[meteorite-list] NASA Space Launch System Core Stage MovesFrom Concept to Design

[info at moonmarsrocks.com]

Wow, that's really exciting. I love reading about all the latest space
exploration/NASA developments. Thanks Ron, for all the great updates you
provide!
 
Daniel

Daniel Noyes
Genuine Moon & Mars Meteorite Rocks
info at moonmarsrocks.com
www.moonmarsrocks.com
............................................. 
 
Message: 3
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2012 14:31:10 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ron Baalke <baalke at zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>
Subject: [meteorite-list] NASA Space Launch System Core Stage Moves
From Concept to Design
To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com (Meteorite Mailing List)
Message-ID: <201206212131.q5LLVAwN000601 at zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii



June 21, 2012

Trent J. Perrotto 
Headquarters, Washington 
202-358-0321 
trent.j.perrotto at nasa.gov 

Jennifer Stanfield 
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 
256-544-0034 
jennifer.m.stanfield at nasa.gov 

RELEASE: 12-211

NASA SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM CORE STAGE MOVES FROM CONCEPT TO DESIGN

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The nation's space exploration program is taking a 
critical step forward with a successful major technical review of the 
core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS), the rocket that will 
take astronauts farther into space than ever before. 

The core stage is the heart of the heavy-lift launch vehicle. It will 
stand more than 200 feet (61 meters) tall with a diameter of 27.5 
feet (8.4 meters). 

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., hosted a 
comprehensive review. Engineers from NASA and The Boeing Co. of 
Huntsville presented a full set of system requirements, design 
concepts and production approaches to technical reviewers and the 
independent review board. 

"This meeting validates our design requirements for the core stage of 
the nation's heavy-lift rocket and is the first major checkpoint for 
our team," said Tony Lavoie, manager of the SLS Stages Element at 
Marshall. "Getting to this point took a lot of hard work, and I'm 
proud of the collaboration between NASA and our partners at Boeing. 
Now that we have completed this review, we go from requirements to 
real blueprints. We are right on track to deliver the core stage for 
the SLS program." 

The core stage will store liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to feed 
the rocket's four RS-25 engines, all of which will be former space 
shuttle main engines for the first few flights. The SLS Program has 
an inventory of 16 RS-25 flight engines that successfully operated 
for the life of the Space Shuttle Program. Like the space shuttle, 
SLS also will be powered initially by two solid rocket boosters on 
the sides of the launch vehicle. 

The SLS will launch NASA's Orion spacecraft and other payloads, and 
provide an entirely new capability for human exploration beyond low 
Earth orbit. Designed to be safe, affordable and flexible for crew 
and cargo missions, the SLS will continue America's journey of 
discovery and exploration to destinations including nearby asteroids, 
Lagrange points, the moon and ultimately, Mars. 

"This is a very exciting time for the country and NASA as important 
achievements are made on the most advanced hardware ever designed for 
human spaceflight," said William Gerstenmaier, associate 
administrator for the Human Exploration Operations Mission 
Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The SLS will power a 
new generation of exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit and the 
moon, pushing the frontiers of discovery forward. The innovations 
being made now, and the hardware being delivered and tested, are all 
testaments to the ability of the U.S. aerospace workforce to make the 
dream of deeper solar system exploration by humans a reality in our 
lifetimes." 

The first test flight of NASA's Space Launch System, which will 
feature a configuration for a 77-ton (70-metric-ton) lift capacity, 
is scheduled for 2017. As SLS evolves, a two-stage launch vehicle 
configuration will provide a lift capability of 143 tons (130 metric 
tons) to enable missions beyond low Earth orbit and support deep 
space exploration. 

Boeing is the prime contractor for the SLS core stage, including its 
avionics. The core stage will be built at NASA's Michoud Assembly 
Facility in New Orleans using state-of-the-art manufacturing 
equipment. Marshall manages the SLS Program for the agency. 

Across the SLS Program, swift progress is being made on several 
elements. The J-2X upper-stage rocket engine, developed by Pratt & 
Whitney Rocketdyne for the future two-stage SLS, is being tested at 
Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The prime contractor for the 
five-segment solid rocket boosters, ATK of Brigham City, Utah, has 
begun processing its first SLS hardware components in preparation for 
an initial qualification test in 2013. 

For more information about the Space Launch System, visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov/sls