Lockeed Martin: Space Road Trucker

Lockeed Martin and Boeing are building a Space truck! The plan is to have a second stage rocket that stays in Space after launch to deliver payload(s), push satellites back into orbit, delivering cargo to the Moon, etc. In fact, according to the article, the plan is to have 1000's of humans living and working in Space in 30yrs.

The news is out, and the internet tubes are practically vibrating with excitement: Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) and Boeing (NYSE:BA) are building a space truck. We actually first told you about this nearly half a year ago. But lately, a lot of other media outlets have discovered the story and begun writing about United Launch Alliance's (ULA, which is Boeing and Lockheed's joint space venture) plan to convert second-stage launch rockets into reusable space vehicles -- "space trucks" that can tool around the solar system under their own power. Naturally, in the perpetual motion machine that is the internet, this revived attention got our attention and inspired us to do a bit more digging into exactly how this will all work.
Second verse, similar to the first
Instead, ULA's "space truck" plan focuses on a means of reusing a rocket's second stage -- in space.

ULA's space truck plan goes like this: In 2019, ULA plans to introduce a new launch vehicle called "Vulcan," comprised of a "Next Generation Launch System" first stage and utilizing an existing "Centaur" second stage. Four years later, ULA will replace Centaur with a more powerful second stage called "Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage" -- "ACES," for short. ACES, says ULA, will give Vulcan lift capability similar to that of "today's Delta IV Heavy rocket" (and superior to ULA's Atlas V). Additionally, the ACES second stage will form the basis for ULA's "space truck" project.

Featuring a lightweight electrical system, insulated body, and four thrusters for maneuverability, an ACES space truck will function first as an ordinary second-stage rocket, lifting a payload into orbit. Once there, though, ACES will remain in orbit and assume its new role as an off-planet space truck -- accepting replenishment with additional fuel, and perhaps itself refueling other satellites in orbit, "towing" off-course satellites back into their proper orbits, or even shuttling cargo back and forth to the moon. (And if you're thinking at this point that ULA's space truck idea sounds a lot like Orbital ATK's Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV), which is scheduled to begin operations in late 2018, I had that same thought, too.)

Like Orbital's MEV, ULA notes that ACES will have the ability to turn off and turn on its engines an "almost unlimited" number of times, allowing it to operate in orbit for "weeks." Indeed, ULA CEO Tony Bruno says that once in orbit, ACES could conceivably continue to operate in space "forever." And with its new capabilities, ACES can earn Boeing and Lockheed additional revenue from the rocket -- which otherwise would have been discarded as a mere used-up second stage.

Cool development.......The problem of fuel will have to be addressed more than what's discussed in the article. However, at least it's a first step. What says ATS?

www.fool.com...

a reply to: lostbook

Very cool!

"The future is now!"

Someday soon enough, I'm sure we will have a new Reality television show about "Space Road Truckers". A spin off of Ice Road Truckers

originally posted by: FamCore
a reply to: lostbook

Very cool!

"The future is now!"

Someday soon enough, I'm sure we will have a new Reality television show about "Space Road Truckers". A spin off of Ice Road Truckers

Space Road Truckers....? I hadn't thought of that. Thanks!

Well...this seems appropriate:



Let's go space truckin'!

a reply to: lostbook


If you strip away the discussion of all of the hardware innovations, inventions and adaptations that will make this fantastic dream of a "space truck" possible by 2030 you come away with one important point and that is we have big plans for moving strongly into space. And then you may start to wonder just how the Hell is all of that rocket stuff going to be possible when they seem to be talking about reinventing space work into a thousand different directions of hardware, operations and achievable and substantial outcomes.

The only possible answer is what I've suggested before. This talk of the "space truck" (carried to extreme with absurd wording in the OP) is pure BS slated for the public. The real work is well under way. The infamous black triangles and similar craft derived from UFO technology are the true mechanisms behind the introduction of the "space truck" concept.

The powers that be in the US are in a real bind, you see. They have the technology of the triangles, originally created as weapons, but they desperately want to introduce that exotic equipment into the economic structures of the world and reap the enormous benefits. ...But they can't come out and tell you that because that opens up the whole, incredible complicated business of explaining the alien UFOs.

Those interested in this, might find the series of videos done by Isaac Arthur interesting, where he discusses mega structures, space habitats and colonizing space:

originally posted by: Aliensun
a reply to: lostbook


If you strip away the discussion of all of the hardware innovations, inventions and adaptations that will make this fantastic dream of a "space truck" possible by 2030 you come away with one important point and that is we have big plans for moving strongly into space. And then you may start to wonder just how the Hell is all of that rocket stuff going to be possible when they seem to be talking about reinventing space work into a thousand different directions of hardware, operations and achievable and substantial outcomes.

The only possible answer is what I've suggested before. This talk of the "space truck" (carried to extreme with absurd wording in the OP) is pure BS slated for the public. The real work is well under way. The infamous black triangles and similar craft derived from UFO technology are the true mechanisms behind the introduction of the "space truck" concept.

The powers that be in the US are in a real bind, you see. They have the technology of the triangles, originally created as weapons, but they desperately want to introduce that exotic equipment into the economic structures of the world and reap the enormous benefits. ...But they can't come out and tell you that because that opens up the whole, incredible complicated business of explaining the alien UFOs.

Thanks for your input, even though you called my op absurd. Maybe you just called me absurd..? IDK. Anyway, I especially agree with this statement: "we have big plans for moving strongly into space........"

a reply to: lostbook


No, you have it wrong. I was calling all of the material you brought into your OP as absurd not your comments, of course, we are going hot and heavy to the Moon, Mars, etc., but not with rockets, even electric rockets.

You don't see beyond the forest of words the missing aspects? Lockheed, the premier secret builder of exotic machines for the US government is investing in retooled rockets for Moon flights, etc.?

ETA: But if you accept the concept that UFOs are all fiction, then I can see that you are locked into a particular point of view that is fed to us.

originally posted by: Aliensun
a reply to: lostbook


No, you have it wrong. I was calling all of the material you brought into your OP as absurd not your comments, of course, we are going hot and heavy to the Moon, Mars, etc., but not with rockets, even electric rockets.

You don't see beyond the forest of words the missing aspects? Lockheed, the premier secret builder of exotic machines for the US government is investing in retooled rockets for Moon flights, etc.?

ETA: But if you accept the concept that UFOs are all fiction, then I can see that you are locked into a particular point of view that is fed to us.

Ok, I figured as such. I'm with you. There's definitely more than we are told when it comes to Space technology and exploration. I refuse to believe that after all of the billions and trillions of dollars that are spent in "Secret" that we still are only barely able to get to the Moon.

This remminds me of something I saw on ATS quite a while ago. Can't find the original thread but it had a link to this from the patent office regarding using lighter than air vehicles to dock with an orbital cargo station, for other vehicles to take them off into space etc:

www.google.com...

I particularly like image 4

This news sort of ties in nicely with all sorts of speculative things, including massive lighter than air heavy lifters. Wouldn't be suprised at all if some of our " little green men" sightings weren't these sort of things. Pheonix Lights springs to mind.

Claims(2) 1. A method of transportation of cargo from the surface of the Earth, to orbit around the Earth, comprising the minimum steps of: lifting off the surface of the Earth in an atmospheric airship, docking with a floating docking facility within the upper atmosphere, transferring to a hybrid craft, the hybrid craft both lighter than air and having a shape which generates dynamic lift when the craft is moving through the air, the hybrid craft including propulsion adapted to cause the craft to accelerate, and utilizing the hybrid craft to accelerate to orbital velocity.

a reply to: lostbook

Lockheed you say... hmmmm. Seems they like using electricity. Methinks that it has something to do with their little fusion project, T4, that they claimed a breakthrough in 2014. I think that it did not happen in 2014 but earlier. They made the announcement but probably had one up and running years before. The announcement was to create compact fusion reactors like jet engines THAT was their announcement. They can and will make them. Electricity production will kill oil and gas (already happening). LM gave everybody a head start on dropping oil and gas. Some have got the message while the rest are left to fend for themselves. "Space truck" is just a cute way of hinting at how they are powered.

Remember, in the future, everything will run on electricity!

a reply to: lostbook


The word "truck" is an unusual term applied to space vehicles. Not long ago there was a thread that reported that the Air Force and Boeing, I believe, were looking into concepts for some sort of a "weapons truck" aircraft that would be a general purpose vehicle for carrying various weapon systems into the edges of a combat zone (if I remember that correctly).

I responded to that thread by posting that they were actually discussing the introduction of triangle ships for that purpose as they automatically had that capability and half a dozen other possible uses as a utility craft. Lockheed's "space truck" is nothing more than a triangle utilized for the purposes they suggest as triangles are entirely space capable.

originally posted by: FamCore
a reply to: lostbook

Very cool!

"The future is now!"

Someday soon enough, I'm sure we will have a new Reality television show about "Space Road Truckers". A spin off of Ice Road Truckers

Holy fk Mandela Effect. Nice. I don't remember there being a white satellite background on the floor where that guy was standing.

originally posted by: Aliensun
a reply to: lostbook


The word "truck" is an unusual term applied to space vehicles. Not long ago there was a thread that reported that the Air Force and Boeing, I believe, were looking into concepts for some sort of a "weapons truck" aircraft that would be a general purpose vehicle for carrying various weapon systems into the edges of a combat zone (if I remember that correctly).

I responded to that thread by posting that they were actually discussing the introduction of triangle ships for that purpose as they automatically had that capability and half a dozen other possible uses as a utility craft. Lockheed's "space truck" is nothing more than a triangle utilized for the purposes they suggest as triangles are entirely space capable.

Triangles. Interesting..........Thanks.