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Welcome to Rocket Report edition 1.40! Last week, NASA announced that NASA was planning to use commercial rockets to launch the Orion spacecraft on the moon. Readers have also submitted various interesting stories, for example Brazil considering a launch site to compete with Kourou in neighboring French Guiana.
As always, we appreciate the contributions of readers. If you do not want to miss a problem, please register using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-compatible site versions). Each report will contain information on small, medium and large lift rockets, as well as a quick overview of the next three launches of the schedule.
The Vega-C rocket enters the qualification phase, but slides. The new European Small Satellite Launch System has recently passed its Critical Design Review and is now ready to complete the manufacturing and final testing as part of the qualification phase, according to the European Space Agency. The initial flight of the Vega-C booster, a more economical version of the Vega rocket from Arianespace, is now scheduled for the start of 2020 (it's a slump from the end of 2019) .
It remains about a year … The Vega-C rocket uses the new P120C solid rocket propellant, which will also equip Ariane 6. This common feature should allow Arianespace to reduce costs as it tries to further attract the market for small satellite launchers . "We have 12 months to come, with four Vega launches between March and November and an inaugural Vega-C flight," said Stefano Bianchi, head of the space transportation development department at ESA. (submitted by Ken the Bin and Unrulycow)
LinkSpace prepares to land rockets. In a tweet, the Chinese launch company has released a photo of the landing site of a rocket with the message "Welcome to Earth". The company is expected to begin suborbital testing of its landing demonstrator in the coming months.
We have seen this before? … Founded in 2014, LinkSpace was part of or was even the first private Chinese rocket company (more than a dozen have since followed). It aims to develop a liquid fuel rocket with a reusable first stage that can lift about 200 kg to reach a helical orbit. The landing technology seems to be modeled on the Falcon 9 rocket.
Another new Chinese start-up enters the fray. Space transportation has been on a low profile since its founding in 2018, but the China Aerospace blog recently announced it has found a providential donor. The company aims to develop reusable rockets for payloads from 100 kg to 1000 kg.
Reuse, with a twist … Space Transportation has proposed an ambitious hover landing system to ensure the reuse of rockets: illustrations of the Tian Xing-1 rocket showcase a pair of wing-shaped wings that (so-called) provide the lift needed to allow gliding. Such a system certainly faces technical problems, but it helps the new company to stand out in a world overloaded with Chinese startups.
Brazil could become a hub of aerospace. Brazil wants to attract new customers by presenting itself as a cheaper alternative to Kourou, the European spaceport located in neighboring French Guiana. Aerospace titans Boeing and Lockheed Martin visited the Alcântara launch center in December, reports Reuters. The Brazilian space agency is also looking to attract small businesses through its equatorial location.
Security agreement needed … At the moment, Brazil's goal of becoming a launch site may depend on the negotiation of a technology guarantee agreement with the United States to protect US space launch technologies and satellite technology . (Such an agreement is necessary to launch American-made rockets). The backup agreement could be ready this year if the US state department gets permission to negotiate. (submitted by Alex)
Saber rocket goes to the RDP. The heart of the demonstrator of Sabera's air-breathing rocket propulsion system, Reaction Engines successfully passed a preliminary design review Aviation Week reports. The assessment paves the way for a subsequent critical review of the design, further development and core testing of the new Westcott facility in England in 2020.
That would be great … The complete engine, built on the core to integrate a pre-cooler, a rocket engine and a ramjet, is designed to provide a breathable air boost from the runway to Mach 5 and beyond. for hypersonic aircraft. In rocket mode, it should also provide inexpensive access to space. To make such a promising technology a reality would be something very cool to see, of course. But there is a long way to go.
Europe seeks to promote small rockets. The European Space Agency has announced that it is studying the best way to boost the small satellite launch sector of the continent. To this end, the preparatory program for ESA's future launchers has funded five industry-led proposals for an economically viable and commercially autonomous micro-launcher. The five proposals came from PLD Space, Deimos and Orbex, MT Aerospace, ArianeGroup and Avio.
Provide just enough help … At the Space 19+ conference in November, ESA will propose a program to reinforce the commercially viable ideas of European industry by supporting sector-led and industry-funded space transportation proposals. private, with a focus on launch services based on microlunnery. European officials believe that this will also contribute to the development of successful commercial space sports in Europe.
Stofiel takes an unconventional path to space. Brian Stofiel, with his long hair and messy basement, often seems like a rocket scientist, according to Riverfront Times. And the founder of Stofiel Aerospace, based in St. Louis, definitely has unconventional ideas on how to bring objects into space, combining a balloon and a mainly plastic rocket called Hermes.
A funny story … Stofiel is a colorful personality and new ideas are always welcome in aerospace. The fact that the industry has reached the point where a modestly affluent family can self-finance rocket experiments with 3D printed technology is a good thing. But for now, Stofiel still has a long way to go before its ambitions in aerospace become reality. (submitted by Millenix)
China has launched its recall of the 300th long march. A Chinese television satellite took off last Saturday aboard a Long March 3B signal booster. This is the 300th orbital launch of the country's Long March rocket family since 1970, reports Spaceflight Now. On April 24, 1970, a Long March 1 rocket carried China's first satellite in space.
The pace of launching accelerates … China's launch rate has accelerated in recent years. It took 37 years to complete the first 100 launches of the Long Walk, eight years for the second 100 flights and four years for the third 100 missions. This is another sign of the country's increasingly diverse ambitions in space. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
SpaceX completes its commercial crew mission. Everything happened almost smoothly during the first demonstration mission of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, which crashed on Friday, March 8th. However, the mission was almost not started in time, as SpaceX engineers were having problems with first-stage valves in a Falcon. 9 hours just before launch.
It was not disclosed … The valve has been replaced and SpaceX was able to determine that there should not be any similar problems at launch. The Falcon 9 was cleared before the start of NASA's webcast. The problem has not been shared with viewers. In any case, the launch itself and the performance of Dragon were no problem.
NASA offers Orion trade missionNASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced on Wednesday that the space agency is planning to launch its first Orion mission on the moon with commercial rockets instead of NASA's Space Launch System. "I think we, as an agency, must respect our commitment," said Bridenstine at a NASA hearing. "If we say to you and to others that we are going to launch in June 2020 around the Moon, I think we should launch around the Moon in June 2020."
Such a mission would require two rockets … who will they be? Bridenstine did not name any rockets at the hearing, but it seems almost certain that at least one of them would be a Delta IV Heavy built by United Launch Alliance . NASA used this rocket to launch a version of the Orion spacecraft at an altitude of 3,600 km in 2014. United Launch Alliance and SpaceX – with its rocket Falcon Heavy – would be invited to bid for the second launch.
SLS already under siege earlier in the week. In his budget request for fiscal year 2020, President Donald Trump calls for a 17% reduction in the budget allocated to NASA's Space Launch System rocket, once considered the backbone of the space agency's efforts to explore the deep space. The main reductions would be to work on Upper Stage exploration, which was needed to move on to a second, more powerful variant called Block 1B.
Raises all kinds of questions … The absence of this upper tier means that NASA can not co-manifest both a crewed Orion spacecraft and lunar bridge elements at the same launch of the SLS rocket. This, in turn, means that elements of the bridge could (and would) be launched on commercial rockets. If this budget survives Congress, it would pose serious questions about the launcher's future.
Meanwhile, Boeing continues SLS testing. Boeing, the Space Launch System's master builder, has launched tests on the rocket components, reports NASASpaceFlight.com. A team is busy performing test cases on the intertank test article in a large indoor test center at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Meanwhile, another is preparing a liquid hydrogen tank for his tests in another large stand (but outside) on the road.
Head down, helmets on … The work continues even as political questions about the future of the big rocket are spinning. The tested items are squeezed, stretched, twisted and folded after several hours of freezing to simulate the forces and environment that the flight structures should be able to observe when launching and climbing into space. These tests will qualify the structures for the first flight and validate the fidelity of computer models. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
Starship gets closer to first tests. Last week, the first Raptor engine was delivered to SpaceX's facility in Brownsville, Texas. And in the two days that followed the arrival of a new carrier, Starhopper was transferred from the construction site to the launch pad for testing. SpaceX has purchased or leased a quartet of caterpillars (probably used) for the purpose of transporting Starship between the company's construction, launch and landing sites in South Texas, reports Teslarati.
Looking forward, always … It was interesting to see the Starhopper moving in South Texas while SpaceX was just completing its first commercial crew demonstration mission. This is a sign that the company always seems to have its eyes fixed on the future and the ultimate price of sending people to Mars. Although the road ahead is still very long, we look forward to the Starhopper suborbital tests later this year. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
Three upcoming launches
March 15: Delta IV | Broadband global SATCOM spacecraft | Cape Canaveral, Florida 22:56 UTC
March 16: Electron | DARPA R3D2 Mission | Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand | 22:30 UTC
March 22: Vega | Earth Observation Satellite PRISMA | Kourou, French Guiana | 1:50 UTC
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