Why did NASA build a new rocket? A brief history of the SLS
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- čas přidán 10. 05. 2024
- After 11 years and billions of dollars, NASA's new rocket, the Space Launch System, or SLS, is finally ready for launch for the Artemis-1 program. But with private companies like SpaceX, RocketLab, Boeing, and Blue Origin building their own powerful rockets, why does NASA need a new super heavy-lift rocket? Especially one that is so expensive? Why is SLS so expensive? Why did NASA retire the Space Shuttle? Why doesn’t NASA just use the Saturn V rocket again, like they did in the 1960s?
What we aren’t doing with this episode is justifying spending billions of dollars on space travel at all - that’s going to be a great topic for its own video in the future. We’re also not going to talk about the shifting targets that US presidents have given NASA - such as changing the direction between low-earth orbit, the moon, astroids, or Mars.
Today is all about what lead to the development of SLS. We’re going to try and tackle some complex and political questions in a brief history of the Space Launch System. From the end of the space shuttle, to the cancelled constellation program, to the launch of the private space industry - we’ve got a lot of ground to cover today!
This episode is a bit messy and complicated. Please comment respectfully!
Video Timestamps:
00:00 - Some questions about SLS
00:45 - Why NASA Retired the Space Shuttle
02:19 - NASA's Constellation Program
02:52 - Funding Private Space Companies
03:34 - The Space Launch System
04:21 - Why are Rockets so Expensive?
05:15 - What a $1 Billion Rocket Gets You
06:18 - NASA’s Future with SpaceX (and others!)
Further CZcams Videos on this Subject:
🔗 Why The US Took So Long To Replace Space Shuttle's Crew Capability by Scott Manley - • Why The US Took So Lon...
🔗 Why don’t we fly the Saturn V? (Deep dive into SLS development and decisions) By Eager Network - • Why don't we fly the S...
🔗SLS vs SpaceX Starship by Everyday Astronaut - everydayastronaut.com/sls-vs-...
🔗 Why cant we remake the F1 Engines? By Curious Droid • Why Can't we Remake th...
🔗 The SLS is Outdated. Why Does it Exist? By Real Engineering - • The SLS is Outdated. W...
🔗 Why is NASA so slow? By Curious Droid • Why is NASA so Slow ?
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Episode Credits:
Written, Directed, and Edited: Jared Belcher
3D Animation: Andy Belcher ( / andy__animates )
2D Animation and Compositing: Jared Belcher
Original Theme Music: Branded.
Episode Music: “I Can Feel Her" by Tim Mann, "Journey" by Branded (original song)
💻Equipment Used:
iPhone 13 Pro
Tascam DR-10L Portable Digital Audio Recorder With Lavalier Microphone amzn.to/3pCXF0g
Sony a6500 amzn.to/3yARkqT
2022 MacBook Air (M2) amzn.to/3ADHtlC
2019 MacBook Pro
Autodesk Maya
Final Cut Pro
Apple Motion - Věda a technologie
Hey, just wanted to tell you that these videos that you made are very very good and well built. You deserve much more subs and I guess that you''ll get more at sometime eventually.
Keep it up buddy
Hey thanks! These kind of messages really help. We have four new videos is production right now, including some with the help of some new friends at NASA. Stay tuned!
SLS is fantastic really. The future capabilities are huge. 2028 is the end if ISS under NASA so after that SpaceX won't have any ISS traffic. Starship will cost quite a lot.
Personally i think such projects are vital to any exploration efforts. Exploration does not bring in revenue short term so you need external funding source.
When Jim Bridenstine said SLS is backbone of artemis program he didnt lie. Had there not been something like SLS program just would get scrapped.
Programs like these are like skeletal structure onto which you latrr attach stuff.
And i think, and hope such projects, for reasons given, will exist in the future.
Not necessairly in form of launch vehicle, but for instance, very large payload like interplanetary Transport vehicles built by tens of companies, etc.
This is a really good take!
Keep up the good work !
Thank you! Love making these for you guys.
Hey mate, Just wanted to let you know that your videos are absolutely awesome. Infinitely entertaining while being super informative. It's an absolute mystery how you only have 300 subscribers. The music, editing and overall composition of you material is incredible. Keep persevering, you'll be at a million in no time! Thanks again!
Wow, this really means a lot! These kind of comments help make it worth it. Definitely a subject I care about! We have a super fun video coming out in early December so be watching for it!
Good explanation brother 👍
Thank you! It's a complex topic.
Great channel 🎉🎉🎉
Extremely good editing
Appreciate it! If I'm honest, the editing is my favorite part of the process 🤓
This is such a big and complicated topic, we just couldn't get into all the details we really could have. So here's a list of some great videos on the various elements of this video!
🔗 Why The US Took So Long To Replace Space Shuttle's Crew Capability by Scott Manley - czcams.com/video/z49eVQ6LxIE/video.html
🔗 Why don’t we fly the Saturn V? (Deep dive into SLS development and decisions) By Eager Network - czcams.com/video/ZNZx208bw0g/video.html
🔗SLS vs SpaceX Starship by Everyday Astronaut - everydayastronaut.com/sls-vs-starship/
🔗 Why cant we remake the F1 Engines? By Curious Droid czcams.com/video/ovD0aLdRUs0/video.html
🔗 The SLS is Outdated. Why Does it Exist? By Real Engineering - czcams.com/video/0waPJXaZgEg/video.html
🔗 Why is NASA so slow? By Curious Droid czcams.com/video/jGZagqJ833c/video.html
"starships alot cheaper" if it costs the taxpayer over 5billion &still doesnt even EXIST.. &wont be able to do HALF of what the SLS does IF its ever completed.. (like achieve lunar insertion by itself for instance) its DEFINITELY not cheaper 🙃
Very good points! Starship is only cheaper if it lives up to the promises and is fully operational. I'll admit, I was disappointed to see it chosen as the lunar lander for Artemis because so much has to be developed in order to get to a functional Starship lunar lander - it's a much longer development timeline than building a lander that could be compatible with Falcon Heavy, SLS, or other existing heavy-lift rockets. I do think we'll get a fully operational Starship eventually, but it's going to be a while.
And then NASA does nothing- since that money won’t be given to them to do those other things without a program of record. An all private Artemis totally locks out the public benefit as well- all vehicles and programs would be too secret- like Crew Dragon. And investigations into failures are allowed to be classified from the public. Even depicting the vehicles is subject to corporate approval (even fan renderings). Benefits to the public are subject to corporate approval and will be mostly photographic instead of technical details that we used to get with shuttle or Apollo.
These are definitely some of the outcomes I am nervous of for the future.