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GLS

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Artemis 1 at Pad 39B, early morning EDT on Friday, 2022-Mar-18:
View attachment 28252
The first rocket to stand at that specific launch pad since Ares 1-X
You know you are "addicted" to the Shuttle when you look at this photo and think where is the FSS? :rolleyes:
 

Sbb1413

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Just like the Artemis program is not Apollo 2.0, the Space Launch System is not Space Shuttle 3.0 (after the US Shuttles and Soviet Buran). While the SLS is more powerful than the Shuttles, the former turns out to be safer and cheaper (no need to maintain millions of parts like the Shuttles, just expend them and build a new one) than the latter.
 

N_Molson

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Just like the Artemis program is not Apollo 2.0, the Space Launch System is not Space Shuttle 3.0 (after the US Shuttles and Soviet Buran). While the SLS is more powerful than the Shuttles, the former turns out to be safer and cheaper (no need to maintain millions of parts like the Shuttles, just expend them and build a new one) than the latter.

The difference in raw payload is not that big. You have to remember that the Orbiter itself had a mass of 70 tons + 24 tons of payload. Now SLS is designed with interplanetary missions in mind, its a different design philosophy.
 

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GLS

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I am a little disappointed (but not surprised) that they didn't paint the SRBs like in the initial renderings:

The tracking cameras + radar + telemetry are so good nowadays that there's no need to paint roll patterns in rockets like in the 1960s. In the Shuttle and now SLS stacks, it makes sense to have some mark to tell the SRBs apart, but that's it.
These SLS SRBs have tons of camera targets almost certainly for use on the ground (measure deflections during tanking?) and/or initial rise from the pad. The next ones will probably be painted like the ones in the Shuttle.
 

Thunder Chicken

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The tracking cameras + radar + telemetry are so good nowadays that there's no need to paint roll patterns in rockets like in the 1960s. In the Shuttle and now SLS stacks, it makes sense to have some mark to tell the SRBs apart, but that's it.
These SLS SRBs have tons of camera targets almost certainly for use on the ground (measure deflections during tanking?) and/or initial rise from the pad. The next ones will probably be painted like the ones in the Shuttle.
Oh yes, I understand all that. But it would be neat if they could do a cherry red metal flake paint job with pinstripes just for the LOLz. :)
 

GLS

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Oh yes, I understand all that. But it would be neat if they could do a cherry red metal flake paint job with pinstripes just for the LOLz. :)
You'll probably like this then
3998d31b48400f51a271c2b498ef3808.jpg
 

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N_Molson

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I received the cardboard "no glue" CVN Harry Truman for X-mas. I laid the hull, still a lot of work. ?
 
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