At present, the three countries of China, the United States and Russia and Musk's SpaceX company are developing super heavy rockets, and the fastest progress should be NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), which has basically completed development, just waiting for the first test flight to see the effect.
And on March 11 this year, the world's largest transport vehicle - CT-2 (CT-2, nicknamed "Reptera" because of its appearance like a reptile), has been set out to pick up the SLS super heavy rocket and the "Orion" spacecraft, transport them to the launch site, and promote the rocket and spacecraft to make the first flight from April to May this year (estimated time), and the "Orion" spacecraft will be pushed to the lunar orbit. It flew around the moon for more than a month and completed the first lunar orbit test of the Artemis Project.
The "reptile" went out
Simulation of a reptile transporting an SLS super heavy rocket
The "Reptile" tracked transport vehicle is located at the Kennedy Space Center, it was built in 1965, in the early days of transporting the Saturn V super heavy rocket, and later mainly used to transport the space shuttle, so it is also called the space shuttle transport vehicle.
Scene of a reptile transporter transporting a space shuttle and launcher
The "Reptile" crawler transporter has 8 huge tracks, the bearing platform on the top is equivalent to the size of a tennis court, its length is 40 meters, the width is 35 meters, and its height is adjustable, between 6-8 meters.
Floor plan of the Crawler crawler transporter
"Reptile" crawler transporter
The weight is as high as 2721 tons, and its load capacity is even more amazing, up to 8000 tons, so even the 3000-ton Saturn V can be easily transported away, especially the space shuttle and its launcher, which weighs about 2040 tons.
The super heavy rocket SLS it wants to transport this time can also be said to be the largest rocket in the world today, after all, Musk's starship is still under development, and there is still a long time to fly to the first flight in space, and the mainland's Long March 5 and Russia's Yenisei and Angara-5 and other heavy rockets have not even come out of the prototype, it is difficult to fly for the first time in 5 years, so SLS will be the world's largest rocket before the first flight of the starship.
SLS Super Heavy rocket
The diameter of the SLS is 8.4 meters, the height of the manned version is 98 meters, the weight is 2497 tons, and the low-Earth orbit load is 70 tons; the cargo plate height is 122 meters, the weight is 2951 tons, the low-Earth orbit load is 130 tons, and the maximum version of the low-Earth orbit transportation capacity may reach 165 tons. The U.S. "Return to the Moon Program (Artemis Project)" will also use this rocket to complete, and even for future manned landings on Mars.
Four versions of the SLS Super Heavy rocket
The Orion spacecraft is NASA's new generation of manned spacecraft, but the design and manufacturer is the United States Lockheed Martin Company, its structure consists of a service module, crew module, launch abort escape system and spacecraft adapters, about 5 meters in diameter, weighs about 23 tons, the pressurized chamber volume of about 19.5 cubic meters, can carry six astronauts, is considered to be the largest of the new generation of manned spacecraft, can be competent for space station member replacement, manned moon landing and landing on Mars and other missions.
Orion spacecraft
The world's largest transport vehicle transports the world's largest rocket, which carries the world's largest spacecraft, which is also very shocking, and also reflects the incomparable status and technical level of the United States in the field of space. But in addition to NASA, there are Musk's SpaceX starships and dragon spacecraft in the United States, which now have the momentum to catch up in the development of rockets and spacecraft, and have led the development trend of world space technology.
Starships
Aerospace technology is believed to determine a country's scientific and technological capabilities and comprehensive national strength to a large extent in the future, which also reminds and urges us to accelerate the research and application of aerospace technology, carry out incentive system reform, vigorously cultivate aerospace talents, and strive to be the first in the field of the sea of stars.
Resources:
"Global Network" March 13 article "NASA "Reptile" tracked car out, carrying the Orion spacecraft SLS super heavy rocket first flight is not far away"
A British dog went out with its owner and went out to take the bus home by himself, how did it do it
Comparable to 20 Three Gorges! The mainland wants to build a new desert wind power photovoltaic base with an installed capacity of 450 million kilowatts
The world's first "pig heart man" has passed away! Replaced with pig hearts for two months, is this operation a success?
Brainwave studies have revealed that when people die, they "look back on their lives" for 30 seconds, but they feel very slow
The world's largest cruise ship set sail, as large as 4 Liaoning ships, which can play golf on board, and will settle in Shanghai