NASA is trying to reduce the cost of production and operation of its megarace SLS

Space Agency NASA said that one of the most reliable pieces of her new huge carrier rocket of superheavy class Space Launch System ("space launch System") is the first upper stage, which partially uses the technology, well tested by time, the portal writes Ars Technica. For example, such technologies are the engines used during the space Shuttle program, as well as two lateral auxiliary accelerator first stage, through which the Agency can be confident that when the SLS rocket will take off, then do it confidently.

However, one of the main problems when using the obsolete equipment, the production of which is entrusted to such companies as Orbital ATK and Aerojet Rocketdyne, is its cost. It is too expensive. Despite the absence of official data from NASA, experts estimate that the cost of one launch of the carrier rocket SLS can reach 1.5- $ 2.5 billion. But a few years ago the projections were much more optimistic — about $ 500 million. In General, it is so expensive that in fact leaves the possibility for implementation just one or two SLS launches per year.

The space Agency is well aware of this problem, and therefore in the past have tried to bring ideas that would reduce the cost of the production of the launch vehicle and its operation. Apparently, effective results that ultimately failed. So now NASA has started to become more active and willing to consider alternative solutions, relying on outsourcing. As one of these outsourcing companies NASA sees private space Agency Blue Origin is owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos. NASA was attracted by the idea of using potentially cheaper rocket engines that are offered by this company.

SLS and the second step

Different configurations of the launch vehicle SLS

In the first stage of the booster for SLS will use two auxiliary accelerator, which will provide the output of the rocket into low earth orbit. The next will be to join the accelerator, the booster of the second stage, which will be used to pull a payload from low orbit and send it towards its final destination: the moon, Mars or one of Jupiter's moons, Europe.

In the first official launch, which will most likely take place no earlier than 2020, the carrier of the SLS will be equipped with a temporary version of the second stage. Currently, the Agency is developing "the experimental second stage", which will allow you to use different configurations of the booster unit with different capacity. First start with the primary second stage should take place in 2023-2024. According to the accepted technical documents in the second stage it is planned the use of four liquid rocket engine RL-10, not once has proven its reliability since its first use in 1961.

The Problem is that developed and collected by the Aerojet Rocketdyne engines RL-10 are very expensive. Reporters Ars Technica found out that in average for each engine RL-10, which will be used in the first test launch, NASA had to pay $ 17 million. This situation the Agency apparently was not satisfied, and in October it made an open offer to private space companies to find a cheaper alternative to reduce production costs of the launch vehicle. In the published document stated that in preparation for the third flight (Exploration Mission-3) of the booster for SLS, the Agency needs four rocket engines by mid-2023.

Interestingly enough, in mid-November, the Agency has edited the document. Now it says that NASA is not looking for "cheaper alternative" engines RL-10, and "replacement". Despite the fact that at first glance, this may seem like an ordinary lexico-stylistic technique, the portal Ars Technica, citing anonymous sources from the space industry, said that the change in terminology speaks volumes. In other words, NASA will abandon the engines RL-10. According to the official comments of the Agency on this issue, edit the document made with the aim of attracting more interested parties.

finest hour Blue Origin

Some saw the document NASA attempt thus to hint all the same Aerojet Rocketdyne that her engines RL-10 would be cheaper. Others say that the message the Agency indicates that it is ready to changes in the design of the second stage and is open to suggestions using a different set of engines. And if so, then NASA is likely to choose the engines of the BE-3U, writes Ars Technica. Company Blue Origin plans to use them in the second stage of its heavy rocket-carrier New Glenn. They represent a modified version of the engine BE-3 is used as the main engines of the booster rocket New Shepard, which the company plans to use as a tourist and which has already been successfully flew (while, however, under the test) 7 times. By the way, it should be noted that the same Orbital ATK is also considering the engines BE-3U as the main system of the second stage for its projected launch vehicle Next Generation Launch System. Opting BE-3U due to the fact that the engine is able to create 120 000 pounds of thrust, while the RL-10 is just 100,000.

It is unclear how many and which companies have responded to the call from NASA, however the nomination ended December 15.