CEV Design Q&A Options

[nprev]

Starting this thread in hopes that we'll all have some detailed insight into the next generation of MSF engineering.

Noble goal, eh? Truth of the matter is that I was just looking at one of the innumerable 'CEV enroute to the moon' artist conceptions, and I realized that the solar arrays as depicted meant that the vehicle almost certainly has to remain in a fixed attitude with respect to the Sun for them to operate at maximum efficiency. IIRC, the Apollos had to spin a bit in order to maintain thermal equilibrium & avoid localized heating and/or freezing.

Am I missing something here in terms of trade-offs? Seems unwieldy at best to have the arrays mounted to a sort of slip-ring assembly (with mast articulation) to maintain solar lock while the main body rotates. Likewise, seems as if an extensive--and in terms of power & volatile requirements/risk, expensive--ECS would be needed to avoid the temperature differential problem if the S/C is intended to maintain a continuous power-positive attitude during transit.

Sure that there's a simple answer I've missed; would very much like to hear it! (Let me guess: LOTS of heat pipes?)

[lyford]

Nasa Constellation Program Draft Environmental Impact Statement

The environmental impacts of principal concern are those that would result from fabrication, testing, and launching of the Orion spacecraft and the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles.

PDF for download if you're into this sort of thing. A good overview of the whole program and its development; it also has some nice cutaways and mission profile pics that were new to me.

It also investigagtes "cultural significance" which covers the potential impacts to sites due to the new program, such as the Lunar Landing Research Facility or the Apollo Control Room, which are National Historic Landmarks.

No word on the Lunar Impact Statement - or does that fall under the planetary protection office, which gets a nod on page 373?