Jupiter I-III heavy launcher

[Dr Mordrid]

There is a big debate going on in Congress and privately among NASA employees as to if the Ares launchers are the best way to launch the Orion spaceship. A group of NASA and contractor rebels produced an alternative called DIRECT that looks very good, but another group called TeamVision came up with a real doozie.

Of their alternatives I found the Jupiter III extremely interesting. Two shuttle tanks + 4 SRB's + 5 J2-X engines (upgraded Saturn V second stage) + an RS-100 just for the first stage

(TLI = trans lunar insertion: to the moon)

Saturn V: 47 metric tons to TLI

Ares V: 64.8 metric tons to TLI

Jupiter III: 160 metric tons TO TLI

In other words; this thing makes a Saturn V look like a VW minibus

I'd pay serious money to watch one of these go up

[KRSESQ]

Sheee-IT! Now they're talking!

That is Radical!

Kevin

[Dr Mordrid]

And you know what? The majority is off the shelf. Just the core & tankage, fairing and plumbing to do new. The SRB's and side tanks are shuttle parts. The J2 is being upgraded for Ares I anyhow.

They's see/hear that thing all the way to Virginia Beach

[KRSESQ]

I just noticed, they call the midrange model the "Jupiter II." Life imitates art once again.

Assuming it reaches the hardware stage, that is!

Kevin

[KRSESQ]

I wonder if the Vehicle Assembly Building would even be big enough for the Jupiter III?

They're going to need a bigger crawler, that's for sure!

Kevin

[KvHagedorn]

A closer look at the Jupiter II crew module..

[KRSESQ]

Hey, I've got one of those! What's amazing is, that thing actually has three decks! I think it must have some kind of "TARDIS" thing going on.

Kevin

[Nowhere]

Hmmm...finally something that could dwarf Energia...

[GT98]

Wasn't Jupiter the name of the US made or deverlved rockets from the V2?

[Dr Mordrid]

There were 2 Jupiters.

Redstone (a V2 derivative): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redstone_%28rocket%29

Jupiter-C (AKA: Juno; a Redstone derivative): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter-C

Chrysler PGM-19 Jupiter IRBM/launcher: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_missile

The Saturn I & Saturn IB were single Jupiter IRBM tank (LOX) with 8 Redstone tanks (4 LOX; 4 RP-1) clustered around it.

[KvHagedorn]

What's with this "Team Vision Empowering Innovation" bullshit? Looks like marketing fools have taken over again.

Wernher von Braun is probably spinning in his grave.

[KRSESQ]

"Team Vision Empowering Innovation" sounds like the dreaded "Mission Statement" that corporate executives waste hundreds of man-hours and tens of thousands of dollars writing in order to justify their high wages and mediocre management skills.

I read too much Scott Adams.

Kevin