Boeing is about to begin environmental tests on a new composite fuel tank for rockets.
The competition heats up: Boeing is about to begin environmental tests on a new composite fuel tank for rockets.
Tanks made of composite materials have been a dream of space engineers for decades. Lockheed Martin tried to build them for the X-33, and their failure was essentially what killed that spacecraft. If Boeing is successful here and the composite tanks can then be put into a variety of launch rockets, the savings in weight will lower the cost of getting payloads to orbit significantly.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
The competition heats up: Boeing is about to begin environmental tests on a new composite fuel tank for rockets.
Tanks made of composite materials have been a dream of space engineers for decades. Lockheed Martin tried to build them for the X-33, and their failure was essentially what killed that spacecraft. If Boeing is successful here and the composite tanks can then be put into a variety of launch rockets, the savings in weight will lower the cost of getting payloads to orbit significantly.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
I have the privilege to work at Boeing Tukwila and witness some composite work underway there. Proud to have contributed to these efforts. Let’s hope these efforts bear fruit!
I would hope the state-of-the-art on composite structures would dramatically improve, especially since the Dreamliner has significant composite structures.
LM had a rather challenging task since the LH2 tank for the X-33 had multiple lobes, which only increased the complexity. Turns out the Al-Li equivalent tank did work and was lighter than the composite version.
There have been composite fuel tanks before, and there’s no reason I can think of to think they would have a impact on cost?
Agree about the X-33’s multiple lobe tank design made it unsuitable for composites, and it would require a huge autoclave for the better composite materials. Given NASA (and the market) has assured them there was no interest in production vehicles of that type, they were not interested in eating the cost for a big autoclave, for composite tanks that would just add weight compared to the Al-Li equivalent tank. The cheaper composite didn’t work, and NASA used it as a excuse to kill the program and argue the prohram proved SSTO’s and RLV’s were technically impossible.
;/
The X-33 like too many programs was never intended to build a ship. It’s purpose was to provide a nifty painting of a ship that the politicians could brag about and get camera time, and then cut the budget when the cameras had moved on. They didn’t really need engineers, all they needed was an art department. I don’t know if it is a result of budget cuts or the artists are bored and just mailing it in but I was disappointed by the art for the SLS. All they did was cut and paste a pair of Shuttle SRBs onto a Saturn 5.
I think the reason you (and the artists) were bored with the SLS artwork is that we all know it is a complete lie, that these images are not of what will be but of what will never happen.
In the late ’90’s I worked for an engineering company that did work at various Boeing plants in the Seattle area. I’d sometimes find myself watching the manufacturing processes rather than doing my work. Fascinating stuff.
> The X-33 like too many programs was never intended to build a ship. …..
Worse then that. Oh NASA was Ok if it resulted in a little X-craft, but went nuts when L/M offered to skip their fees and just go ahead and develop a fully functional production prototype VentureStar shuttle. CATS is a near death sentence for NASA, and they made it very clear they would NEVER except such a thing or support it.
As for why Constellation/SLS looks so much like Apollo’s capsule and Sat-V’s in illustrations, is become that’s whats its designed for, to look like Apollo era gear. The high cost and nostalgia (hopefully generating more public enthusiasm and support ) of Apollo was the primary goal. Shuttles routine operation, and potentially low cost abilities, were seen by Griffin as a major threat to voter support for NASA. Constellation/SLS was the solution. Few spectacular launches, far higher costs to distribute among voter blocks, etc.
The publics reaction to the Apollo like illustrations was a universal yawn. No doubt a shock to Griffin.
;/
Come to think of it..is Mars 1 just a pretty picture to scam folks for money? You certainly couldn’t possibly do what they are outlining as their plan, or what is illustrated.
Oh well, as long as you get good “wallpaper” shots for PC desktops.
;)