LRO development |
LRO development |
May 2 2005, 01:31 AM
Post
#1
|
|
Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2262 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Melbourne - Oz Member No.: 16 |
Just read this interesting article about LRO
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/28apr_lro.htm QUOTE "This is the first in a string of missions," says Gordon Chin, project scientist for LRO at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. "More robots will follow, about one per year, leading up to manned flight" no later than 2020." One per Year? Is this just wishful thinking or have any tentitve plans been mentioned for follow up missions after LRO? If the next one is going to be 2009/10 then I guess some desisions about it will have to be made fairly soon. James -------------------- |
|
|
Guest_Analyst_* |
May 12 2006, 06:19 AM
Post
#2
|
Guests |
Back to LRO. I never understood the "problem" caused by the Delta II spinning third stage. Many spacecraft with lots of liquid propellant (Near, MGS, MCO, Odyssey, Messenger) launched with this stage with no problem. And the delta V to enter lunar orbit is about the same (1,000 m/s) than entering orbit arround Mars.
I guess the switch to EELV has been because of mass issues and/or political reasons (away from Delta II, more EELV launches). Analyst |
|
|
May 12 2006, 06:49 AM
Post
#3
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2542 Joined: 13-September 05 Member No.: 497 |
Back to LRO. I never understood the "problem" caused by the Delta II spinning third stage. Many spacecraft with lots of liquid propellant (Near, MGS, MCO, Odyssey, Messenger) launched with this stage with no problem. And the delta V to enter lunar orbit is about the same (1,000 m/s) than entering orbit arround Mars. The spacecraft you mention all used bipropellant systems. LRO uses a monoprop system with significantly less specific impulse, so it needs more fuel for a given delta-v. I asked the same question you did, but apparently the tankage involved was outside the experience base of previously-designed antislosh baffles. Probably could have been solved, but it was a development risk. -------------------- Disclaimer: This post is based on public information only. Any opinions are my own.
|
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 27th September 2024 - 07:16 AM |
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE COPYRIGHT |
OPINIONS AND MODERATION Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators. |
SUPPORT THE FORUM Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member. |