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  • NASA delays ESCAPADE, New Glen first launch to be for Blue Fire

    From Snidely@snidely.too@gmail.com to sci.space.policy on Sat Sep 7 04:10:20 2024
    From Newsgroup: sci.space.policy

    NASA has judged the October launch timing to be at risk, and has
    delayed the trip to Mars by at least 6 months. New Glen will loft a
    test prototype of the Blue Ring transfer vehicle instead. Launch dates
    for both missions TBD, but Bezos really wants the first flight to be in
    2024.

    Though the optimal Mars window is about to close for 18-24 months,
    there may be a practical but complex trajectory that could reduce the
    wait.

    Eric Berger is among those reporting on the announcement: <URL:https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/09/new-glenns-debut-will-slip-into-november-as-nasa-decides-to-not-fuel-escapade/>

    /dps
    --
    I have always been glad we weren't killed that night. I do not know
    any particular reason, but I have always been glad.
    _Roughing It_, Mark Twain
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From The Running Man@running_man@writeable.com to sci.space.policy on Sat Sep 7 15:34:39 2024
    From Newsgroup: sci.space.policy

    On 07/09/2024 13:10 Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> wrote:
    NASA has judged the October launch timing to be at risk, and has
    delayed the trip to Mars by at least 6 months. New Glen will loft a
    test prototype of the Blue Ring transfer vehicle instead. Launch dates
    for both missions TBD, but Bezos really wants the first flight to be in 2024.

    Though the optimal Mars window is about to close for 18-24 months,
    there may be a practical but complex trajectory that could reduce the
    wait.


    I doubt New Glenn will fly before spring.

    In any case ESCAPADE is something NASA slapped together to fly
    something on the new vehicle. It isn't critical for NASA's Mars
    exploration program.
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Snidely@snidely.too@gmail.com to sci.space.policy on Sat Sep 7 15:50:41 2024
    From Newsgroup: sci.space.policy

    On Saturday, The Running Man queried:
    On 07/09/2024 13:10 Snidely <snidely.too@gmail.com> wrote:
    NASA has judged the October launch timing to be at risk, and has
    delayed the trip to Mars by at least 6 months. New Glen will loft a
    test prototype of the Blue Ring transfer vehicle instead. Launch dates
    for both missions TBD, but Bezos really wants the first flight to be in
    2024.

    Though the optimal Mars window is about to close for 18-24 months,
    there may be a practical but complex trajectory that could reduce the
    wait.


    I doubt New Glenn will fly before spring.

    In any case ESCAPADE is something NASA slapped together to fly
    something on the new vehicle. It isn't critical for NASA's Mars
    exploration program.

    I think you need to provide citations to support "slapped together to
    fly something on the new vehicle". ESCAPADE's proposal was in 2018,
    and built on a MISEN proposal from 2016. It's characteristics were
    determined by being a low-cost explorer ...
    "ESCAPADE builds on MAVENrCOs legacy for a fraction of the cost (<$80 million)."
    <URL:https://escapade.ssl.berkeley.edu/about/>

    NASA has a separate office for matching missions to launch providers,
    and I think they get the credit for scoring a cheap launch from a new provider, and that the mission was provider-agnostic as long as
    possible.

    New Glenn gets brownie points (good publicity), although they've now
    lost some for missing the date. It also counts towards their
    certification in bidding for DOD flights.

    /dps
    --
    Killing a mouse was hardly a Nobel Prize-worthy exercise, and Lawrence
    went apopleptic when he learned a lousy rodent had peed away all his
    precious heavy water.
    _The Disappearing Spoon_, Sam Kean
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2