Oh yeah, the abort assembly! More weight to factor in.
And here's a fact sheet on the SLS:
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/664158main_sls_fs_master.pdf
Not very specific though.
---------- Post added 09-12-14 at 05:26 PM ---------- Previous post was 09-11-14 at 08:34 PM ----------
Wow did I give this a lot of thought last night, and a fair amount of reading too. So I was wrong about those configurations, the SLS Block 1 is a crew rated 70 ton lift capability, the cargo version Block 1A design will put up 105 tons.
The core stage of all the designs is consistent, 209 ft. (63.7 meters) and 330 in. diameter (8.4 m). The SRBs are 5 section (shuttle's were 3) and will burn for approx. the same 124 seconds like the shuttle's did but putting out 3,600,000 lbf while the shuttle's pair produced 2,589,799 lbf.
The top faring section is were the differences are. Block 1 SLS will fly with the interim cryogenic propulsion stage, the Delta CSS that is in use now but will later feature the Exploration Upper Stage that will be much like the Saturn IV stage but with 4 RL-10's (99,000 lbf).
Assuming someone could model the vehicle based on the Block 1 crew design featuring the Delta upper stage we'd get something that looks like what all the NASA animations are depicting.
A Block 1-A crew appears to have the space for the larger Exploration Upper Stage. And I would run with the idea that a cargo SLS has delivered a lander/duration habitat/additional cryo stage to LEO and the crew launch would have to rendezvous, dock and connect the vehicles for deep space flight.
Here's a pic of the SLS configs:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...nfigurations.png/779px-SLS_configurations.png
I'm also looking at the modeling tutorials over the weekend, if it isn't too impossible for someone as inept as I can be at times I might give it a shot.
Unless there's someone more talented out there that would be willing to try. :thumbup:
