Nasa unveiled the design of its long-awaited post-shuttle super-rocket on Wednesday, a gargantuan Saturn 5-class booster.
The Space Launch System (SLS) is intended to propel the agency's manned Orion crew capsules beyond low-Earth orbit and on to a variety of deep-space destinations ranging from nearby asteroids to Mars.
Nasa's design for the Space Launch System entails the most powerful rocket ever built, and could launch in 2017. Image credit: Nasa
If fully funded and developed, it will be the most powerful rocket ever built, dwarfing the lift capability of the space shuttle and exceeding that of the mighty Saturn 5 that propelled the Apollo missions to the moon.
– Charles Bolden, Nasa
President Obama challenged us to be bold and dream big, and that's exactly what we are doing at Nasa.
"This launch system will create good-paying American jobs, ensure continued US leadership in space and inspire millions around the world," Nasa Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement. "President Obama challenged us to be bold and dream big, and that's exactly what we are doing at Nasa. While I was proud to fly on the space shuttle, tomorrow's explorers will now dream of one day walking on Mars."
The initial version of the heavy-lift rocket will feature two five-segment shuttle-derived solid-fuel boosters strapped to a 27.5 foot-wide first stage, powered by three RS-25D/E shuttle main engines. The second stage will use an upgraded Apollo J-2X engine, giving the Space Launch System rocket the ability to lift 154,000 pounds of payload with a first-stage thrust of 8.25 million pounds.
An upgraded version equipped with five shuttle main engines will have a lift-off thrust of some nine million pounds and be able to lift more than 130 metric tons, or 286,000 pounds, to low-Earth orbit.
For comparison, the Saturn 5 rockets that powered the Apollo moon programme stood 363-feet tall, generated 7.5 million pounds of first-stage thrust and were capable of boosting 263,000 pounds of payload to low-Earth orbit. The space shuttle, not counting its own weight, could carry a maximum payload of about 50,000 pounds.
Bill Gerstenmaier, Nasa's chief of space operations, said the agency plans one or two unmanned test flights, the first in 2017, using five-segment solid-fuel strap-on boosters built by Alliant Techsystems Inc, builder of the shuttle's four-segment boosters and the bigger five-segment rockets intended for the now-cancelled Constellation moon programme.
For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see Nasa unveils new super rocket for manned flights beyond Earth orbit on CBS News.
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Talkback
NASA already has its super rocket, it is called the Falcon Heavy and will launch a payload for 1/10th the cost from a private contractor (Space X) with a tiny fraction of the staff of the Orion. Which is why such a big lobby effort is being made to re-sell Orion 2.
The trouble for NASA is that it needs Space X to fly its payloads in its future tiny budget, Space X does not need NASA and as a profitable private enterprise never will. Unlike the project Orion partners which need big money state projects just to stay afloat post cold war.
This Apollo/Space shuttle combination on steroids has it's pros and cons.
IMO the pros are Heavy capabilities and deep space uses such as interplanetary travel and such.
Cons:Huge expense plus much danger.