The shuttle has begun its roll out for a July launch and an engine design for the core stage of the heavy lift cargo launch vehicle has been selected.
- LRK -

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http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/may/HQ_06226_RS-68_ENGINE.html
NASA has chosen the RS-68 engine to power the core stage of the agency's heavy lift cargo launch vehicle intended to carry large payloads to the moon.

The announcement supersedes NASA's initial decision to use a derivative of the space shuttle main engine as the core stage engine for the heavy lift launch vehicle.

The cargo launch vehicle will serve as NASA's primary vessel for safe, reliable delivery of resources to space. It will carry large-scale hardware and materials for establishing a permanent moon base, as well as food, fresh water and other staples needed to extend a human presence beyond Earth orbit.
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http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/may/HQ_06226_RS-68_ENGINE.txt
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Slowly, ever so slowly. http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/sts_rollout.htm
- LRK -

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http://nasaspaceflight.com/
LIVE: Discovery Rollout
http://nasaspaceflight.com/content/?id=4508

Shuttle Discovery has begun to roll out of the VAB (Vehicle Assembly
Building) for the four mile trip down the Kennedy Space Center crawlerway, en route to her final destination, launch pad 39B for the July launch target of STS-121.

NASASpaceflight.com is covering the rollout as a live event, with images, video and debate - links provided inside this article.
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If you want to see what the Apollo missions recorded.
- LRK

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http://www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_gallery.html
The World-Wide Web's most extensive collection of high-quality Apollo images, featuring images scanned for Eric Jones' Apollo Lunar Surface Journal.
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/

Many photographs on this website are courtesy of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, specifically the NASA History Office, Kennedy Space Center and Johnson Space Center, with special thanks to Steve Garber, Margaret Persinger and Mike Gentry for their invaluable assistance. All scans by Kipp Teague except where noted. Appreciation is also extended to J.L. Pickering and Ed Hengeveld for their extensive contributions to the Gallery.

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List of Yahoo Groups and mailing lists associated with the Project Apollo Archive. http://www.apolloarchive.com/aparch_listserv.html
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Thanks for looking up with me.
Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsltr.: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update

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http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2006/05/clv_engine_chan.html
May 12
CaLV Engine Changes

Modification to a Previous NASA Notice: Cargo Launch Vehicle Core Stage Engine
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=20593

"This is a modification to the synopsis entitled "CARGO LAUNCH VEHICLE CORE STAGE ENGINE", which was posted on February 23, 2006. You are notified that the following changes are made: The requirement is hereby cancelled."

NASA MSFC Solicitation: Cargo Vehicle Core Stage Engine (original notice):
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=19725

"NASA/MSFC has baselined the use of a lower cost version of the Space Shuttle Main Engine as the Core Stage Engine (CSE) for the proposed Cargo Launch Vehicle (CaLV). At this time, special studies are needed to evaluate and assess the processes and requirements necessary to develop and certify the CSE for the CaLV. The Core Stage Engine will be a highly affordable, expendable engine derived from the current Space Shuttle Main Engine (RS-25)."
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http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/may/HQ_06226_RS-68_ENGINE.html
May 18, 2006

Dolores Beasley
Headquarters, Washington
(202) 358-1753

Kim Newton
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
(256) 544-0034

RELEASE: 06-226

NASA'S EXPLORATION SYSTEMS PROGRESS REPORT

NASA has chosen the RS-68 engine to power the core stage of the agency's heavy lift cargo launch vehicle intended to carry large payloads to the moon.

The announcement supersedes NASA's initial decision to use a derivative of the space shuttle main engine as the core stage engine for the heavy lift launch vehicle.

The cargo launch vehicle will serve as NASA's primary vessel for safe, reliable delivery of resources to space. It will carry large-scale hardware and materials for establishing a permanent moon base, as well as food, fresh water and other staples needed to extend a human presence beyond Earth orbit.

Recent studies examining life-cycle cost showed the RS-68 is best suited for NASA's heavy-lift cargo requirements. The decision to change the core stage engine required an increase in the size of the core propulsion stage tank, from a 27.5-foot diameter tank to 33-foot diameter tank, to provide additional propellant required by the five
RS-68 engines.

The RS-68 is the most powerful liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen booster in existence, capable of producing 650,000 pounds of thrust at sea level. In contrast, the space shuttle main engine is capable of producing 420,000 pounds of thrust at sea level. The RS-68, upgraded to meet NASA's requirements, will cost roughly $20 million per engine, a dramatic cost savings over the shuttle main engine.

The prime contractor for the RS-68 engine is Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne of Canoga Park, Calif. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is the same company that manufactures the shuttle main engine.

The RS-68 is used in the Delta IV launcher, the largest of the Delta rocket family developed in the 1990s by the U.S. Air Force for its evolved expendable launch vehicle program and commercial launch applications.

The cargo launch vehicle effort includes multiple project element teams at NASA centers and contract organizations around the nation and is led by the Exploration Launch Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

The project office is part of the Constellation Program led by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Constellation is a key program of NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington.

For information about NASA's exploration efforts, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/home


-end-

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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