What after the space shuttle

Yusuf

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With the last mission of the shuttle program over yesterday after the landing of the Atlantis, a glorious chapter in human innovation and enterprise has come to an end.

The question now is what next? First of all NASA is going to be without a human launcher to space. How come no alternative was worked out before retiring the shuttle? It leaves only the Russians with a space delivery platform for humans.

It's surprising that the US didn't come out with the next generation of launchers before retiring the shuttles.
 

pmaitra

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What after the Space Shuttle? It's the venerable Soyuz!





Till a new vehicle is built that is cheaper and safer.

So right after this, it's the Soyuz!
 
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plugwater

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Both US and Russia are moving towards a new generations of spacecrafts. US will adapt soyuz model spacecraft and Russia is trying to get a shuttle model(clipper) spacecraft.
 

Yusuf

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Well yes we know it's going to be the Soyuz for some time now. But what are the Americans planning? No more reusable vehicles? Will we see next generation shuttles or no?
 

plugwater

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Well yes we know it's going to be the Soyuz for some time now. But what are the Americans planning? No more reusable vehicles? Will we see next generation shuttles or no?
There will be no replacements till 2015. Orion spacecraft is the replacement for space shuttle.

Here is the video of how it works, Video shows how they will reach moon but they are going to use this method for ISS also.

 
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asianobserve

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Check out dragon spacecraft by Space X. It's almost ready I understand.
 

asianobserve

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Visual presentation:


Article on its High Altitude drop test:

SpaceX's Dragon Spacecraft Completes High Altitude Drop Testby Staff Writers
Hawthorne CA (SPX) Aug 23, 2010

SpaceX has announced their Dragon spacecraft has successfully completed a high altitude drop test - meeting 100% of test objectives. This is the last in a series of tests to validate parachute deployment systems and recovery operations before the craft's first launch.

During the August 12th test, an Erikson S-64F Air-Crane helicopter dropped a test article of the Dragon spacecraft from a height of 14,000 feet, roughly nine miles off the coast of Morro Bay, California.

In a carefully timed sequence of events, dual redundant drogue parachutes deployed first to stabilize and gently slow the craft before three main parachutes, 116 feet in diameter, further slowed the craft to a picture perfect landing. From there, recovery ships successfully returned the Dragon and parachutes to shore.

While Dragon will initially be used to transport cargo, the spacecraft was designed to transport crew and the parachute system validated during the test is the same system that would be used on a crew-carrying Dragon.

"By holding the Dragon to stringent standards for manned missions from the start, tests like this will ensure the highest quality and reliability for Dragon over the long term," said Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO and CTO.

"We are proving, every day, that the future of American missions to space will rely on American made commercial companies."

The two drogue parachutes create a more gradual reduction in speed, important for future manned missions, while the three oversized parachutes are important to ensuring a safe and comfortable landing, slowing the spacecraft's descent to approximately 16-18 feet per second. Under nominal conditions, astronauts would experience no more than roughly 2-3 g's during this type of descent-less than you'd experience at an amusement park. And with three main parachutes, even if Dragon were to lose one, crew would still land safely.

"Data gathered during the drop test will be invaluable as we prepare for the upcoming demonstration flight of the first operational Dragon spacecraft," said Chris Thompson, SpaceX VP of Structures.

In June 2010, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon spacecraft test article. Later this year, SpaceX will take the next step in testing, delivering an operational Dragon to low earth orbit atop a Falcon 9.

This is the first demonstration flight under its inclusion in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, established in 2006 to encourage private companies to develop commercial space transport capabilities.

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft and its Falcon 9 launch vehicle have been selected by NASA to deliver supplies to and from the International Space Station starting in 2011. The Dragon spacecraft can return as much as 2,500 kilograms (5,510 lbs) of cargo from the space station back to Earth, a service not offered by any other commercial cargo supply system.

Landing of an operational Dragon is a far more precise operation than seen in the drop test. Draco thrusters fired during reentry will ensure Dragon lands less than a mile from the targeted site.

The dispersion is due only to wind pushing Dragon's parachutes-in low winds Dragon's landing accuracy will be within a few hundred feet. Once the ability to accurately control reentry is proven, SpaceX plans to add deployable landing gear and use thrusters to safely land Dragon on land.
 

plugwater

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Check out dragon spacecraft by Space X. It's almost ready I understand.
I think its only for cargo. Their crew capsule will still be ready only by 2015. No point in sending its astronauts in a private spacecraft if Orion is ready.
 

Yusuf

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There will be no replacements till 2015. Orion spacecraft is the replacement for space shuttle.

Here is the video of how it works, Video shows how they will reach moon but they are going to use this method for ISS also.

It's back to the dispensable rocket and nothing like the majestic shuttle. Too bad. I think the cost involved in maintaining the shuttles has taken its toll. Shuttles will truly remain one of the greats of modern inventions.
 
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Payeng

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What were the advantages of Space Shuttle launch compared to other capsule launchers and cargo launchers?
Somewhere I heard Space Shuttles were not cost efficient and faced many technological challenges sometimes delaying launch for very long intervals.

Both US and Russia are moving towards a new generations of spacecrafts. US will adapt soyuz model spacecraft and Russia is trying to get a shuttle model(clipper) spacecraft.
Can you please shed some more light upon this Russian development.
 

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