[ad_1]
/ The Rocket report is published weekly. Share this story
Welcome to the Rocket Report 1.18 edition! A lot of news about medium and large rockets, including milestones for the Delta II and Ariane 5 rockets, as well as the big SpaceX announcement about its first customer for the Big Falcon rocket. Oh yes, we even try to give an idea of propulsion based on quantified inertia. (We fail)
As always, we, and if you do not want to miss a problem, please register using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP compatible versions of the site). Each report will include information on small, medium and large rockets, as well as a quick overview of the next three launches of the schedule.
The Georgia Spaceport Receives a Tenant. The Camden County Joint Development Authority, which is looking to develop a spaceport near the Atlantic coast, announced this week that it has reached an agreement with ABL Space Systems to establish an integration facility for the small launcher developed by the company. The RS1 rocket, scheduled for launch in 2020, is designed to place up to 900 kg in low Earth orbit at a cost of $ 17 million per launch.
A beginning … It is relatively easy to designate a space port but much more difficult to find space flight tenants. In this sense, the agreement is pushing Camden County to become a spaceport. However, with a launch at least in two years, ABL could arrive a little late on the small satellite launch market. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
Stratolaunch reveals concepts of hypersonic test benches. The company has unveiled plans for a pair of hypersonic test benches that can be launched from its very large carrier aircraft. The test benches could serve as a springboard for the Stratolaunch family of space launchers, which includes a series of small and medium payload modular rockets and a fully reusable space plane that can someday transport humans.
A necessary step … At a Florida AAIA conference, Stephen Corda of Stratolaunch said, "All the launchers we are looking at are going through the hypersonic diet. If we want to design and drive all these different types of launchers out of our transport aircraft, a Straterson test bench has been designed to provide technological development, risk reduction and operational experience for these other vehicles. suggests that Stratolaunch is seriously considering building more than the world's largest aircraft.
Sign up for the Rocket Report
First name
Last name
Leave this field blank if you are human:
After a break, the launch of PSLV is successful. Following a five-month lull, Indian launcher Polar Satellite launched two British satellites this week. These two small Earth observation satellites, developed and used by the United Kingdom, weighed a total of 889 kg and were placed in a sun-synchronous orbit of 583 km.
A busy period … The Indian Space Agency is now preparing for a launch every two weeks for the rest of the year, with 18 more launches planned before March 2019. Most of these launches will be carried out by the PSLV, which for the moment remains one of the few launchers dedicated to the smaller satellites.
Rocket Lab signs another client for 2019. A number of Kleos Space satellites are expected to be launched on an Electron rocket since Launch Complex 1, based in New Zealand, in mid-2019. The officials did not specify how many nanosatellites would launch on this mission. Finally, Kleos plans to deploy a constellation of 20 satellites.
First on the market, a good thing … This constellation will geolocate VHF transmissions from ships to provide global intelligence data based on activities as a service. This launch contract indicates two things. First, there is a healthy launch market for small satellites. And second, if you are the first to demonstrate a viable launcher, you will be able to swallow a lot of these contracts. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
Spacecraft could be powered by quantified inertia? You have probably heard of the EmDrive, which is based on one, but what about the quantified inertia? It's not a physical concept that we can claim to understand, but the theory is that there are varying amounts of something called Unruh radiation in space. By understanding and exploiting these variations, a spaceship could spread across the cosmos.
Ummm … Yeah, we're not so sure either. However, a British scientist named Mike McCulloch received $ 1.3 million from the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for a four-year study to determine if this was feasible. "I think QI could change the game in space science," McCulloch said. "I've always thought that it could be used to convert light into thrust, but it also suggests ways to improve that thrust. It is extremely exciting to have the opportunity to test it. "We are expecting little, but it's great that someone is studying this possibility. (submitted by dbayly)
Ariane 6 boss seeks more institutional launches. French rocket company Arianespace calls on Europe to translate its ambitions of space sovereignty into more public orders. "We need more public orders for the next-generation Ariane 6 rocket launcher," Arianespace CEO Stephane Israel said at a recent press conference. "We are asking Europe to do what is happening elsewhere, in the United States, in China, [and] Russia, when contracting. "
As in the United States … The Ariane 6 rocket, which should be operational in 2020, has only three firm orders from European public customers. Asked about low-cost competitors such as SpaceX, senior European officials will often complain that the company is receiving unfair subsidies from NASA and the US Army for its rockets. We are not sure that it is SpaceX's fault to be in a country where government launch contracts are even more numerous.
Yes, SpaceX would throw weapons if necessary. At a conference Monday at the Air Force Association's annual symposium, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell asked a question: "Would SpaceX launch military weapons?" for the defense of this country, yes, I think we would.
What about the Chinese competition? … Shotwell was also asked if she was worried about national security threats from China or Russia and said, "As President of SpaceX, I am concerned about competition from China and from Russia. . As an American citizen, I worry more about China than about Russia. We are almost certain that, from a competition point of view, his company is more concerned with China. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
The Delta II rocket completes its long and successful run. After its first launch in 1989, the Delta II rocket made 154 successful missions and delivered more satellites than any other US rocket. Saturday's flight also ends the line of rockets dating from the Thor IRBM developed in the 1950s.
Victim of the modern era … So why remove the most successful rocket from American history? Because time is passing. Before his retirement, no other rocket than the Russian Soyuz propeller had remained active longer than the Delta II. However, in recent decades, more efficient and less expensive options have emerged, such as United Launch Alliance's Atlas V and SpaceX's Falcon 9.
Ariane 5 s approaching its 100th launch. On 25 September, Arianespace plans to launch its Ariane 5 rocket for the 100th time from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The mission will deliver the Horizons 3e and Azerspace-2 / Intelsat 38 satellites to a geostationary transfer orbit.
Are you Ariane aware? … To celebrate this event, ArianeGroup, the European and French space agencies and Arianespace have sought to make more people in Europe aware of the success of the European launcher. Until now, according to Arianespace, more than 260,000 people have visited the site and more than 7,000 people have downloaded and installed Snapchat Lens to take a photo with the Ariane 5 rocket. This is a smart marketing campaign.
Japanese rocket H-IIB continues to experience delays. NASA is eagerly awaiting the delivery of five tons of cargo by the Japanese spacecraft HTV, but the launch has experienced several delays. Originally scheduled for September 11, Japan's standard time, the bad weather of a typhoon forced flight controllers to delay take-off. JAXA then attempted to launch on September 15th, but a problem with the H-IIB rocket caused a further delay.
Still waiting … Japanese officials on September 21st after solving the technical problem with the rocket. However, other weather problems have occurred and a launch is now scheduled for 2:52 on September 23, Japan time. Hopefully this launch date will stick; NASA has a schedule of releases in the space ready for the arrival of the HTV. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
Big Falcon Rocket gets his first client. Japanese businessman Yusaku Maezawa bought all the seats for the first human flight of the Big Falcon Rocket spacecraft and SpaceX's spacecraft for an outing around the Moon in 2023. Although neither Elon Musk nor Maezawa specify the cost, "This is a sizeable amount that will have a significant impact on the BFR program."
A first step towards development … The big question surrounding the BFR has always been who will pay for the rocket. In this sense, a first customer is a big problem, especially if it leads to more customers. But for now, the rocket and the spacecraft remain mostly theoretical, since SpaceX devotes about 5% of its time and resources to new vehicles.
China could accelerate the development of long March 9. At the World Conference on Science Literacy 2018, a Chinese space administration engineer, Li Guoping, said the country planned to launch the Long March 9 booster in 2028, two years earlier than planned.
A truly titanic rocket … With a diameter of 10 meters, a length of 90 meters and a proposed lifting capacity of 140 tons in low Earth orbit, the Long March 9 would be comparable to the Saturn V rocket. has published no formal or definitive plan, this rocket will probably serve as a backbone to a Chinese plan to send taikonauts, and eventually international astronauts, to the moon around 2030 or soon thereafter.
Jeff Bezos says he wants to be a great player in the defense launch. Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos told the Air Force Association that he would invest $ 1 billion in the New Glenn rocket alone, next year. "I want members of this audience to know how engaged we are in this regard," he said. "We entered." Bezos also said that he had invested $ 1 billion in a rocket plant and launch site on Florida's space coast.
A perfectly clear message … We watched the Q & A session and it seems clear that this place was carefully chosen to send a message. Blue Origin intends to be a major player in the launch needs of the military and intends to compete on pricing as well as on a rapid deployment capability. As he told the air force officials, Bezos is serious about it. We believe him
Three upcoming launches
September 22: HII-B | Mission HTV-7 at the International Space Station | Tanegashima, Japan | 17h52 UTC
September 25: Ariane 5 | Azerspace-2 / Intelsat-38 & Horizons 3rd satellites | Kourou, French Guiana | 21:53 UTC
October 1st: Rokot | Gonets-M24, Gonets-M25, Gonets-M26 satellites | Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia | To be determined
Source link
