>Falcon Heavy booster cores are already configured to handle transferring their thrust to a center core >SLS core is already configured to handle thrust from either side, currently from two 5-segment solid motors >Simply have two sets of two FH boosters transfer thrust to a common bus structure, which then transfers thrust into the SLS core structure exactly like the two solids would >Increased booster Isp overcompensates for lower initial thrust and results in increased deltaV/payload for SLS >failure mode of the SLS no longer includes chunks of burning solid fuel destroying capsule parachutes >Falcon boosters are cheap compared to all other launch vehicles in their class, probably comparable to the solids already slated for use
Apart from congressmen not allowing Orbital ATK to lose business, why wouldn't this be an option?
>inb4 rockets are not lego Obviously changes would be made but they would be relatively minor.
Hence why I'm asking if this is viable in real life, and not in ksp.
Isaac Richardson
I can't see any reason it wouldn't be viable, but neither was designed to work with the other and vibrations can always surprise you.
Something similar is under consideration, with the Pyrios concept of using modernized F-1 rocket engines from the Saturn V: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_C-3#Pyrios
9 Merlin 1Ds have about the same thrust as an F-1. They also solve the Pyrios problem that acceleration may be too high near the end of the burn for the SLS core to take, since not only is Merlin 1D throttleable, but some of the numerous small engines can be shut down.
Brandon Foster
It'd also be cheaper than Pyrios, since we wouldn't have to build an entirely new production line for an ostensibly new engine, which would also need to be developed and tested. The tankage also already exists as the Falcon Heavy side booster, pic related.
I agree about the vibrations being an unknown, but surely the 5 segment solids will be producing some powerful vibrations on their own. In fact switching to using 36 Merlin 1D engines on four booster cores may actually significantly reduce the overall vibration compared to two large solids.
All I can see that would need to be developed from scratch is the booster bus structure, which would be a comparatively simple structure for transferring the loads across into the core.
Josiah Wright
pic related, oops
Xavier Campbell
>your moms dildo finally arrives from amazon prime
Jackson Bell
>ejects fairing AFTER TLI
stopped watching there
Chase Brooks
the average /v/edditor has the intelligence of a rock
