Comments on: NASA contract award for manned lunar landers rejects SLS

By: Wodun

Wodun — Fri, 01 May 2020 22:55:11 +0000

It’s part of the dual track approach NASA has been on for a while. It may or may not lead to cancelling SLS but it dies mean that things will be taking place that don’t rely on SLS. A lot if people think that if SLS is still a thing, that nothing else will happen but that isn’t the case.

Maybe it’s a good thing people are confused because it means the meaningful activities NASA are engaged in can survive.

By: Jay

Jay — Fri, 01 May 2020 16:11:58 +0000

Interesting to see Blue Origin with Lockheed-Martin and Northrup as sub-contractors. A new company as the lead with experienced established companies working under it. I would love to know which company is doing what in this project. The lander looks similar to the Altair from Constellation.
I watched the presentation of the winners and the Dynetics design looks interesting and simple.

By: Richard M

Richard M — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 23:22:26 +0000

“Why the hell are we spending any money building it?”

Oh there’s a list of reasons, and as you likely know, we can easily find their office addresses in the Rayburn, Cannon, Hart and Russell office buildings on Constitution and Independence Avenues.

And it’s still worth more to them at present than the political capital Donald Trump would need to spend to kill the thing off.

For now. Alas.

By: Steve Golson

Steve Golson — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 22:12:59 +0000

The plan says, all of these landers (including Starship) go to lunar orbit *unmanned*.

Then the crew, launched in Orion on SLS, will perform lunar orbit rendezvous with the landers.

So yes, SLS is still part of the plan. For now…