A plan to improve the transportation system
Lockheed Martin signed a contract with Marshall Space Flight Center to improve the transportation system at 1995. Its implementation outline outlines some spacecraft similar to the Ares 1 launch vehicle. In the second section, the liquid fuel is located on a large solid rocket, and in the second section, the J -2S and the main engine of the space shuttle are considered.
Construction scheme of detection system
In June, 5438+October, 2004 10, President Bush announced the vision of space exploration, and on April 29th, 2005, he awarded NASA a plan to build a detection system, saying that a manned and loaded spacecraft that can reach the moon or Mars should be built to the highest standard, and it can reach the manned standard and travel between the International Space Station and the Earth? In order to develop lunar exploration equipment that can maintain human functions and is easy to operate, it is necessary to confirm relevant key technologies and improve various detection systems?
Construction of rocket power system
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States plans to use the existing equipment of the space shuttle to build the Ares 1 carrier rocket? At first, the space shuttle's four-stage solid auxiliary rocket (SRB) should be used as the first section, and a main engine of the space shuttle should be used as the second section? The loaded rocket is the same as the original design. It will use a five-stage solid auxiliary rocket, and the terminal part will use the main engine of the space shuttle?
Although the Ares-1 launch vehicle can be successfully used as a launch vehicle after preliminary evaluation, further simulation tests show that the four-stage first solid launch vehicle may not be able to withstand the payload of Orion spacecraft; Therefore, on June 5438+ 10, 2006, NASA announced that it would reduce the size of the Orion spacecraft and switch to the first five-stage solid launch vehicle, and the second launch vehicle engine would be changed from the main engine of the space shuttle (SSME) to the improved J-2X rocket engine of Apollo.
Changing from a four-stage solid launch vehicle to a five-stage solid launch vehicle can enable NASA to meet the same requirements as planned (although other quantities of solid launch vehicles can also be used), but the main reason for choosing a five-stage solid launch vehicle is to cooperate with the J -2X rocket engine?
A J -2X rocket engine costing about $20 million to $25 million costs only half of the main engine of a complex space shuttle ($55 million)? Unlike the main engine of the space shuttle, the J -2X rocket engine can only ignite on the ground (not in vacuum). Can the J -2X rocket engine ignite on the ground or near vacuum?
This special aerodynamic principle was used in S-IVB of Saturnalia V, when the rocket engine was J-2, which sent Apollo spacecraft to the moon? On the other hand, as long as the main engine of the space shuttle is extensively improved and tested, it can also generate electricity in vacuum (if the Ares-1 carrier rocket can accurately enter the flight orbit, Orion spacecraft has enough fuel), and if the main engine of the space shuttle can be ignited in a state close to vacuum, it can be repeatedly ignited in space? The NASA test was not actually carried out on the ground, but the main engine test was carried out in space, which briefly ignited the main engine of the space shuttle before 1988 STS-26?
The national aeronautics and space administration (NASA) announced that ATKThiokol will build the first solid-state launch vehicle of Ares 1 and is currently building a solid-state auxiliary rocket for the space shuttle? ATK also marks the construction of the terminal part of Ares 1 carrier rocket?
Patrick &; Whiteney Company (officially called a subsidiary of Rockwell Company and Boeing North America Company) is a subcontractor, mainly manufacturing J -2X rocket engines. The contract includes testing the J-2X rocket engine and other projects in the south of Huntsville, Alabama?
On June 4, 2007, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that the carrier rocket Ares 1 had completed the system standard test, which was the first manned spacecraft to pass the test after the space shuttle. This test is an important milestone in the design process, which ensures that the Ares 1 carrier rocket completes the constellation plan?
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States also announced the new design of the fuel tank. Instead of separating the liquid hydrogen tank from the liquid oxygen tank with the inner tank technology of the space shuttle's external fuel tank, the two tanks are separated with a partition similar to S-II and S-IVB of Saturn V, so that the second section can be made shorter and lighter, and the weight of the spacecraft must be borne at the joint of the second section and Orion spacecraft?
On June 5, 2007+February 65+February 38, 2007, NASA announced that Boeing would provide and assemble the control system of Ares 1 carrier rocket?