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SpaceX's Rising Tide - Discussion of non-SpaceX launch companies

Discussion in 'SpaceX' started by bxr140, May 22, 2019.

  1. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    Rocketlab is still working on reusability
     
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  2. dkemme

    dkemme Supporting Member

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    I love the return to sender...
     
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  3. bxr140

    bxr140 Active Member

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  4. bxr140

    bxr140 Active Member

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    So there's been an ongoing effort for legacy space entities to find new space partners, most recently and arguably the most significant being Raytheon's acquisition of BCT. In a reversal from years past, the legacy players both acknowledge the value of the new/agile/scrappy players and also understand they're never going to be able to compete on that level.

    Other prom dates include:
    Boeing and Millenium
    Lockheed and Tyvak
    Thales and Leo Stella

    Honorary mention to Rocket Lab's acquisition of Sinclair, mostly because it has real potential to be mega. (They're both very much on the new school bus.)
     
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  5. HVM

    HVM Savolainen

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    Another Vega failure:

    "Vega fails during launch of European Earth observation satellites

    Arianespace suffered another issue with its Vega rocket during the launch of two Earth observation satellites named SEOSAT-Ingenio and TARANIS for Spain and France, respectively."

    Vega fails during launch of European Earth observation satellites - NASASpaceFlight.com


    "...In a call with reporters, Roland Lagier, chief technical officer of Arianespace, said the first three stages of the Vega rocket performed normally after liftoff from Kourou, French Guiana, at 8:52 p.m. Eastern Nov. 16. The Avum upper stage then separated and ignited its engine.

    However, “straightaway after ignition” of the upper stage, he said, the vehicle started to tumble out of control. “This loss of control was permanent, inducing significant tumbling behavior, and then the trajectory started to deviate rapidly from the nominal one, leading to the loss of the mission.”

    Analysis of the telemetry from the mission, along with data from the production of the vehicle, led them to conclude that cables to two thrust vector control actuators were inverted. Commands intended to go to one actuator went instead to the other, triggering the loss of control.

    “This was clearly a production and quality issue, a series of human errors, and not a design one,” Lagier said."

    Human error blamed for Vega launch failure - SpaceNews
     
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  6. HVM

    HVM Savolainen

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    Poka-yoke either make wires so short that they can't be installed 'across' or different plugs.
     
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  7. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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  8. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    This booster was allowed to splash down softly in the ocean. It will be recovered and examined to confirm recovery is worth it and what might be needed to ensure recovery attempts are worth trying to do.

    Rocket Lab launches Electron in test of booster recovery - SpaceNews
     
  9. HVM

    HVM Savolainen

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  10. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    #110 Grendal, Nov 20, 2020
    Last edited: Nov 20, 2020
  11. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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  12. bxr140

    bxr140 Active Member

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    Mostly to try and not contaminate the starlink thread with too much other news, Kuiper has revealed their phased array. I don't think there's anything fundamentally different about this antenna vs Starlink's (just frequency), my guess is they're revealing it now just to make it clear they're not simply copying Starlink, especially after the teardown. (Clearly Amazon has been working on this array for quite some time)

    Amazon unveils flat-panel customer terminal for Kuiper constellation - SpaceNews
    https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/innovation-at-amazon/amazon-marks-breakthrough-in-project-kuiper-development?_amp=true
     
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  13. Cosmacelf

    Cosmacelf Well-Known Member

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  14. Electroman

    Electroman Supporting Member

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    It is air-air missile that reaches orbit.
     
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  15. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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  16. bxr140

    bxr140 Active Member

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  17. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney Well-Known Member

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  18. HVM

    HVM Savolainen

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    SPAC

    "Rocket Lab Nears Deal to Merge With Vector SPAC. Deal, which could be completed by Monday, would take Rocket Lab public, valuing it at $4.1 billion, sources say"
     
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  19. HVM

    HVM Savolainen

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    Also new, bigger rocket Neutron, Peter Beck is chronical-hat-eater...
     
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  20. HVM

    HVM Savolainen

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    #120 HVM, Mar 1, 2021 at 4:32 AM
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2021 at 4:38 AM


    https://www.rocketlabusa.com/rockets/neutron/

    Launch on repeat
    "...Neutron features a reusable first stage designed to land on an ocean platform, enabling a high launch cadence and decreased launch costs for customers..."

    Have I heard that before, some where, or what?
     
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