SpaceX Falcon Heavy To Launch NASA Orion Instead of Boeing SLS Failed

Could SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch NASA's Orion spacecraft to the moon instead of Boeing SLS? With delays, cost overruns and more recently mistakes in the production of the SLS core stage caused by Boeing, one wonders if is it time for NASA to switch to a much more reliable option like SpaceX's Falcon Heavy? Clearly, it's not the first time SpaceX's heavy rocket has been considered as a contingency vehicle for NASA's Artemis program. This time, however, the need for an alternative vehicle will be more urgent, especially as Artemis problems worsen. Find out everything in today's TechMap episode. But before we begin, let's subscribe to the channel to stay up to date with the latest space news. The saga of how Boeing milked Congress' budget drain never ends when recently a new report about SLS is also damning to Boeing. According to the report of NASA's Office of Inspector General, OIG, Boeing was using underqualified workers to build SLS booster rockets for NASA's Artemis missions. This caused serious quality issues including welding issues on a liquid oxygen tank section intended for the Artemis 3 mission, the first crewed moon landing mission. In addition, it also contributes to the skyrocketing price of launch vehicles. OIG is concerned these factors could potentially impact the safety of the SLS and Orion spacecraft, including its crew and cargo. Boeing's scandal related to the SLS rocket is just one of many safety concerns on the company's products embracing the airplane and spacecraft. We have heard and obsessed about the MAX disasters involving Boeing's 737 family. We are also praying for Butch and Suni, two NASA astronauts stuck on the ISS due to Starliner's glitches under its first crew test flight. Of course, we shouldn't wait until Artemis 2 and 3 experience mid-flight failures to fight for the lives of the ill-fated astronauts aboard. Artemis 2, scheduled for September 2025, is the first crewed mission on NASA's path to establishing a long-term presence on the moon for science and exploration through Artemis. The 10-day flight will test NASA's foundational human deep space exploration capabilities, the SLS rocket Orion spacecraft, for the first time with astronauts. Now the SLS Artemis 2 booster arrived at NASA Kennedy to be prepared for weighing and stacking. Artemis 3, scheduled for September 2026, will build on the crewed Artemis 2 flight test. The first crewed moon landing mission also operates with the support of an SLS rocket. If OIG's report is accurate, I suggest NASA should switch from its dangerous space launch system to SpaceX's Falcon Heavy to launch NASA's Orion to the moon. There are three possibilities for this scenario. First, Falcon Heavy could be used for Orion test flights as fast as lunar re-entry speeds. Using Falcon Heavy for Orion test flights could enable rapid testing of systems under conditions that mimic lunar re-entry speeds, which is critical for ensuring the spacecraft's heat shield and systems perform reliably during actual mission second. It is for LEO Orion mission, including manned test flight and ISS access. Orion is around 26 tons, and Falcon Heavy is designed to carry payloads ranging from 20 to 50 tons to low Earth orbit. Third, for Artemis 2, mission free return lunar flyby, saving a costly and rare SLS rocket for another mission. SLS costs the taxpayer $4 billion per launch, much higher than Falcon Heavy. It is no doubt that Falcon Heavy's contribution to NASA's large programs is significant. Most notably, we could save billions of taxpayer dollars per launch. Unlike the expendable SLS, Falcon Heavy is partly reusable, and even in the expendable mode, its price tag is just around Additionally, given that the SLS has been so slow and so mismanaged, NASA could not get access to the problem with the new Orion heat shield earlier. The significant delays and quality control issues with SLS development likely slowed down the overall pace of testing for Orion and other Artemis program components. If NASA selected Falcon Heavy from the beginning, Orion may have been able to undergo critical heat shield tests earlier, potentially revealing issues sooner. Thanks to that, NASA may no longer have the headache of Orion's heat shield problem like it does now. NASA's Orion spacecraft has faced serious heat shield issues after the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission launched in late 2022. More than 100 locations were found on the heat shield where material chipped away unexpectedly during the Artemis 1 re-entry. The difficulty in investigating the root cause of the problem has threatened the Artemis 2 timeline. For that reason, selecting Falcon Heavy as the alternative option is the perfect option. This also was supported by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine before the Senate Commerce or Science and Transportation Committee five years ago. Space launch system is struggling to meet its deadline, he said. I think we should launch around the moon in June of 2020 and I think it can be done. We need to consider as an agency all options to accomplish that objective. Some of those options would include launching the Orion crew capsule and European service module on a commercial rocket. At that time, Orion and SLS were a decade in the making and in that same span of time, SpaceX turned the commercial launch industry on its head with its cheaper, reusable rockets and the successful demonstration of Falcon Heavy. This put a lot of pressure on NASA as the Orion launch deadline was approaching and the agency's head raised the possibility of not waiting for the SLS to catch up. However, then NASA returned the focus to getting SLS, which was expected to become the most powerful rocket in existence, up and running. Jim changed his mind and said there would only be one way to get the first female astronaut to the moon's south pole by 2024 and it wouldn't involve Elon Musk's help. I want to be clear about SLS and Orion. SLS and Orion is the only system that gives us any chance of getting there in 2024, he said. We've looked at everything. We've considered everything and SLS and Orion, that is the system. And once it's developed, we will use it over and over and over again. The reason behind this is not unfathomable. The SLS program involves approximately 3,800 suppliers from all 50 states, making it a significant contributor to the U.S. economy. The program is viewed as a job creation initiative, aligning with congressional mandates to utilize American companies and resources. NASA is required by U.S. Congress to use the SLS for its Artemis missions. This mandate ensures that the SLS is the primary vehicle for launching Artemis 1, 2, and 3, aligning with national interests in space exploration and the development of new technologies. According to Eric Berger, after Jim Bridenstine proposed this idea during a congressional hearing, he got called to Senator Richard Shelby's office. Shelby bluntly told him to shut off, and that if Artemis crews did not launch on SLS, there would be no funding for Artemis. Another reason is that Congress has not yet authorized the Falcon Heavy to be human-rated, and it is unclear whether there is any connection between this and the above story. The decision to not human-rate Falcon Heavy may involve congressional oversight and funding allocations. Congress has mandated specific requirements for NASA's crewed spaceflight initiatives, and any changes to the launch vehicles used for these missions must align with those directives. Consequently, although Falcon Heavy was designed with human-rating capabilities in mind, SpaceX has not pursued the necessary certification for crewed flights on this rocket. Instead, SpaceX has concentrated on human-rating the Falcon 9 rocket, which is used to transport astronauts to the International Space Station via the Crew Dragon spacecraft. The Falcon 9 has successfully completed several crewed missions under NASA's Commercial Crew Program. This focus on Falcon the 9th of May stemmed from its established track record and operational history with crewed flights. Not to mention, human-rating a vehicle like Falcon Heavy would require extensive modifications and documentation to meet NASA's safety standards. This process involves not only engineering changes, but also a significant amount of paperwork and compliance with regulatory requirements. SpaceX may have opted not to pursue this for Falcon Heavy, especially as they are developing the Starship rocket, which is intended for future crewed missions beyond low-Earth orbit. Those are the major hurdles for SpaceX's heavy-lift rocket to participate in Artemis's manned missions. However, it doesn't matter because NASA chose another SpaceX rocket for this large program. It is the Starship HLS that stands out for its advanced technology and attractive price. It will be the first time SpaceX's next-generation Starship performs its great capabilities in a national-scaled project. And the experience gathered from the mission will be the stepping stone for the rocket's further journeys to more distant planets, namely Mars. And that just about wraps it up for today's episode. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you next time.