Re: Boeing to propose D-IV H for VSE

From: Reed Snellenberger (rsnellenberger_at_houston.rr.com)
Date: 02/22/05 

Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 15:02:12 GMT

Ed Kyle wrote:
>
> I didn't see the article saying that Delta IV-M+(x,6) is only
> meant for cargo. It says:
>
> "Boeing wants NASA to consider the Delta IV Heavy for manned
> CEV missions, but is also pushing the Heavy for unmanned
> exploration launch roles. One Delta IV Medium version could
> also be a CEV player...."
>

Further down in the article, in the discussion about the requirements
for a human-rated booster.

> Boeing is fully aware of the astronaut concerns [regarding man-rating
> boosters - ed.], says Jim Harvey, who heads Boeing Launch Services
> development and is leading Delta IV exploration studies. "Instead of
> a human-rated rocket, Boeing is talking about a 'human-compatible'
> launch vehicle," Harvey said. And that approach, coupled with CEV
> escape designed in from the start, he said, would make the whole
> system human-rated.
>
> Aside from its IV Medium with six solids, Boeing
> believes its all-liquid propulsion, with more benign failure modes
> than solids, argues for strong consideration of the Delta Heavy for
> the CEV role.
>
> The development of health-monitoring capability for liquid engines is
> well underway in NASA and industry. Such systems are designed to
> discern if a liquid engine is close to a potential failure that would
> make separation of a manned CEV less of a challenge.
>
> Upgraded Delta Heavy options do include solids as augmentation to the
> three RS-68s, but the options with solids would be for only unmanned
> cargos.

Although you have to read between the lines slightly, it's pretty clear
from this that Boeing realizes that solids are a non-starter for manned
boosters due to their possible failure modes. 

-- 
Reed Snellenberger
GPG KeyID: 5A978843
rsnellenberger-at-houston.rr.com

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