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.
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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.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
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.
;)