Welcome to issue 3.29 of the Rocket Report! What a wild weekend we are on our way into the world of rockets and launching, with seemingly too much news to discuss:
• Electron, Saturday, 07:38 UTC
• SLS Hot Fire, Saturday, 22:00 UTC
• SN9, possibly Saturday, ¯ _ (ツ) _ / ¯
• LauncherOne, Sunday, 18:00 UTC
Falcon 9, Monday, 13:45 UTC
As always, we will do our best, and we welcome readers’ submissions, and if you do not want to miss a problem, sign in with the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site) . Each report contains information on small, medium and heavy lift rockets, as well as a quick look at the next three launches on the calendar.
New Shepard launches new crew capsule. After a delay due to medium-level winds, Blue Origin successfully launched the West Shepard-14 (or NS-14) mission from West Texas on Thursday morning. The test flight (see webcast) looks good. It was the first flight of a new capsule ready for human flight, and Mannequin Skywalker flew together to collect data.
Human flights when? … During the hour-long webcast, Blue Origin unfortunately did not provide any details about its test plan before people boarded the vehicle in the suborbital. We heard rumors that the NS-16 flight may carry passengers, but the company did not provide definitive information. If this is true, it means that there will be one last flight of the capsule without crew.
NASA provides insight into small launches. Recently, NASA awarded Venture Class Launch Services contracts to Astra Space, Firefly Aerospace and Relativity Space. After the awards were announced, SpaceNews dug into the “source selection” document that talks about why the companies were selected, but seven other bidders did not.
Worth checking out … The document provides insight into the status of well-known names who have long claimed the development of rockets, but have not yet delivered. Interorbital Systems, for example, has shown a lack of understanding of the complexity of a space launch service with its Neptune rocket, according to the NASA document. It is worth reading the entire report, which links to the bronze selection document. (submitted by DanNeely)
Rocket Lab wants to supplement some components. Rocket Lab restored the first phase of its Electron rocket for the first time after a launch in November. And while the company never intended to improve the entire stage, the company now believes some electronic components are salable, Stuff reports.
Fly a great success … “Electron has returned in such good condition that we will try to qualify some components on future missions and fly again,” said company spokesman Morgan Bailey. She said the flight was a huge success overall and that Rocket Lab will try to repair more initial phases later in 2021 as it continues with its reuse plan for Electron. (submitted by platykurtic)
The battle over Georgia’s launch site continues. Environmental groups continue to fight for the construction of a spaceport in Camden County, Georgia. Recently, the Southern Environmental Law Center said a decision by the Federal Aviation Administration to restrict the revision of the spacecraft plan was “illegal”. The question is whether the FAA can rely on a draft statement for the environmental impact, completed in 2018, for the revised plans of the spacecraft, reports Parabolic Arc.
Small equal to medium? … Initially, Spaceport Camden planned to launch ‘medium’ and ‘large’ rockets, but now the site will launch ‘small’ and ‘medium’ rockets according to its revised plans. Environmentalists say the FAA needs to do a new full review with a public comment period. The FAA says that the potential environmental impacts of the small lift launch vehicles fall under the potential impact of medium-to-class lift vehicles. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
bluShift Aerospace plans to launch prototypes. The Maine-based new space launcher says it will attempt to launch a single-stage Stardust 1.0 prototype rocket from the Loring Commerce Center in Limestone, Maine, on Friday, January 15th. The low-level demo launch is the culmination of six years of research and development and more than 200 engine tests, the company said in a news release. The launch will be streamed.
Use biopower … The company says this is the first commercial launch of a rocket powered by bio-derived fuel anywhere in the world. The rocket is equipped with its own modular hybrid rocket engine. The small business has not yet publicly outlined a plan for developing a suborbital or orbital launcher.
Canadian spaceport still alive. Supporters of a spacecraft to be built in Nova Scotia say the dream is still alive. According to the CBC, the CEO of Maritime Launch Services recently made little progress in developing the spaceport. “We are definitely continuing with the initiative,” said Steve Matier, who is leading the project.
A difficult year “” Obviously it has been a difficult year for everyone with regard to the pandemic, and things have certainly not gone as fast as we had hoped and planned, but I look forward to a much more productive 2021, “he said. Matier also said: The Canso spaceport as proposed will serve as a starting point for Ukrainian Cyclone-4M rockets. There is no fixed timeline for the start of construction, and investors are still needed. (Submitted by Glen and BH )
Florida could see up to 20 missions in 2021. As many as 53 space missions are expected to take off from the Florida Space Coast in 2021, the Vice Commander of the 45th Space Wing said Tuesday. “We have 53 launches in our forecast with one already in the books,” said Col. Brands Walton told the National Space Club of Florida during an online event, SpaceNews reported.
Not everything will happen naturally … The US space force’s 45th space wing oversees space launch operations from the East Coast, including commercial, civilian and military launches. A total of 31 space launches were carried out in Florida in 2020, Walton said. The 2021 forecast is only a forecast as the launch schedules shift from month to month. The launch period contains some missions that we are not sure about, so it’s probably high. But we are looking forward to a busy year in the Sunshine States. (submitted by Ken the Bin and platykurtic)
MethaneSAT will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket. The Environmental Defense Fund said Thursday that Earth-observing MethaneSAT will launch a Falcon 9 rocket in October 2022. This innovative mission, which will augment climate science data, will help decision-makers when struggling to address climate change.
Jeff buys a rocket launcher … The 350kg satellite will fly as a stock during an unspecified Falcon launch. One interesting remark is that the satellite and its launch will be largely paid for by a $ 100 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund. So, yes, Jeff Bezos buys a launch on a SpaceX rocket. And that’s for a good cause. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
Europe seeks alliance to compete with SpaceX, China. The European Union will pursue a more aggressive European space strategy to prevent it from being fired by American and Chinese rockets, Reuters reports. “We need to ask ourselves: will our current approach successfully bring us to 2050, given the disruptions in the sector that we are all observing? I strongly doubt this and I believe we need a more offensive and aggressive strategy,” he said. European Commissioner Thierry Breton said.
Funding is needed for the plan … Europe is concerned about the rise of SpaceX with its cheap reusable rocket and the increasing competition of a new generation of Chinese rockets. To remain competitive for commercial satellite launches, Breton said he would initiate a “European Launcher Alliance” that would identify a roadmap to develop a new generation of rockets. At a separate news conference, Arianespace chief Stéphane Israel urged European governments to order more launches on his company’s rockets. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
NASA moves the SLS fire test to Saturday. NASA said it was moving the four-engine fire test of its Space Launch System rocket phase a day earlier to Saturday, January 16th. The eight-minute test takes place in Stennis Space Center. During a briefing with reporters, NASA officials said the nominal time for igniting the spacecraft’s main engines is 16:00 CST (22:00 UTC), but delays are likely.
Last shipment step … This is the last major test of the nuclear phase before it is sent from the Mississippi test site to the launch site at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA has said that the rocket could still reach the 2021 launch date, but we are not confident about that. Ars will be ready for the test fire in Mississippi and have a full report after the test. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
SpaceX hot fire tests Starship three times in four hours. After the first of three tests Wednesday, SpaceX founder and chief engineer Elon Musk said on Twitter“Today, SpaceX is all about practicing Starship engines. The ship is pushed in by massive pins while the engines are being fired.” After the third test, Musk confirmed that all three tests were completed without major problem. Ars reports that performing three such tests in rapid succession is a notable achievement, indicating mature spacecraft hardware, ground systems, and procedures for SpaceX’s Starship launch program.
Next, a test flight … Musk said the goal is to reach a point where a traveler to Mars can ‘go in and out’. Such an ability for Starship will remain for years to come if it is ever realized. But the company seems to be making progress with a robust launch system. The next step for SN9 is to go fly. The vehicle is already at the launch site, and Musk and his engineers will now conduct a “readiness test” beforehand on what is expected to be another test flight of approximately 12.5 km. A flight can take place on Friday or Saturday.
Aerojet says it has completed the first AR1 engine. Aerojet Rocketdyne shared a picture of his new engine on Tuesday via Twitter, and said it is complete. About the engine, the company said: “The first American-made liquid oxygen / kerosene internal combustion engine. AR1 is the ideal engine for many possible solutions; it brings the right pressure level, size and performance to a wide range of launch vehicles.”
Wanted, one big rocket … You may recall that the AR1 engine competed with Blue Origin’s BE-4 engine to power the Vulcan rocket developed by United Launch Alliance. The company eventually chose the BE-4 engine because it was farther and cost less. The future of the AR1 engine is not clear as there are currently no rocket plans to use it. Now that Lockheed Martin is planning to acquire Aerojet, we might get more clarity on the AR1’s future. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
Next three launches
January 16: Electron | “Another one leaves the crust” | Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand | 07:38 UTC
January 17: LauncherOne | Launch Demo-2 Mission | Mojave Air and Space Port | 18:00 UTC
January 18: Valk 9 | Starlink-16 | Kennedy Space Center, Fla. | 18:35 UTC
