Orion

[tnt22]

Time Lapse of Work Platforms Installed in the Vehicle Assembly Building (1:13)

[tnt22]

NASA‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA 6 ч. назад

Blasted with sound, shaken for hours & pyro detonated! @NASA_Orion spacecraft is tested to send humans to deep space https://nasa.tumblr.com/post/158708441044/put-to-the-test-orion-service-module ...

[tnt22]

https://nasa.tumblr.com/post/158708441044/put-to-the-test-orion-service-module

Put to the Test: Orion Service Module

 Blasted with sound, shaken for hours and pyro detonated, the Orion Service Module Completes Ground Tests at our Glenn Research Center

We recently completed a structural integrity evaluation on the test version of the Orion service module at our Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio. Designed to ensure the module can withstand launch atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the battery of tests was conducted in stages over a 16-month period.

The 13-ton European service module will power, propel and cool Orion, while supplying vital oxygen and water to its crew during future missions.

Спойлер

The Powerhouse: Space Launch System and Orion



Our Space Launch System is an advanced launch vehicle that will usher in a new era of human exploration beyond Earth's orbit. SLS, with its unparalleled power and capabilities, will launch missions to explore deep-space destinations aboard our Orion spacecraft.



What is Orion? Named after one of the largest constellations in the night sky and drawing from more than 50 years of spaceflight research and development, the Orion spacecraft will be the safest, most advanced spacecraft ever built. It will be flexible and capable enough to take astronauts to a variety of deep destinations, including Mars.

Welcome to the Buckeye State
 


In November 2015, the full-sized test version of the Orion service module arrived at Cleveland Hopkins Airport aboard an Antonov AN-124. After being unloaded from one of the world's largest transport aircraft, the module was shipped more than 50 miles by truck to Plum Brook for testing.

Spread Your Wings


The first step of the service module's ground test journey at Plum Brook's Space Power Facility, saw one of its 24-foot solar array wings deployed to verify operation of the power system. The test confirmed the array extended and locked into place, and all of the wing mechanisms functioned properly.

Can You Hear SLS Now?



The SLS will produce a tremendous amount of noise as it launches and climbs through our atmosphere. In fact, we're projecting the rocket could produce up to 180 decibels, which is louder than 20 jet engines operating at the same time.

While at the Reverberant Acoustic Test Facility, the service module was hit with more than 150 decibels and 20-10,000 hertz of sound pressure. Microphones were placed inside the test environment to confirm it matched the expected acoustic environment during launch.

After being blasted by sound, it was time to rock the service module, literally.

Shake Without the Bake



 Launching atop the most powerful rocket ever built – we're talking more than eight million pounds of thrust – will subject Orion to stresses never before experienced in spaceflight.

To ensure the launch doesn't damage any vital equipment, the engineering team utilized the world's most powerful vibration table to perform nearly 100 different tests, ranging from 2.5 Hz to 100 Hz, on the module in the summer of 2016.

Gotta Keep 'Em Separated



The team then moved the Orion test article from the vibration table into the high bay for pyroshock tests, which simulated the shock the service module will experience as it separates from the SLS during launch.

Following the sound, vibration and separation tests, a second solar array wing deployment was conducted to ensure the wing continued to properly unfurl and function.

Headed South for the Summer



The ground test phase was another crucial step toward the eventual launch of Exploration Mission-1, as it validated extensive design prep and computer modeling, and verified the spacecraft met our safety and flight requirements.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

 
 #nasa #space #orion #journeytomars #exploration #spacecraft #launch #test #rocket #astronauts

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 735 notes Mar 22nd, 2017
 

[tnt22]

Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 2 мин. назад

Free presents "sample architecture guidelines" for initial phases of the exploration plan.

[tnt22]

NASA_SLS‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA_SLS 19 ч. назад

Watch @NASA_Orion test article undergo pyroshock tests, simulating service module separation from SLS at launch: https://go.nasa.gov/2najAcj .

Orion Test Article Pyroshock Test
Orion test article underwent pyroshock tests, which simulated the shock the service module will experience as it separates from the SLS during launch.

[Salo]

 Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust  24 ч.24 часа назад
Plans for future missions for Phases 2 and 3, through EM-11 in "2030+":
 
 
   Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust  24 ч.24 часа назад  
Phase 2 adds a "Deep Space Transport" to the Deep Space Gateway.
 
 
   Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust  24 ч.24 часа назад  
He adds that Japan would like to add a module to this outpost as well, but want to keep overall concept "minimalistic."
 
   Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust  24 ч.24 часа назад  
Gerst is talking about building up this "deep space gateway" outpost using elements flown on EM-2 and later flights.
 
   Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust  24 ч.24 часа назад  
At least the slides are working: here's his slide about current plans for SLS missions in "Phase 1" of its exploration strategy.
 

[tnt22]

Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 38 мин. назад

ARTICLE: SLC-41 completes EES installation ahead of Starliner missions - (plus SLS EES upd ate) - https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/04/slc-41-completes-ees-starliner-missions/ ...

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https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/04/slc-41-completes-ees-starliner-missions/

SLC-41 completes EES installation ahead of Starliner missions
April 3, 2017 by Chris Bergin
 
 

An Emergency Egress System (EES) has completed its installation into the Crew Access Tower (CAT) at Space Launch Complex -41 (SLC-41) in preparation for Atlas V launches with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. The EES is a vital element for all crew launch vehicles, with the SLC-41 EES working with the traditional "slide wire" concept.
 
 SLC-41 EES:

The requirement to have an Emergency Egress System (EES) is not just for the astronauts se t to ride uphill fr om the launch pad, but also for the engineering teams who's role includes working up close and personal with the rocket in the final days of the pad flow.



ULA began evaluating options for SLC-41 during a period Atlas V was catering for two crew-capable vehicles options, namely Starliner – or CST-100 as it was known – and Sierra Nevada Corporation's (SNC) and their Dream Chaser spacecraft.

"Different options for emergency egress. Detailed hazard analysis of the launch operations is a key determinant," noted the since-retired Dr. George Sowers, ULA VP for Human Launch Services, during a Q&A session with NASASpaceFlight.com members in 2012. "We have the option of implementing a shuttle-like slide wire system if required."

Although Atlas V is still hoping to launch Dream Chaser missions, the spacecraft's role has been refocused on cargo missions. The EES option will still be employed for pad crews tending to the spacecraft. However, the highlighted role will be for astronauts riding on the Starliner.

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The historical heritage of the EES hardware has mainly been based around utilizing a fairly simple, gravity-powered systems with a requirement to be passive/unpowered, in case the emergency cut power to the pad. However, each option had a different take on a similar theme.



The first EES for the Saturn V used the existing launch tower elevators to evacuate crew and/or engineers to the base of the Mobile Launch Platform, before transferring to a "slide tube" that led in an underground rubber room/sealed blast room – which remains in a preserved condition at Complex 39. (Large photo collection available on L2 – LINK).

A second system was added a few years later, adding the option of a single cab on a slide wire that egressed the astronauts outside of the pad perimeter – known as the Blast Danger Area (BDA) – 2,400 feet away fr om the pad. From there, they would enter a sealed bunker and await rescue.

This slide wire system was expanded by the time the Space Shuttle began its service for NASA, with extra emphasis on the pad EES, not least because a pad abort was not possible via the vehicle, due to the lack of a LAS.



Engineers installed five slide wires to the launch tower – later expanded to seven – with baskets that could hold up to four people each.

These slidewires ended at the same Apollo bunkers outside the BDA, wh ere personnel could wait out the disaster or transfer to an armored vehicle (M-113) and drive to a triage site wh ere they could be met by rescue personnel.

The slide wire option remained relatively unchanged throughout its career with the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) and was thankfully never required or used in anger.

It was used – mostly uncrewed – during emergency drills carried out on occasions such as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT), allowing the crew to practice their evacuation plans.



With ULA working on SLC-41 during regular Atlas V missions, this week's announcement that a final test of the pad's EES has been conducted is another step towards seeing US astronauts launching from the Cape.

"ULA is absolutely focused on the safety of the crews we will be supporting and although we hope to never use it, we are excited to announce the Emergency Egress System is fully operational," said Gary Wentz, Vice President of Human & Commercial Services.

"Through our partnership with Terra-Nova, a company that designs and builds zip lines for recreational use, a modified, off-the-shelf product has been designed and constructed to meet our needs and reduce costs, while maintaining reliability and safety."



The egress cables are situated on level 12 of the Crew Access Tower (CAT), 172 feet above the Space Launch Complex 41 pad deck and will allow the crew to evacuate the CAT quickly to a landing zone more than 1,340 feet from the launch vehicle.

The EES can accommodate up to 20 personnel, including ground crew and flight crew.

ULA noted that Terra-Nova, LLC (makers of the ZipRider Hybrid) offered a commercially developed EES based on their "off-the-shelf," patented designs.

The ZipRider was easily adaptable to ULA's specific needs while offering an unmatched safety record, and providing the best overall value.



With Boeing's Chris Ferguson – a former Shuttle commander – enjoying a test ride on the system ahead of its installation at SLC-41, it takes just 30 seconds for the rider to reach a top speed of 40 mph. The riders control their speed by releasing pressure on the handles, with the ability to glide to a gentle stop at the landing zone.

There are 30 feet of springs on each cable located in the landing area to gradually slow a rider down if they forget to brake. Terra-Nova will install a training system located north of the CAT for riders to practice on before final training on the operational EES.

"Crew safety is paramount, and the ULA emergency egress system hits the mark for an effective yet simple system that is adapted from other commercial applications," said Commander Ferguson, Boeing director of Starliner Crew and Mission Systems.
 
"We look forward to spaceflight operations next year knowing that every measure to protect the flight and ground crew has been employed."

There's also been internal movement on the EES that will be employed for the Space Launch System (SLS) on Pad 39B, years after a trade study began to evaluate the best EES option for safely evacuating crew and engineers from the dizzy heights of the Mobile Launcher (ML). Teams have been told to accelerate options in light of the recent study into changing Exploration Mission -1 (EM-1) into a crewed mission.



Currently, only one patchy render of the system has been acquired (L2) – showing the use of a massive crane.

"Members of the Operations Integration and Analysis team developed, modeled, and created images of an Emergency Egress System concept in support of the Crewed SLS EM-1 Mission Study," noted a memo via L2.

"The orange frame depicts the fixture with the four baskets lifted by a mobile crane and attached to the west side of the Mobile Launcher. The ground distance from the tower to the end of the slide wire is over 1100 feet, and the wire would be approximately 1300ft long. These images were used in the crewed EM-1 impact briefing to NASA Headquarters."

The use of a massive crane will be far cheaper than the recommended option from the 2006 study for the since-cancelled Ares I launch vehicle EES, once again pitching several very different designs against each other – including a slide wire system.



The winner of the 2006 study was the spectacular Roller Coaster EES – a giant structure that would have been a permanent fixture out at Pad 39B, rising into the Florida skyline ready to be hooked up to the ML once it had rolled out to the pad with the vehicle.

The Roller Coaster EES included a multi-car high-speed rail system and used gravity to get personnel to a safe haven. It was deemed to be very accommodating to incapacitated crew members as well as limited 3G forces on the people riding the cars with a passive electromagnetic braking system.

It underwent a few redesigns during the life of the Constellation Program, including options to extend the rails to an area outside the BDA directly into a triage site.



For this system, NASA relied on many different areas of expertise: Safety, Medical, Operations Personnel, and the Astronaut Office. Engineers involved in Disney's roller coaster systems were also part of the design project.

The 2006 trade study – (available on L2 LINK) – helped explain the requirements of the future EES, of which there are numerous considerations. These considerations will be playing into the SLS trade study discussions.

"The EES starts at the crew hatch of the Orion and terminates at the designated safe area. Once the crew access arm is extended, a maximum of 2 minutes for 15 able bodied personnel (six crew members, three closeout crew members, and six fire/rescue members) is allowed to move from the hatch to inside the safe area during vehicle processing at the pad up to T-0.



"The EES shall provide a safe area built to withstand possible blast, fire, and flying debris within the 5,000-ft blast danger area of the tower. The EES shall accommodate the following hazards at the pad: fire, propellant spills, tank overpressure, radioactive-material release, and toxic atmosphere.

"The EES shall provide a clear route from Orion hatch to the egress vehicles with provision for 0.25 gpm/sq ft of water spray and fire detection for the EES before entering the vehicles."

The list continued for two pages, and despite being by far the most expensive, the Roller Coaster EES scored the highest in nearly all of the requirement categories.



The 2006 study design was refined again in 2008, mainly relating to the initial drop from the ML, in turn providing a CGI view from both onboard the coaster and viewing it drop from various viewpoints (L2 Link to Video).

However, the Constellation Program was then canceled.

Pad 39A's EES will be mainly focused around the needs of the pad engineers, given astronauts onboard the Dragon 2 will find their spacecraft will be the fastest way of egressing the pad in the event of an emergency ahead of launch.

Dragon 2 will fire her SuperDraco thrusters in the event of a pad abort scenario, as has already been tested.

(Images: Via Boeing, ULA and L2's specific sections. To join L2, click here: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/)

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[tnt22]

NASA Kennedy / KSC‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASAKennedy 30 мин. назад

Crawler-Transporter 2 is really racking up the miles! (FYI, the Crawler's speedometer goes all the way up to 2mph!) https://go.nasa.gov/2oul8Dc 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2017/04/03/crawler-transporter-2-takes-test-drive-along-crawlerway/

Crawler-Transporter 2 Takes Test Drive along Crawlerway
Posted on April 3, 2017 at 12:13 pm by Linda Herridge.

Спойлер

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NASA's crawler-transporter 2 (CT-2) took a test drive along the crawlerway at Kennedy Space Center to determine the structural dynamics and loading environments of the crawler's recent upgrades. The test was performed to ensure that the crawler is ready to support the first integrated flight of the agency's Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System.

The unloaded CT-2 rolled from the crawler yard along the crawlerway to the Pad A/B split for the first leg of the trip and traveled back to the mobile launcher platform park site near the Vehicle Assembly Building. For the loaded test, the crawler picked up Mobile Launch Platform 1 at the park site and returned to the Pad A/B split. Engineers took measurements during the entire trek using accelerometers, strain gauges and pressure transducers. The data collected will be used to validate the dynamic model of the integrated SLS.

CT-2 is the vehicle that will carry the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft on the mobile launcher to Pad B for launch. The behemoth vehicle recently was upgraded to support the heavier load of the SLS atop the mobile launcher.

Upgrades to the crawler included installation of new generators, gear assemblies, jacking, equalizing and leveling (JEL) hydraulic cylinders, roller bearings and brakes. Other systems also were upgraded.

The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is overseeing upgrades to facilities and ground support equipment necessary to support the launch and deep space missions, including the Journey to Mars.

Photo credit: NASA/Leif Heimbold

 This entry was posted in Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, Journey to Mars, Kennedy on April 3, 2017 by Linda Herridge.

[tnt22]

SpaceFlight Insider‏ @SpaceflightIns 10 мин. назад

Laser Communications to Provide Faster Connections for Orion http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/goddard-space-flight-center/laser-communications-provide-faster-connections-orion/ ...

http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/goddard-space-flight-center/laser-communications-provide-faster-connections-orion/

Laser Communications to Provide Faster Connections for Orion   
April 4th, 2017 by Paul Knightly

Спойлер

The LEMNOS project will provide laser communications services to NASA's Orion vehicle, shown in this artist's concept. Image Credit: NASA

[свернуть]

NASA engineers are continuing to push the limits of laser communication technology by developing a new system called LEMNOS that is to be tested on the second flight of the Orion spacecraft just beyond the Moon. Also referred to as optical communication, laser communications between a spacecraft and the Earth holds the promise of allowing higher data transmission rates than are currently possible.

Спойлер

Apollo 8 Earthrise image. (Click to enlarge) Photo Credit: Bill Anders / NASA

 The Exploration and Space Communications (ESC) projects division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has been tapped to develop LEMNOS, which stands for Laser-Enhanced Mission and Navigation Operational Services. LEMNOS is named for the island Lemnos, which in Greek mythology is the location where Orion regained his sight.

In much the same manner, the LEMNOS technology demonstrator would enable crew members flying on Orion to transmit 4K ultra-high definition video to Earth, enabling scientists and the general public to see images transmitted from space at a resolution not possible with current technology.

Don Cornwell, director of NASA's Advanced Communication and Navigation division at the Space Communications and Navigation program office, said: "Laser communications will revolutionize data return from destinations beyond low-Earth orbit, enhance outreach opportunities from outer space and improve astronauts' quality of life on long space missions.

"As we strive to put humans on Mars for the first time, it's imperative that we develop a communications system to support these activities at the highest level possible."
 

LRO Earthrise image. (Click to enlarge) Photo Credit: NASA

 Existing technology has allowed for vast improvements between the video transmitted during the Apollo program and present-day missions. An example of this can be seen in the difference in quality between the Apollo 8 Earthrise image and a similar image taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).

The communications system during the Apollo missions allowed for a transmission rate of 51 kilobytes of data per second, whereas LEMNOS is expected to be able to support a data rate of at least 80 megabytes per second. That's a 1,500 percent increase in data rate over 50 years.

Mark Brumfield, deputy program manager of implementation for ESC, said: "As we started thinking about the possibility of laser communications on Orion, I spoke with the flight controllers at Johnson Space Center who are developing the communications plan for Orion's deep space missions.

"They were talking about enabling communications capabilities that we take for granted, but that are so foreign in space, from streaming scientific data and video in real time, to allowing astronauts to watch the Super Bowl or keep up with an election.

"Being able to connect with society could have great impacts [on] astronauts' mental health during the mission. Right now, they wouldn't be able to make those connections in a meaningful way, but optical communications will give us that capability."

While the project has just begun at Goddard, eyes are already set on what it will take to fully develop LEMNOS to support a mission to Mars. Laser communications technology requires line-of-sight between the ground and the spacecraft to operate, which would necessitate the construction of a new ground relay station.

Brumfield speculates that NASA could add additional laser communication terminals to support future Orion missions. He says LEMNOS will be an evolutionary change to the way that NASA handles space communications.

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[tnt22]

NASA Kennedy / KSC‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASAKennedy 6 мин. назад

Testing of systems critical to Orion and NASA's Space Launch System #SLS rocket were successfully completed: https://go.nasa.gov/2oJNSEV

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2017/04/04/pneumatic-systems-tested-in-multi-purpose-payload-facility-for-orion/

Pneumatic Systems Tested in Multi-Purpose Payload Facility for Orion
Posted on April 4, 2017 at 4:19 pm by Linda Herridge.

Спойлер

Engineers and technicians completed verification and validation testing of several pneumatic systems inside and outside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In view is the service platform for Orion spacecraft processing. The MPPF will be used for offline processing and fueling of the Orion spacecraft and service module stack before launch. Orion also will be de-serviced in the MPPF after a mission. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program (GSDO) is overseeing upgrades to the facility. The Engineering Directorate led the recent pneumatic tests. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

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Testing of systems critical to preparing Orion for its first flight atop NASA's Space Launch System rocket were successfully completed in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The MPPF is the location where fuel and commodities will be provided for the Orion spacecraft prior to launch. Orion also will be defueled and prepared for its next mission in this facility.

Спойлер

Pneumatics test team members gather to mark the successful verification and validation of pneumatics testing in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility. Photo credit: NASA/Bonni Mcclure

 Engineers and technicians completed a series of verification and validation tests of the pneumatic systems inside and outside the facility and confirmed they are ready to become operational, and that the systems meet requirements to support flight and ground systems that use pneumatic commodities.

"Completion of verification and validation testing of the pneumatic systems helps ensure that ground systems at Kennedy are ready to support Orion spacecraft processing," said Stephen Anthony, pneumatic design engineering lead in the Environmental and Life Support Systems branch in the center's Engineering Directorate.

Four pneumatic systems supply high pressure gases to various locations in the MPPF. These include gaseous nitrogen, gaseous helium and gaseous oxygen. They will be used to pressurize flight tanks on the Orion spacecraft. Another system, the breathing air system, provides an air source for personnel using Self-Contained Atmospheric Protection Ensembles, or SCAPE suits, which protect them during hazardous operations inside and outside the facility.

Leak tests of all of the pneumatic hardware installed inside and outside the MPPF were performed. Checkouts included verifying proper function of valves, regulators, pressure gauges and other components; verifying that the systems can be operated by command and control software; and performing flow tests of the systems to validate analysis and demonstrate that the systems meet requirements. A simulation of Orion flight tank fill operations also was performed.

"The pneumatic systems at the MPPF provide high pressure gases to many other ground and flight systems, making them vital to successful ground processing operations," Anthony said.

The vast majority of the testing was completed between August 2016 and January 2017. Additional testing is scheduled this spring.

A team of about 60 NASA and contractor workers supported the tests, including design, operations, systems and project engineers, mechanics, technicians, logistics, safety, quality, configuration management, and construction of facilities personnel.
                
 This entry was posted in Journey to Mars, Kennedy on April 4, 2017 by Linda Herridge.

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[Floppy Disk]

NASA's Orion spacecraft will take astronauts to destinations at or beyond low Earth orbit. In January 2013, it was announced that ESA would provide the European Service Module (ESM) for Orion's first uncrewed mission. Derived from ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle cargo spacecraft, the ESM will provide life support, propulsion and structural functions for Orion. In February 2017, a contract was signed for a second ESM to be used on Orion's first crewed flight, which will carry astronauts beyond the Moon and back.

More about European Service Module
https://orionesm.airbusdefenceandspace.com/

[Oleg]

объясните, зачем иллюминаторы загнули во внутрь?
конструкцию то усложнили

[tnt22]

NASA_SLS‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA_SLS 8 ч. назад

The completed @NASA_Orion stage adapter diaphragm has arrived for testing @NASA_Marshall from Janicki Industries' in Hamilton, Washington.

[Дем]

Oleg пишет:
объясните, зачем иллюминаторы загнули во внутрь?
конструкцию то усложнили

Чтобы смотреть вперёд

[tnt22]

Управление Генерального инспектора НАСА 2017-04-13 выпустило документ "NASA's Plans for Human Exploration Beyond Low Earth Orbit" (77 стр, 6694172 B)

https://oig.nasa.gov/audits/reports/FY17/IG-17-017.pdf

и видео

https://oig.nasa.gov/Video/IG-17-017.html
( - 4:39)

[tnt22]

(1:06)

Inside KSC! for April 14, 2017
 
 
 NASAKennedy

Опубликовано: 14 апр. 2017 г.

The Orion crew module that traveled beyond low-Earth orbit on Exploration Flight Test 1 in 2014 was moved from the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building to nearby Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. On track to launch next week is Orbital ATK's CRS-7 commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station.

[Димитър]

Только что по болгарском телевидении сообщили, что первые два полета КК Орион (беспилотный в 2018 и пилотируемый в 2021) откладываются (на неопределенное время !?) из-за технических трудностей при создании корабля.
Кто-нибудь знает подробности?

[triage]

Димитър пишет:
Только что по болгарском телевидении сообщили, что первые два полета КК Орион (беспилотный в 2018 и пилотируемый в 2021) откладываются (на неопределенное время !?) из-за технических трудностей при создании корабля.
Кто-нибудь знает подробности?

Подробности выше 

tnt22 пишет:
Управление Генерального инспектора НАСА 2017-04-13 выпустило документ "NASA's Plans for Human Exploration Beyond Low Earth Orbit" (77 стр, 6694172 B)

 https://oig.nasa.gov/audits/reports/FY17/IG-17-017.pdf

http://spacenews.com/nasa-inspector-general-foresees-additional-slsorion-delays/
NASA inspector general foresees additional SLS/Orion delays

by Jeff Foust — April 13, 2017

WASHINGTON — A report from NASA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) April 13 concluded that the first two missions of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft will likely slip from their currently scheduled dates.

The report on NASA's human exploration programs, the outcome of a nine-month audit by OIG, also recommended that NASA provide more details about its long-term plans to send humans to Mars, citing constrained budgets and the need to develop a number of key technologies to enable such missions.

NASA's current schedule calls for the launch of the first SLS/Orion mission, Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1), no later than November 2018 without a crew. That would be followed by EM-2, the first SLS/Orion mission to carry astronauts, as soon as August 2021.

The OIG report, though, was skeptical NASA could maintain that schedule. "NASA's first exploration missions – EM-1 and EM-2 – face multiple technical challenges that will likely delay their launch," the report stated.

The report outlines a number of technical challenges that SLS, Orion and associated ground systems are facing that makes it unlikely NASA can maintain its current schedule for those missions. Work on SLS, it said, has consumed nearly all of the 11 months of schedule reserve it originally had. "With only 30 days of schedule reserves available, the SLS Program may be hard pressed to meet a November 2018 launch date," OIG concluded.

Orion also faces issues. "NASA considers Orion to be one of the biggest challenges to meeting the EM-1 flight date of no later than November 2018," the report stated. Delays in the development of the Orion service module, provided by the European Space Agency are the leading factor in the overall Orion delay, as well as technical risks involved with changes in the design of Orion's heat shield.

In addition to SLS and Orion issues, the OIG report stated that work on ground systems at the Kennedy Space Center has only one month of schedule reserve remaining. Development of software needed for SLS, Orion and ground systems have also suffered delays that could delay the first SLS/Orion launch. "We are concerned NASA will not be able to resolve all necessary [exploration systems] software validation and verification efforts in time to meet a November 2018 launch date for EM-1," OIG said in the report.

Recent events could exacerbate those delays. The report briefly mentions damage from a Feb. 7 tornado that hit the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. It estimated repairs to Michoud buildings could result in a two-month delay in work on the SLS, whose core stage is built there.

NASA officials have provided similar estimates on the potential delays caused by the tornado. "The tornado probably cost us two to three months," said Bill Hill, deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development, in a March 29 presentation to the NASA Advisory Council's Human Exploration and Operations Committee. "We're still evaluating that and seeing what the options are."

Another wild card that could delay EM-1 is a decision to put a crew on that first flight. NASA is currently examining such a move, which would delay the mission regardless of other technical issues. The target date for a crewed EM-1 mission is mid-2019, according to ground rules for that study cited in the OIG report.

The report said that, as of early April, the study about putting a crew on EM-1 was still in progress. "To achieve a crewed EM-1 flight, in our judgment NASA must address not only the additional risks associated with human travel but also a host of existing risks to planned missions," OIG said in the report, citing work needed on Orion's life support systems and a decision to either human-rate the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage that will be used on EM-1 or accelerate work on the Exploration Upper Stage.
....

 https://ria.ru/science/20170414/1492264512.html
МОСКВА, 14 апр — РИА Новости. Аудиторы НАСА рекомендуют агентству отложить время запуска корабля Orion в его первых двух миссиях из-за "технических и финансовых проблем", препятствующих запуску челнока к Луне в октябре или ноябре 2018 года, сообщает портал SpaceNews.

"Отправка Orion в космос не позже ноября 2018 года будет очень тяжелой технической задачей для НАСА. Мы сомневаемся в том, что инженерам НАСА удастся решить все технические проблемы и проверить работу всех программных и аппаратных компонентов программы для того, чтобы уложиться в срок до предполагаемой даты первого полета Orion в рамках миссии EM-1", — цитирует издание отчет инспекторов НАСА.
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Все эти планы, вероятно, НАСА придется отложить — отчет, подготовленный Полом Мартином (Paul Martin), главным инспектором НАСА, говорит о том, что Orion не будет готов к полету к осени 2018 года по целому ряду финансовых и технических причин.

Часть из них, как рассказывает SpaceNews, не является виной НАСА — к примеру, в феврале этого года здания агентства в Луизиане, где должна происходить сборка ракеты SLS, были сильно повреждены ураганом. Их ремонт займет около двух-трех месяцев, что сдвигает время запуска SLS на аналогичный срок.
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[Дмитрий Инфан]

На то и срок, чтобы сдвигаться. Причём, всегда в одну сторону.

[Димитър]

pnetmon пишет: 

http://spacenews.com/nasa-inspector-general-foresees-additional-slsorion-delays/
NASA inspector general foresees additional SLS/Orion delays ...

С моим плохим английским понял следующее:
Отстают от графика все три компоненты запуска
1. создание РН SLS
2. создание КК Orion
3. строительство наземной инфраструктуры для запуска

4. отстает также создание програмного обеспечения для управления всех трех упомянутых компонент.

5. Желание НАСА поставить екипаж еще на первом корабле потребует доработки, которые отодвинут запуск на 7 - 8 месяцев сами по себе.
ИМХО первый полет может быть с екипажем только если создание РН и наземки отстанут по отношении к КК, что даст время на нужную доработку. Но даже в таком случае начальство может потребовать провести сначала беспилотный полет на всякий случай ...