Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

zerbey t1_ivti5xr wrote

Whoever made the decision to leave Artemis on the launch pad is going to be answering some awkward questions later.

27

5yleop1m t1_ivto816 wrote

I don't think they had a choice. They just got the thing back onto the pad, and it takes multiple days to prepare and move back. Further more moving it puts a lot of stress on the rocket too and they only have so many moves budgeted.

30

alcoe19 t1_ivu1o3e wrote

Its also more dangerous to roll the rocket back during high winds. Their safest bet at that point was to just leave it there.

12

a1danial t1_ivubeme wrote

I remember that additional roll outs would require further certification of certain components. I'd imagine the walker is rated for a number of roll outs.

If anything I have nothing but respect for the SLS team. We, the public, can never fully appreciate the consideration behind decision making, especially the case to roll back the SLS due to hurricane.

7

sonoma95436 t1_ivwekoz wrote

I feel sorry for them. They didn't assemble this mess and I mean Bechtel's Mobile launch platform that's causing a lot of these issues. They need to shut down this program.

4

chem-chef t1_ivwfi0u wrote

Why push it out then? The weather forecast should be accurate enough for hurrican.

2

5yleop1m t1_ivwjs38 wrote

NASA had just moved it back either friday or saturday, and back then the chances of Nicole becoming a hurricane were very low. NASA has other time limits too, the batteries, abort explosives, and the solid rocket boosters all have limited life spans.

NASA moved it back to the pad as early as possible so they could meet the next launch time. After that one the next launch window isn't till December I believe. If the launch slips to 2023 NASA will have to bring back the rocket to redo all the things that have fully expired.

5

destraight t1_ivuym06 wrote

why does it take multiple days? how far did they move the damn thing?

1

5yleop1m t1_ivv2dbd wrote

The whole launch stack and rocket are hooked up to various plumbing and electrical systems on the pad. Disconnecting those properly and safely takes many hours.

An example of some data from LC39 https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/168440main_LC39-06.pdf

Then the whole tower launch platform has to be readied for moving.

The launch tower doesn't move that fast either, about 1mph max but with something like SLS they will stay lower for the sake of safety. It takes about 24 hours to move it from the VAB to the Launch pad. That distance from LC39B to the VAB is about 4 miles.

Another thing to consider is that rockets are basically massive water towers in that their supporting structure is on the outside and then inside is basically empty space. They are built to withstand vertical forces from launch first, and everything else second because the chances of them facing those other forces are muuuch lower. When its already costing billions to build it as is, it'd be insane to build it to withstand things that are lower on the chances.

I was trying to find a document on the whole process, which should be available to the public but finding it is another story.

I found the stuff below, which is mostly for marketing purposes so its really dumbed down which is unfortunate because it simplifies a lot of things.

https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/168440main_LC39-06.pdf

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/combined_crawler-transporters_fact_sheet_final.pdf

The two handbooks below have a ton of juicy technical details. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/nasa_systems_engineering_handbook_0.pdf

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19660024575/downloads/19660024575.pdf

8

destraight t1_ivw1sao wrote

1 mile an hour? well thats the problem right there. no wonder why it takes soo long to bring it back into the garage

−2

Mike_Ma t1_ivtldky wrote

Absolutely. 100 miles per hour is 15 more miles per hour than what the rocket is rated for, 85 miles per hour.

9

CallMeJeeJ t1_ivtmfrm wrote

Wait that can’t be right.

Someone crunch those numbers again!

8

GiantRiverSquid t1_ivtpoku wrote

My God! Jensen, he's right! Someone call the president.

7

[deleted] t1_ivuf0oc wrote

85mph is 83mph faster than average walking speed, which is 2mph, and 98mph slower than the highest gust on SLS

6

Desertbro t1_ivvvt8y wrote

I'm not from this planet, ****** !!! - YoyoDyne exec, John Bigbootay

1

BlueWhoSucks t1_ivtvjvb wrote

I am pretty sure the actual wind speeds it can sustain are much higher than the rated amount.

−1

zerbey t1_ivu1sqm wrote

Doesn't matter, if it exceeds the rated amount then it's exceeded safety margins.

10

yourlocalFSDO OP t1_ivulilg wrote

It exceeded the rated amount by about 17% That's a really big number

4