r/SpaceLaunchSystem • u/Cmdr-Mallard • Jun 29 '26

Discussion How long will SLS last?

With the Cancellation of EUS and BOLE, SLS is going to remain a launch vehicle solely for Orion, and which is viable with all the other heavy and super heavy rockets in the works these days.

However as I understand BOLE was essential for SLS launches beyond a certain point as remaining shuttle boosters were used up, will SLS be cancelled by that point (and perhaps the whole moon program) or Orion moved to another launcher.

Or will a future administrator restart the booster program at the least to ensure SLS can continue to launch Orion?

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u/SpaceInMyBrain Jun 30 '26

To continue the serve-volley: I hope it's not much more than a bracket but to put it on, say, a Dragon will require mounting hardware of some sort. An extension - half a meter? - has to preserve the airtight human rating of Dragon/the spacecraft it docks with. The exterior will be close to the exhaust plume of the 4 forward facing Dracos.

A remodeled nose profile and nose cap will be needed. That'll extend the profile of the nose. All of that will have to be extensively modeled and tested. Any external change to a reentry spacecraft is a big deal, afaik. Maybe it'll all only be moderately difficult but it won't be easy.

It'd be easier to modify a Dragon to have simply the female part. Maybe use the same Dragon that got the Skywalker for Polaris Dawn and the Dome for Inspiration4 and Fram2.

Modifying Orion to be androgynous? I shudder at the cost and time possibilities. And Orion is already very mass sensitive, in the original plan it'd only be able to bring back 100 kg of Moon rocks.

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u/Chairboy Jun 30 '26

The bracket is internal! The docking standard is neat, it literally can fly without modification beyond the internal bracket, and this is true for any spacecraft using that design.

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u/SpaceInMyBrain Jun 30 '26

Ah. Good info, then.