2008 Woodie Awards
Next generation technology
Ian Wells
Issue date: 10/13/06 Section: Opinion
What will be launching our children's generation of astronauts into space? With the Space Shuttle being decommissioned, what will our new launch vehicle be?
The Space shuttle is greatly over due for the graveyard. In production for 25 years, the Space Shuttle is old, obsolete technology. Would you trust in a car made in 1980? Even with a well tended car, it may be time for a newer more modern car. The situation is the same for the Space Shuttle: time for a newer more modern Reusable Launch Vehicle.
The first step NASA is taking is to create the new launch vehicles without the whole idea of a space plane. What is the point of wings in space? Therefore NASA is falling back to a previous model, the Apollo Capsules. The design will be based upon the Apollo missions, but will be much larger and have a human capacity of 6 to 8. The landing of this vehicle will be very similar to the Apollo capsule landing, except instead of landing in the middle of the Pacific, it will land on our own US soil, with the option of a water landing.
To get this new vehicle into space NASA will modify current technology in order to increase efficiency and decrease cost and turn around time. The new launch vehicle will be similar to the current Solid Rocket Boosters on the Space Shuttle launch vehicle differing only in size. The current SRB's utilize four segments, sections in which it burns, and the new ones will use five segments. NASA will take the current Space Shuttle Launcher and make it taller and transport the non-human cargo. Another launcher will be used to launch the Human space craft and this launcher will be a taller version of the current Space Shuttle SRB's.
The hope is that in five years the US will be back to the moon. This goal is obtainable because the technology being used has been tested, used, and easy to adapt. The turn around time of this new technology is expected to be faster than the Space Shuttle. With the Space Shuttle launching five times a year, on average, the new vehicles will launch a minimum of six times a year.
The Space shuttle is greatly over due for the graveyard. In production for 25 years, the Space Shuttle is old, obsolete technology. Would you trust in a car made in 1980? Even with a well tended car, it may be time for a newer more modern car. The situation is the same for the Space Shuttle: time for a newer more modern Reusable Launch Vehicle.
The first step NASA is taking is to create the new launch vehicles without the whole idea of a space plane. What is the point of wings in space? Therefore NASA is falling back to a previous model, the Apollo Capsules. The design will be based upon the Apollo missions, but will be much larger and have a human capacity of 6 to 8. The landing of this vehicle will be very similar to the Apollo capsule landing, except instead of landing in the middle of the Pacific, it will land on our own US soil, with the option of a water landing.
To get this new vehicle into space NASA will modify current technology in order to increase efficiency and decrease cost and turn around time. The new launch vehicle will be similar to the current Solid Rocket Boosters on the Space Shuttle launch vehicle differing only in size. The current SRB's utilize four segments, sections in which it burns, and the new ones will use five segments. NASA will take the current Space Shuttle Launcher and make it taller and transport the non-human cargo. Another launcher will be used to launch the Human space craft and this launcher will be a taller version of the current Space Shuttle SRB's.
The hope is that in five years the US will be back to the moon. This goal is obtainable because the technology being used has been tested, used, and easy to adapt. The turn around time of this new technology is expected to be faster than the Space Shuttle. With the Space Shuttle launching five times a year, on average, the new vehicles will launch a minimum of six times a year.
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