July 2012

 

[N_Molson]

NASA First Free Flight Test and Failure of the Morpheus Lander

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hvlG2JtMts"]Morpheus lander first free flight and failure in HD - YouTube[/ame]

Spectacular. Watch out for 2:00, if you ever doubted that rocket fuel is a dangerous thing.

It obviously requires a little more R&D :lol: But that's part of it !

Still, as far as I can see, it "flew" 10 seconds, with an Apoapsis of, well, 3 good meters ! Seems a engine gimbal failure to me.

For information, oxydizer/propellant are liquid oxygen and methane. Glad it's not hydrazine !!

More info about Project Morpheus :

http://morpheuslander.jsc.nasa.gov/

---------- Post added at 07:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:43 PM ----------

Spaceflight Now article :

[FONT=VERDANA, ARIAL, HELVETICA, SANS-SERIF][SIZE=+2]Small test vehicle veers out of control, crashes at KSC[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=VERDANA, ARIAL, HELVETICA, SANS-SERIF][SIZE=-2]
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: August 9, 2012[/SIZE][/FONT]

A small vertical-takeoff-and-landing rocket being used to test advanced technologies veered off course an instant after liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center Thursday, crashed and exploded in a spectacular burst of fire and smoke. There were no injuries or other property damage, officials said.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-3]A post-crash explosion on Morpheus. Credit: NASA webcast [/SIZE][/FONT]

The Morpheus rocket was designed and built by engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to test advanced technologies and approaches to integrated propulsion and guidance, navigation and control that could be used in the future for cargo missions to the moon. The rocket's engine burns liquid oxygen and methane, a propellant that can be easily stored in space. The Morpheus rocket has been test fired while attached to a crane, but engineers were staging its first untethered free flight Thursday near the Kennedy Space Center's shuttle runway.

The rocket's engine appeared to ignite normally and the vehicle climbed vertically for just an instant before tipping over and crashing on its side. A few moments later, as the wreckage burned, a secondary explosion erupted, presumably the result of a ruptured tank.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-3]Morpheus lifts off on ill-fated test flight. Credit: NASA webcast [/SIZE][/FONT]

"During today's free-flight test at Kennedy Space Center, the Project Morpheus vehicle lifted off the ground and then experienced a hardware component failure, which prevented it from maintaining stable flight," NASA said in a brief statement. "No one was injured and the resulting fire was extinguished by Kennedy fire personnel. "Engineers are looking into the test data and the agency will release information as it comes available. Failures such as these were anticipated prior to the test, and are part of the development process for any complex spaceflight hardware. What we learn from these tests will help us build the best possible system in the future."

On its web page, Morpheus engineers described the rocket as a demonstration test bed for "green propellant propulsion systems and autonomous landing and hazard detection technology.

"It was manufactured and assembled at JSC and Armadillo Aerospace," the project said on its web page. "Morpheus is large enough to carry 1,100 pounds of cargo to the moon -- for example, a humanoid robot, a small rover, or a small laboratory to convert moon dust into oxygen -- performing all propellant burns after the trans-lunar injection.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-3]What is left of Morpheus. Credit: NASA webcast [/SIZE][/FONT]

"The primary focus of the test bed is to demonstrate an integrated propulsion and guidance, navigation and control system that can fly a lunar descent profile to exercise the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology safe landing sensors and closed-loop flight control. Additional objectives include technology demonstrations -- for instance, tank material and manufacture, reaction control thrusters, main engine performance improvements, helium pressurization systems, ground operations, flight operations, range safety, software and avionics architecture." The Morpheus rocket engine burns liquid oxygen and methane, which offers several advantages over more traditional propellants. Methane can be stored longer in space, it's relative inexpensive and safe to operate, engineers said. It also could be eventually manufactured on the moon or Mars

 

[Urwumpe]

Looks more like a failure in the guidance software during the phase when the rocket was hidden by the dust. When it became visible, the chamber was already tilted more than needed, looks like an integer overflow to me.

 

[N_Molson]

Well, according to NASA it is more a hardware problem :

"During today's free-flight test at Kennedy Space Center, the Project Morpheus vehicle lifted off the ground and then experienced a hardware component failure, which prevented it from maintaining stable flight," NASA said in a brief statement.

 

[Urwumpe]

Well, according to NASA it is more a hardware problem :

Yes, didn't have that information yet... but could still be part of the cause.

 

[N_Molson]

Yep, that's the "terrain part" (literally, here) of R&D... Let's see what data analysis will reveal.

 

[DaveS]

Well, according to NASA it is more a hardware problem :

From the Morpheus Chief Project Engineer:
Bad day. Early indications show that the Primary IMU died 600 ms into ascent

 

[N_Molson]

Another lunar robotic lander test, successful this time (it isn't Morpheus) :

Homepage : http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/lunarquest/robotic/index.html

 

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Space News: NASA May Lose a Second Key Backer with Nelson Facing Tough Race

Space Policy Online: Senator Bill Nelson to Face Rep. Connie Mack in November as Hutchison Retires

 

[N_Molson]

Another nice robotic lander test :

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=151295641

Mighty Eagle' Lander Takes 100-Foot Free Flight

With a whistle and a roar, the "Mighty Eagle," a NASA robotic prototype lander, sailed to an altitude of 100 feet during another successful free flight Aug. 28 at the Marshall Center. During the 35-second run, the vehicle was "open loop" -- navigating autonomously without the command of the onboard camera and flying on a preprogrammed flight profile.