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/ The Rocket Report is published every week.Arianespace / Aurich Lawson Share this article
Welcome to the Rocket Report 1.10 edition! This week, the launch site of the European Space Agency in South America presents many actions, several times launched by SpaceX and two dozen flights this year, as well as updates on all new major rockets that could be launched in 2020. Or maybe not.
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 the versions of the site compatible with AMP). Each report will contain information on small, medium and large lift rockets, as well as a quick look at the next three launches of the schedule.
A southern island of the Azores could be a good spaceport. According to a new study commissioned by the European Space Agency, the island of Santa Maria located in the center of the Atlantic coast, in the Azores, is suitable for the development of a spaceport for small rocket launchers, the local newspaper. Santa Maria is already hosting an ESA ground tracking station for launches from Kourou, French Guiana.
Why here? … The island boasts vast clear ocean expanses to the north and south for polar orbits, as well as east for low Earth orbits of up to 500 km. The region also has a stable weather and is much closer to Europe than French Guiana for the needs of the expedition. The small satellite launcher Orbex is mentioned as a potential tenant, although it is not known who would pay to build a spaceport. (submitted by Nuno)
The space can be closer than we think. Some scientists claim that the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and space is probably lower than the current line of Kármán (100 km). Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysical Center, has discovered empirical evidence that the atmosphere does not begin to propel significantly to spacecraft until its orbit falls to about 80 km above the surface of the Earth's surface. the planet.
Consequences for Space Tourism … McDowell's findings have no doubt been endorsed by representatives of Virgin Galactic and World View Enterprises, two companies planning to offer space travel services but which may not travel 100 km . "[McDowell] explains that the ideal location for "where the space begins" is about 80 kilometers, "said George Whitesides, chief executive of Virgin, at the publication.
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Suborbital Copenhagen delays launch of Nexø II rocket. The Danish amateur space program hoped to launch this week the most advanced rocket, equipped with a 1,100-pound thrust engine powered by ethanol and liquid oxygen. The Nexø II rocket is designed to test precursor technologies for a much larger rocket that could ultimately fly a person in suborbital flight.
Close fires … and because of their launch from a platform in the Baltic Sea, 35 km from the coast of the Danish island of Bornholm. However, due to efforts to fight forest fires in Sweden, the authorities have not been able to close the airspace crucial for launching. The next launch window available will open on Aug. 4, rocket enthusiasts said. (submitted by phuzz, Mikkel and North Cross)
British rocket companies plan future government support. Despite the fact that they have been excluded from competition from the UK government, start-up launch developers in the country remain optimistic about their prospects and their ability to gain government support, L optimism was expressed at a roundtable at the Farnborough International Airshow, after the British space agency granted close to $ 40 million to Lockheed Martin and Orbex.
There is $ 20 million left to spend … "We look forward to making further announcements on how we will use the rest of our funds to truly develop a diversified UK market," said Claire Barcham, Director of commercial space in the United Kingdom. The space agency added that it was willing to discuss with industry how best to use these funds. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
Japanese formation will continue to work on a failed rocket. Japanese start-up Interstellar Technologies Inc. will continue to develop its launch vehicle after the recent failure of the MOMO-2 rocket, which exploded shortly after take-off. The MOMO-2, 10 meters high, broke off at the end of June from a test site on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, but a few seconds after the launch, it lost its thrust and crashed at ground.
Continuing … The outfit is already heading for the next flight of his rocket that rings. "We will start the next launch as soon as we are ready. We were able to launch MOMO-2 less than a year after MOMO-1. The launch interval of MOMO-3 and MOMO-2 will be shorter, "said one team leader.
The European rocket industry promises to resist the rise of new spaces. In a deep dive, the future of Arianespace and the European Space Agency against the rise of SpaceX, Blue Origin and various new rocket companies. The story includes interviews with several European leaders, including ArianeGroup leader Alain Charmeau. Europe intends to compete and starts with the successful development of the Ariane 6 and Vega-C rockets.
Do not go away … Asked about his message to Elon Musk and various competitors, Charmeau said: "Europe will be there. ArianeGroup will be there. Not with a similar mission, perhaps. We will not send a human launcher to Mars. But we will be there. We have our place. We have our position. We have our assets. And we will be there.
SpaceX Launches Second Block 5 Rocket Without Incident. Early Monday, the Block 5 variant of his Falcon 9 rocket for the second time. The early morning launch put into orbit a seven-tonne heavy satellite in a geostationary transfer orbit, and then the first time was reached. (By the way, were superb)
13 and count … After this launch, SpaceX had flown a dozen Falcon 9 rockets this year, with only one Falcon Heavy mission. (He will soon steal another, see next point). By the end of July, the group had already made four flights out of a record 18 missions in 2018. The group continues to keep pace with two dozen rocket launches this year, an impressive acceleration of cadence.
Two launches took place in 15 minutes on Wednesday. An Ariane 5 rocket out of Kourou, French Guiana, and a Falcon 9 rocket from Southern California between 11:25 and 11:39 Wednesday. deploy satellites have succeeded. The weather at both launch sites was very contrasted: sunshine in Kourou and thick fog early in the morning in California.
Who was looked over? … According to YouTube data released Thursday morning, 431,000 people watched the launch of the Falcon 9 live or later. The French agency CNES offers both a series of Ariane 5 launches in English and French. Together, 70,000 people watched these streams.
Four major rockets are due to debut in 2020, but … Four new major rockets to be launched before the end of 2020, the Ariane 6, Space Launch System, New Glenn and Vulcan thrusters. Four large rockets making their maiden flight in a given year would be unprecedented.
But everything slips … Based on discussions with insiders, the article assesses the odds for each of these rockets to fly for the first time in 2020. It assigns the highest probability to the Ariane 6 propeller and the lowest probability to Vulcan booster. For the record, we hope that they will do it all (and safely too).
Another big rocket is going well too. an insightful review of Northrop Grumman's Omega rocket, which is expected to perform a test flight in 2021. The article proposes to speculate on why this solid-propellant rocket should receive funding in the next round of the Air Force. "EELV competition.
A low-risk alternative … "It's hard to stand out from SpaceX's low prices or the incredible reliability of ULA. But by playing on the solid rocket engine experience of the old ATK and choosing the highly reputed RL10 engine, the Omega team has created a design that screams "no technical exposure" to anyone who examines proposal. It is worth reading. the rocket and the current state of the Department of Defense interest in new launchers.
The launch window of the Parker solar probe is tightening. After an inspection that detected a small strip of foam inside the Delta IV Heavy rocket cone covering the spacecraft, officials postponed the launch of the $ 1.5 billion Parker Solar Probe. to August 11th. The launch is approaching now. August 19th.
But it's just going to the sun … Why a launch window for a probe launched in the center of the solar system? The seven-year mission is to be launched before Aug. 19 to prepare for the Venus overflights that are essential for establishing a path away from the Earth and towards the Sun, NASA says. We hope to have good weather in mid-August in Florida. (By the way, in case you ask yourself).
Three upcoming launches
July 29: Long walk 3b | Two Beidou satellites | Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China | 1:40 UTC
August 4th: Falcon 9 | Merah Putih | Cape Canaveral Air Force | 05:19 UTC
August 11: Delta IV Heavy | Parker solar probe | Cape Canaveral Air Force | 07:48 UTC
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