Category Archives: Space transport roundup

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Rockets, Space transport roundup

Space transport roundup – July.7.2020

A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here):

[ Update: The launch was scrubbed due to thunderstorms in the area around the Cape. Another attempt will be made this Saturday, July 11th  during a window between 10:49 am to 11:00 am EDT.  Currently, the forecast shows a 60% chance of acceptable conditions for liftoff during the window.

]

** Delayed Starlink-9 mission now set for liftoff on Wednesday at 11:59 am EDT (1559 GMT) from Pad 39A at Cape Kennedy Space Center. The Falcon 9’s launch date was postponed several times in June and then moved till after the launch of a USAF GPS satellite. The rocket will carry 57 Starlink broadband Internet satellites and 2 BlackSky earth imaging satellites into polar orbit.

Four Falcon 9 launches could happen this month. Here are the three other missions with their no-earlier-than dates:

Find more about other SpaceX activities below.

** Rocket Lab Electron mission fails due to upper stage issue. This was the 13th launch of the Electron rocket, which also failed on its first test launch due to a communications problem in a ground system. Rocket Lab Mission Fails to Reach Orbit | Rocket Lab.

The payload consisted of seven satellites including a Canon Electronics CE-SAT-IB imaging satellite, five Planet SuperDove imaging smallsats, and the Faraday-1 6U CubeSat from In-Space Missions.

Scott Manley gives his view on the failure:

See also:

** China launches two rockets within three days. The first rocket was a Long March 4B rocket launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Lunch Center in northern China on July 2nd with a Gaofen remote sensing satellite as the primary payload. Also on board was the Xibaipo (BY 70-2) CubeSat, intended for science and education related tasks.

The second rocket was a Long March 2D that lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert carrying the Shiyan-6 satellite on July 5th. The Shiyan-6 is described as a remote sensing technology development system but is believed by analysts outside of China as a military reconnaissance satellite.

See also:

** Israel launched a reconnaissance satellite into orbit with a Shavit rocket. As with previous Israeli satellites, the rocket launched the Ofek 16 satellite towards the west over the Mediterranean Sea and into a retrograde orbit.

** Virgin Galactic to show SpaceShipTwo interior design on July 28th: Virgin Galactic Announces Date for World’s First Virtual Reveal of Spaceship Cabin Design – Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic today [July.2.2020] announced that SpaceShipTwo’s cabin interior design reveal will take place on July 28, 2020. The virtual event will be streamed live on YouTube. In celebration of this milestone, the Company will also be announcing plans to bring immersive experiences of Virgin Galactic’s spaceflight and cabin interior to aspiring astronauts around the world.

The unveiling of the spaceship cabin design marks the latest milestone towards Virgin Galactic’s operational readiness and will accentuate the Company’s focus on using inspired and bold design to transform the entire customer journey. While the cabin interior has been created to integrate seamlessly with every step of that journey, it is also the design centerpiece, providing safety without distraction, quietly absorbing periods of sensory intensity and offering each astronaut a level of intimacy required for personal discovery and transformation.

The live-streamed unveiling will feature a virtual walkthrough of the cabin, curated by the multi-disciplinary team which has striven to ensure that every detail of its design works to provide an unparalleled and safe consumer experience.

** NASA and Boeing give update on Starliner crew vehicle and uncrewed test flight: NASA and Boeing Complete Orbital Flight Test Reviews | NASA

NASA and Boeing have completed major reviews of the company’s uncrewed Orbital Flight Test in December 2019 and are continuing with preparations to refly the test, designated Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2), to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

“NASA and Boeing have completed a tremendous amount of work reviewing the issues experienced during the uncrewed flight test of Starliner,” said Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator at NASA. “Ultimately, everything we’ve found will help us improve as we move forward in the development and testing of Starliner, and in our future work with commercial industry as a whole.”

The joint NASA-Boeing Independent Review team completed the final assessment into the intermittent space-to-ground communication issue detected during the first uncrewed Orbital Flight Test of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The review team previously completed its investigation into the two other primary anomalies experienced during the test.

No date has been set yet for liftoff of the OFT-2 mission.

** Briefs:

==================

Check out the
The Lurio Report
for news and analysis of key developments in NewSpace

The latest issue:
Riding a Dragon, Rockets Rising, Space Resource Policy
Vol. 15, No. 4, June 14, 2020

Space Frontier Foundation Award for NewSpace Journalism

==================

** SpaceX:

** The Falcon 9 booster for the recent USAF GPS III satellite launch has returned to Cape Canaveral : SpaceX adds fresh Falcon 9 booster to the fleet after drone ship recovery – Teslarati

SpaceX has added a second new Falcon 9 booster to its rocket fleet in just one month after B1060 safely returned to shore aboard drone ship Just Read The Instructions (JRTI) on July 4th.

Exactly 31 days prior, Falcon 9 booster B1058 sailed into Port Canaveral aboard drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) on June 3rd after becoming the first private rocket in history to launch astronauts into orbit. Prior to B1058’s successful May 30th launch and landing debut, SpaceX’s fleet of available flightworthy boosters appeared to be just three strong, comprised of B1049, B1051, and B1059. Supposedly (relatively) easy to reconfigure into regular Falcon 9 boosters, twice-flown Falcon Heavy side boosters B1052 and B1053 remain wildcards that seem unlikely to re-enter circulation anytime soon.

In other words, SpaceX has grown its fleet of flight-proven Falcon 9 boosters by almost 70% in a single month, undoubtedly bringing with it some welcome sighs of relief for the second half of the company’s 2020 launch manifest. Given just how ambitious SpaceX’s plans are for the next six months, both boosters are set to be invaluable assets in the near term.

A view of the landing of this booster:

**** Starship

After the SN5 Starship prototype passed its cryogenic pressure tests last week, work continued this week on the launch platform and on installation of a Raptor engine. It had once been expected that SN5 would get 3 engines. However, it appears that SN5 will do the one engine powered test hop that was previously planned for the SN4 prototype. Before it had a chance to fly, SN4 was destroyed by a huge explosion from the ignition of methane that poured out when a quick-release attachment at the base of the vehicle failed following an engine test firing.

According to the current road closure schedule, the earliest we’ll see engine test firings for the SN5 is Friday July 10th.

A huge “high bay” building is now under construction. It will be used for assembly of Super Heavy Booster prototypes. An awesome “Bluezilla” crane was assembled over the last week and it has begun lifting structural sections into place.: SpaceX Super Heavy ‘high bay’ construction begins in South Texas – Teslarati.

Before SpaceX can launch a massive and super noisy Super Heavy, it will need to update the company’s FAA environmental review and license for the Boca Chica facility: SpaceX facility under FAA review after changing rocket tests in South Texas – BorderReport.com

Border Report was told the FAA had not approved significant plans that SpaceX has for the facility since the company told the agency it had switched projects and is now using this facility to develop a new, massive spacecraft to travel to Mars, called the Starship. The FAA also said it has begun a new environmental review of the company’s new plans.

“The current testing falls within the current EIS. However, a full-scale Starship launch site falls outside the scope of the 2014 EIS. The FAA is in the early stages of an environmental review. Any proposal must meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the FAA’s policies and procedures for conducting a NEPA review,” an FAA official wrote in an email to Border Report on Friday.

****** Boca Chica flyovers posted today by RGV Aerial Photography:

****** July 2: SpaceX Boca Chica – Bluezilla Rises! Super Heavy High Bay Builder – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

The biggest crane to arrive at Boca Chica – which is some achievement based on previous big cranes – came to life on Thursday. “Bluezilla” will help build the new Super Heavy High Bay. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@TheJackBeyer)

****** July 3: SpaceX Boca Chica – Raptor SN27 set for Starship SN5 Installation – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

Raptor engine SN27 has arrived for installation into Starship SN5 for the latest test campaign. Meanwhile, work continues on the Super Heavy pad and the Nosecones are multiplying. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Brady Kenniston (@TheFavoritis

****** July 4: SpaceX Boca Chica – SN27 Raptor Installed – Mystery Dome in work – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

Starship SN5 now has her SN27 Raptor installed while work goes on around SpaceX Boca Chica, include the sighting of a mystery dome for a test tank or future Starship. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Brady Kenniston (@TheFavoritist)

****** July 5: SpaceX Boca Chica – Bluezilla Stretches Its Limbs – Boca Drive Past – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

In today’s Starship update: the Manitowoc Model 18000 Crane (AKA Bluezilla) stretches its limbs, the Mystery Dome sees some progress, work on SN5 with Raptor 27 installed continues ahead of engine testing, and Mary treats us all to a Sunday drive past Boca Chica for a checkup on the entire site. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@TheJackBeyer)

****** July 6: SpaceX Boca Chica – Build Site Bonanza – SN5 Nearly Ready – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

It’s a Build Site bonanza in today’s Boca Chica Update. A new ring was moved into the fabrication tents, the Manitowoc 18000 crane started off its work on the site with some light lifting, some interesting parts were delivered and work on SN5 and Raptor SN27 continued. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@TheJackBeyer)

** Webcast rocket reports:

**** Starship updates with SN5 Pressure Test, SpaceX GPS III, Mars Perseverance Rover Launch Date Slips – Marcus House

Yet again, another huge week of space news. We have some Starship updates with the SN5 Pressure Test, SpaceX GPS III mission went off perfectly, but the Mars Perseverance Rover Launch Date Slips close to the end of the Mars launch window. The starship SN5 has been pressured up this week with liquid nitrogen getting ready for a static fire test quite soon we hope. We’ve got a bunch of news and updates around the development of the Space Launch System, SpaceX had another incredible launch with the GPS III mission during the week. Flawless yet again. A few updates on the Crew Dragon Demo 2 mission to share and also we have our fingers crossed that the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover mission will get across the line before the end of the launch window to Mars after yet another delay in the schedule.

**** What’s hiding in SpaceX’s Starship? + SpaceX Starship – Why are they building it in a scrap yard? – What about it!?

**  Mars Mission Update: June 2020 – Martian Colonist

The successful Commercial Crew launch by SpaceX and NASA has forever changed spaceflight. Now, for the first time, there is a clear path to sending humans to Mars. Aspiring Martian Colonist Dr. Ryan MacDonald charts the course towards the first human missions to the Red Planet.

=====

=== The Art of C. Sergent Lindsey ===

“SpaceX Delivers the Goods” by C. Sergent Lindsey printed on a phone cover. Available at Fine Art America.
Rockets, Space transport roundup

Space transport roundup – June.30.2020

A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here):

** SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully sends USAF GPS satellite into orbit. First stage booster on first flight lands safely on ocean platform. This was the first time SpaceX was allowed by the USAF to return and recover the booster when launching a military payload.

The fairings were recovered from the water:

See also:

Find more about other SpaceX activities below.

** Virgin Galactic‘s SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity glides back to Spaceport America for second time, setting the stage for the first powered flights from the New Mexico facility. Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo Completes Second Flight from Spaceport America – Virgin Galactic

AS CRUCES, N.M. June 25, 2020 -Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (“Virgin Galactic” or “the Company”) today announced the successful completion of the second SpaceShipTwo test flight from Spaceport America. This flight follows the completion of the first test flight from the Company’s commercial headquarters in New Mexico on May 1, 2020, and marks another important milestone as the team progresses toward the launch of Virgin Galactic’s commercial service.

On SpaceShipTwo Unity’s flight deck were Mark ‘Forger’ Stucky and Michael ‘Sooch’ Masucci. Both pilots are commercial astronauts, having each previously flown Unity into space on different flights. Piloting the Company’s carrier aircraft, VMS Eve, were Nicola Pecile and CJ Sturckow.

This glide flight, flown at higher speeds, allowed the team to continue to evaluate systems and vehicle performance in advance of future rocket-powered space flights from the Company’s new operating base in New Mexico. Flying VSS Unity in glide configuration at higher speeds enables certain vehicle systems to operate close to the environment seen during phases of rocket boost on a spaceflight. The spaceship achieved a glide speed of Mach 0.85 after being released from the mothership VMS Eve at an altitude of 51,000 ft. Unity completed multiple test-points before touching back down smoothly for a runway landing at Spaceport America.

Forger and Sooch performed a series of maneuvers with Unity designed to gather data about performance and handling qualities while flying at higher speeds. This data will be verified against similar maneuvers that were performed in the previous glide flight to enhance aerodynamic modelling.

…

Pending the completion of an extensive data review of this flight, the team will start preparing for the next stage of our flight test program – powered spaceflights from Spaceport America. In addition to the data review, we have several steps to complete, including final modifications to the spaceship customer cabin and detailed inspections of the vehicle and systems.

See also: Virgin Galactic completes second successful glide test at Spaceport America – Spaceport America

** Virgin Galactic may fly NASA astronauts in addition to space tourists: Virgin Galactic is ‘excited’ about the opportunity to fly NASA astronauts – CNBC

Virgin Galactic is steadily moving closer to flying customers to the edge of space for the first time but the space tourism company is looking forward to the growing opportunity to fly NASA personnel as well. 

“I’m really excited about this one because for a long time NASA has been thinking about using suborbital vehicles, the ones that we’ve got, to train their astronauts and other NASA employees like researchers to go into space,” Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides told CNBC’s Morgan Brennan on “Squawk Alley.”

FAA approval for commercial suborbital spaceflights could be coming soon:: Virgin Galactic expects to receive key FAA license within next two spaceflights – CNBC

** Boeing tests parachutes for Starliner crew vehicle:Boeing: Starliner Parachutes Perform Under Pressure – Boeing

This latest balloon drop, conducted high above White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, demonstrates Starliner’s parachutes continue to perform well even under dynamic abort conditions and a simulated failure. Boeing and NASA jointly developed the conditions for this test as part of a comprehensive test campaign to demonstrate Starliner parachute performance across the range of deployment conditions.

Teams wanted to be sure that if an abort were to occur early into launch, certain parachutes in Starliner’s landing sequence would inflate correctly despite needing to deploy in significantly different flight conditions than those seen with normal landings.

“Parachutes like clean air flow,” said Jim Harder, Boeing’s flight conductor. “They inflate predictably under a wide range of conditions, but in certain ascent aborts, you are deploying these parachutes into more unsteady air where proper inflation becomes less predictable. We wanted to test the inflation characteristics at low dynamic pressure so we can be completely confident in the system we developed.”

See also Boeing gives Starliner crew capsule’s parachutes a workout in drop test – Space.com.

**** Blue Origin delivers a BE-4 engine to ULA. BE-4 engines will power the first stage booster on the company’s new Vulcan rocket. This is a “pathfinder”, which means it will be used for ground testing but not for flight. Blue Origin delivers the first BE-4 engine to United Launch Alliance – SpaceNews.com

** A problem with Atlas V launcher causes delay in launch of Perseverance Mars rover. Current “no-earlier-than” date for liftoff is July 30th. The window for launching to Mars closes around mid-August. So the margin for further delay is decreasing. If the rover is not launched by mid-August, it will have to wait over two years before the next opportunity to takeoff for the Red Planet.

A technical issue with the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket that will send NASA’s $2.4 billion Perseverance rover toward Mars has pushed the mission’s launch date back to no earlier than July 30, nearly two weeks into a month-long window for the rover to head to the Red Planet, or else face a two-year delay.

NASA confirmed the launch delay to no sooner than July 30 in a statement Tuesday.

“Due to launch vehicle processing delays in preparation for spacecraft mate operations, NASA and United Launch Alliance have moved the first launch attempt of the Mars 2020 mission to no earlier than July 30,” NASA said. “A liquid oxygen sensor line presented off-nominal data during the Wet Dress Rehearsal, and additional time is needed for the team to inspect and evaluate.”

** Sierra Nevada begins bonding thermal protection tiles to the Dream Chaser spaceplane.

TPS tiles protect the vehicle from re-entry heat. Around 2,000 of these tiles will protect Dream Chaser from temperatures that could reach upwards of 3,000°F on entry, while keeping the vehicle itself at only 350°F. The white tiles reject more heat from the sun while on-orbit, which helps to keep the components within Dream Chaser cooler. In comparison, more than 24,000 tiles were used on NASA’s space shuttles orbiters. Dream Chaser is about 30 feet long, or about ¼ the total length of the space shuttles.

In order to keep the tiles on Dream Chaser, our engineers are using room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone. RTV silicone is able to withstand high temperatures, making it perfect for bonding the tiles. Each tile is tested by using a mechanism that pulls on them, which ensures the bond is sufficient.

SNC engineers have been able to update our TPS tiles from what was used during NASA’s shuttle program with more innovation, better technology and utilizing lessons learned.   We use more modern manufacturing techniques to increase strength and reduce cost. Another difference between the tiles is Dream Chaser tiles are about 10 inches by 10 inches, while those on the shuttle were six inches by six inches.  Dream Chaser is also smaller in size, which also means less tiles to replace in general.

Dream Chaser tiles are stronger and lighter weight than those used during the shuttle program and meet all Micro-Meteroid Orbital Debris (MMOD) requirements to ensure safe entry, descent and runway landings for crewed or cargo missions.

** An air-breathing rocket engine is in development at Mountain Aerospace Research Solutions. The project is described in: The rocket motor of the future “breathes” air like a jet engine | Ars Technica

A rocket normally carries all the oxidizer needed to burn its fuel. So the rocket engine(s) must accelerate the mass of both the rocket’s structure, engines, payload, etc and also the fuel + oxidizer. This results in getting only a few percent of the total mass at liftoff into orbit.  If during the ascent through the atmosphere the rocket could use external oxygen from the air instead of from onboard tanks, this could allow for putting far more payload mass into orbit.

Reaction Engines has been developing the SABRE “Synergetic Air Breathing Rocket Engine” for over two decades to do just this. The SABRE propulsion system uses an elaborate precooler to cool down the air that is heated up as the vehicle flies faster and faster through the atmosphere. The precooler “Rapidly cools the incoming air (1,000 °C to ambient) enabling SABRE to operate at higher speeds than existing engines”. During takeoff and once the SABRE is out of the atmosphere, the SABRE operates with onboard liquid oxygen like a conventional rocket. The company believes the SABRE will enable a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) fully reusable vehicle.

Mountain Aerospace, a small startup company based in Montana, claims the FenriS engine is a new and unique design for an air-breathing rocket. The details of the design have not been revealed but the company has given a general description and released a video of the first static test firing. It appears that as fuel is pumped into the combustion volume, air is sucked in and the two are ignited. For the first test, the plume was  a big mess but they say it demonstrated the basic functions of the design.  It’s certainly an accomplishment if one’s first prototype rocket engine doesn’t blow up. Presumably, further tuning and design refinements can produce a more impressive plume.

While a ground test is a good start, they still must overcome a number of fundamental hurdles to development of an orbital capable system. For one, the system must deal with the problem that the SABRE’s precooler solves – the super hot incoming air.  Combustion is more efficient if the air mixes with fuel at low temp. Another major challenge for airbreathing space vehicles designs is handling the heat build-up on the structure. The vehicle must spend more time in the atmosphere than a conventional rocket, which gets out of the thick atmosphere as soon as possible, while gaining speed. The friction with the air raises the temperature on the skin of the vehicle. Thermal protection adds weight and undermines at least some of the gains from using atmospheric oxygen.

These two videos show the static test and give some information about the company and the Fenris design.

** The Planetary Society’s LightSail-2 remains in orbit, using sunlight pressure to fight drag from the very thin but non-negligible atmosphere that it flies through:  LightSail 2: Celebrating One Year in Space – Planetary Society

Join Bill Nye and members of the LightSail 2 mission team as they mark the end of the primary mission and the beginning of extended operations after one year in orbit. Panelists include:
-Bill Nye, Chief Executive Officer of The Planetary Society
-Jennifer Vaughn, Chief Operating Officer of The Planetary Society
-Bruce Betts, LightSail Program Manager and Chief Scientist of The Planetary Society
-Dave Spencer, LightSail 2 Project Manager and NASA/JPL Mission System Manager for Mars Sample Return

** Firefly aiming for first launch of orbital Alpha rocket in mid-October: Firefly Aerospace is connecting the dots to fly above smallsat launch challenges – Connectivity Business

Jason Rainbow: A test stand fire in January set Firefly back a bit and then, of course, COVID-19 started taking its toll. Where are you with plans to launch the first Alpha rocket?

Tom Markusic: The plan is now mid-October this year, which does represent a couple of months slip from earlier. The fire we had didn’t put us back very far, actually, there was no damage to the test stand, and we’d gotten most of the test data we wanted out of this stage anyway. It was perhaps a month and we had another month/month and a half related to COVID. Overall, I think we’ve been very fortunate in both incidents that we weren’t set back for a longer duration.

 

As a tribute to Max Polyakov, who rescued  Firefly from liquidation, the company lit up birthday cake candles in the best way rocketeers know how to do:  Firefly Aerospace uses rocket engine to light birthday candles in epic cake video – Space.com

Let’s light that candle! The folks at Firefly Aerospace took a brief break from rocket development recently to fire up an engine in honor of co-founder Max Polyakov, who turned 43 years old Tuesday (June 30).

The Lightning upper stage engine, in true celebratory form, was used to light candles on a large birthday cake as high-speed cameras rolled, according to a new video. (The other planned use for the engine will be to help launch small satellites to orbit cheaply, using Firefly’s Alpha rocket.)

** Briefs:

==================

Check out the
The Lurio Report
for news and analysis of key developments in NewSpace

The latest issue:
Riding a Dragon, Rockets Rising, Space Resource Policy
Vol. 15, No. 4, June 14, 2020

Space Frontier Foundation Award for NewSpace Journalism

==================

** SpaceX:

**** The Starlink 9 mission set to launch  last week with 57 Starlink satellites and 2 Blacksky imaging satellites was postponed due to an undisclosed technical issue. (There were rumors of a small pressure drop in a propellant line to one of the booster engines.) The launch of the GPS satellite described above became the top priority. The current target launch date for Starlink 9 is July 8th. SpaceX postpones Starlink launch – Spaceflight Now.

Meanwhile, work continues on development of a ground system for the Starlink Internet system that would be affordable for consumers: One of SpaceX’s most ambitious projects remains on the ground, for now – CNBC

Starlink’s major terrestrial hurdle, Musk acknowledges, is the antenna that will get users online — the internet analog of the TV parabolic dish. Starlink’s low-flying satellites zoom across the sky in about five minutes, and antennas will need to keep up. SpaceX’s design has to balance technological sophistication with mass-market affordability.

The company plans to use “phased array antennas,” which can direct the machine’s focus electronically rather than physically spinning it around. The technique simplifies the device mechanically, but comes at a high price. Farrar estimates that the gadget could cost more than $1,000, although Musk is targeting a price tag of under $300. In March, the FCC authorized SpaceX to distribute one million antennas, and SpaceX board members recently tested the devices (which reportedly resemble “UFOs on a stick”), but the company has not yet announced the retail version. 

**** Despite the Starlink 9 delay, SpaceX launch rate is on a tear despite lockdowns, etc : Even amid a pandemic, SpaceX is launching more than ever | Ars Technica

“The successful GPS III SV03 launch and recovery serves as another step in our journey with industry partners to create innovative, flexible, and affordable services to meet NSSL mission objectives and propel US dominance in space,” said Col. Robert Bongiovi, Launch Enterprise director.

Tuesday afternoon’s launch puts the company on pace for 22 missions in this calendar year, which would break the company’s previous record of 21 launches set in 2018. What seems more remarkable about this pace is that it has occurred amid a global pandemic that has slowed operations in many other countries.

For example, SpaceX’s 11 launches match the total so far this year by Russia, Europe, and Japan combined. Globally, the company ranks second only to China’s state enterprise, which has attempted 15 orbital launches in 2020, two of which have been failures.

**** The Crew Dragon docked to the ISS is performing well. After nearly a month in space, NASA seems really happy with Crew Dragon | Ars Technica

Before this flight of Dragonship Endeavour, one of the biggest questions from engineers at NASA and SpaceX concerned the durability of the spacecraft. The first Crew Dragon spacecraft launched on an uncrewed test flight in 2019 and spent less than a week attached to the space station. NASA hoped this Dragon could last a few months in space.

In particular, the engineers were not sure how quickly Endeavour’s solar panels would degrade and accordingly produce less power. Therefore, since the spacecraft docked to the station, it has been powered up once a week to test power output from the solar panels.

So far, said the manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, Steve Stich, the panels are producing more power than expected. “The vehicle is doing extremely well as we put it through its paces,” Stich said Wednesday during a news conference. NASA had hoped Endeavour could stay docked to the space station for as long as 114 days, and Dragon should easily be able to meet that threshold.

**** Reuse of 1st stage boosters now required for sustaining SpaceX operations: For SpaceX, Falcon 9 reuse is now essential | Ars Technica

To complete all of these missions will require the company to continue to successfully return its first stages, push beyond five flights per booster, and possibly further reduce the turnaround time between missions. So far, the company’s record for the time required to check and re-certify a Falcon 9 first stage for flight is 63 days.

The bottom line is that today’s launch of a Falcon 9 rocket is an essential mission for the US Air Force. But for SpaceX, getting the new core back on the Just Read the Instructions droneship will be just as important to flying out a lengthy manifest in 2020. Reuse is no longer experimental; it’s on the critical path.

See also:

****  SpaceX’s Abandoned Plans – Final Episode (for now!) – Scott Manley

The final batch of projects which SpaceX announced development of but later abandoned in favour of other goals. As technology was developed some plans were realised to be beyond what was possible in the timescale, or more cost effective solutions were discovered, or the benefits weren’t going to deliver an advantage to the overall business.

**** Starship

****** Starship prototype SN5 takes center stage at Boca Chica. The test vehicle was rolled to the pad area and mounted on the launch structure last week. On Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning, cryogenic pressure tests with liquid nitrogen appeared to go well: Starship SN5 completes successful cryogenic proof, commencing test campaign – NASASpaceFlight.com

****** Elon hints he will continue his series of annual updates on the Starship program with a presentation this September: SpaceX Starship event expected this September, says Elon Musk – Teslarati

****** Latest animated illustration of the launch pad facility at Boca Chica: SpaceX Starship Launch Pad Update / June 24th, 2020 – Alex Rex

This short video shows a virtual flight over the Starship Facility in Boca Chica, TX on June 24th, 2020. It is kept as simple as possible with major focus on BUILDINGS, JIGS and STARSHIP-Parts. For other design projects, please visit my webpage: http://www.alexrex.de/

****** June 26: SpaceX Boca Chica – New downcomer arrives, thrust section spotted, and SN5 testing preps – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

A new downcomer and thrust section were spotted today for a future Starship prototype. Meanwhile, work at the pad continues to prepare Starship SN5 for testing. Video and Pictures from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer).

****** June 29:  SpaceX Boca Chica – Super Heavy and Future Starships line up ahead of SN5 test preps – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

Another epic sunrise marked the start of another day of work on SN5, future Starships and the Super Heavy launch site. SN5 is set for proof testing as early as Tuesday. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Brady Kenniston (@TheFavoritist).

****** Julye 2: SpaceX Boca Chica – Starship SN5 Preps for Raptor and Tracking Station Action – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

The Thrust Simulator is removed from the launch mount as SN5 is readied to receive a Raptor Engine and progress to the next phase in testing. A new nosecone is moved outside and the tracking station tracks Falcon 9 Stage 2 and GPSIII-3 shortly after launch. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@TheJackBeyer)

** Webcast rocket reports:

**** Starship updates with SN7 explosion & SN5 news, Starlink test terminals, Mars Perseverance Rover – Marcus House

Another action-packed week of space news. Starship updates with the SN7 explosion being a key topic of the week. SN5 updates continue with it rolling to the launch site. We’ve finally seen some Starlink test terminals (hopefully we’ll have access to these more broadly soon to trail the service). Rounding out all of that space goodness, NASA remains confident that the Mars Perseverance rover mission will launch on schedule, so we are eagerly awaiting that launch, now less than a month away.

**** SpaceX Starship Updates – Countdown To Mars: Perseverance’s Last Days On Earth – What about it!?

In this Episode, we will take another good look at the new SpaceX Super Heavy & Starship launch pad under construction in Boca Chica right now. We wil also take a look at a new Launch Control building, Starship SN7’s test to destruction, SN5’s roll out to the SpaceX Launch facility in Boca Chica and the Boston Dynamics Spot called Zeus, checking for hazards. Last but not least, we will take a look at the ongoing preparations for NASA’s and ULA’s launch of the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance towards the red planet.

=====

=== The Art of C. Sergent Lindsey ===

“Grainger Tomato” by C. Sergent Lindsey printed on a throw pillow. Available at Fine Art America.
Rockets, Space transport roundup

Space transport roundup – June.24.2020

A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here):

** SpaceX SN5 prototype Starship was moved to the launchpad from the assembly area this morning at Boca Chica Beach. Initial pressure testing is expected to start next Monday. This would be followed by at least one static firing of the engine(s). If those tests go well, then a low altitude hop would be the next step.

** SpaceX Starship test article SN7 was pressure tested to destruction on Tuesday. The tank had previously popped a leak on June 16th during its initial tests. Elon Musk indicated in Tweets then that the test reached a satisfactory 7.6 Bars of pressure before leaking rather than bursting. After repairs were made, the cryogenic pressure tests were resumed today with the intention of raising the pressure until the tank ruptured. No word yet from Elon on what pressure level was reached before the tank failed.  Here is a video of the event, which was much more dramatic than the earlier one:

Another view:

Find more about DM-2 and other SpaceX activities below

** China launched a Beidou navigation satellite on Long March 3B rocket this week. This completes the constellation for the  BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS). The launch took place from the inland Xichang space center in southwestern China. Images later surfaced showing the smoking remains of the booster near a lake. For decades China has sent such boosters into populated areas despite the fact that the rockets use very toxic propellants.

** Arianespace Vega to  launch 53 smallsats. The launch on the initial target date of June 20 was canceled due to upper level winds. No new date has been announced as of June 23rd. This will be the first launch of a Vega rocket since a launch failed for the first time on July 11, 2019after fourteen successful flights. This is also the first of the Vega’s Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) missions. The smallsats come from 21 different customers. A list of the spacecraft can be found in the Launch Toolkit (pdf).

** United Launch Alliance (ULA) carried out a wet dress rehearsal for the Atlas V launch of the Perseverance Mars mission.  The launch is currently set for July 20th. A wet dress rehearsal means the rocket was loaded with propellants and the steps in a launch were followed up to the moment when it would lift off the pad. There was no firing of the engine as happens with a SpaceX Falcon 9 pre-launch static test.

Wet Dress Rehearsal: Atlas V Mars 2020

** Skyrora launches low altitude sounding rocket: Hattrick for rocket company after first ever launch from Shetland soil | Skyrora

Edinburgh-based Skyrora successfully launched its Skylark Nano rocket from remote land, the Fethaland Peninsula at North Roe on the Scottish island on Saturday, the 13th of June.

Skyrora plans to launch from one of the three proposed spaceports in Scotland and commercially launching from Shetland in the future is a potential option for them.

Reaching an altitude of six kilometers, this marked the third time the 2 meter (6.5ft) projectile took to the skies. The launch was completed for educational purposes, collecting meteorological data, measuring wind profiles, analysing the vehicles trajectory and providing critical training in support of Skyrora’s future plans.

Skyrora invited local journalists to attend the launch and to be apart of the education and learning process. All social distancing measures were met during the launch days.

Robin Hague, Head of Launch said: “The launch signifies a vital step towards Skyrora’s ambitions to become the UK’s “go-to” satellite launch provider. We’re ecstatic and truly proud. This is a great success for Skylark Nano, and the Skyrora team in general. Launching from Shetland is very important for us because it’s a potential option for our Skyrora XL orbital commercial launch vehicle. To understand the local launch conditions learning more about the wind profiles in Shetland is critical.

“Skylark Nano’s third successive launch is testament to the engineers who have worked tirelessly to bring to life a reusable rocket that can provide valuable intelligence for the future of the UK space programme.”

It comes after Skyrora successfully completed a full static fire test on their Skylark-L launch vehicle.

Volodymyr Levykin, CEO, said: “With this successful launch from Shetland we are further closing the gap to making the UK a rocket launching nation again.

** Update on Relativity Space and the company’s large scale metal 3D printing technology: Relativity Space may be printing the future of more than just rocketry – SpaceQ

Yes, Relativity’s inexpensive launch capabilities are attracting clients. While Noone was not at liberty to discuss all of their potential clients, he did mention that Canada’s own Telesat is betting on Relativity Space to launch a portion of their LEO broadband satellite constellation. Relativity had made that announcement public in April of 2019 with Telesat’s approval.

As Noone pointed out, though, it’s much bigger than that. Nobody has ever had the resources or opportunity to learn this much about additive manufacturing. “Manufacturing as software” means that creating a single part or product is as economical as a million-part run; even creating new parts only waits on Relativity’s engineers and Stargate AI’s to sort out the optimal way to produce them. Iteration becomes as fast for hardware as it is for software. While Noone didn’t get into details, this could change manufacturing in ways that go far beyond rockets.

It’s also incredibly scalable. While only one Stargate [a very large 3D printer used to build the company’s rockets] currently exists, any new Stargate will be as capable as the first. A Stargate in their Mississippi facility has the same capabilities as the one in Los Angeles; and any future Stargates in any future factories would as well. A Stargate (with accompanying small printers) in Jakarta would be as capable as the one in Los Angeles. Terran rockets, with Aeon engines, could be built and launched almost anywhere.

** And Relativity gets a contract for future launches of Iridium replacement satellites : Iridium Selects Relativity Space as On-Demand Single Satellite Launch Partner — Relativity Space

Relativity Space today announced that Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM) has signed a launch contract to deliver satellites to orbit. The contract includes flexible timing for up to six dedicated launches to deploy Iridium’s ground spare satellites to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The launches will take place on an as-needed basis, determined by Iridium and utilizing Relativity’s Terran 1, the world’s first 3D printed launch vehicle. Launches are planned for no earlier than 2023.

See also:

** Rocket Lab to launch NASA probe to the Moon in 2021: How Rocket Lab plans to pull off its first mission to the Moon next year – The Verge

Rocket Lab is known for launching tiny satellites into Earth orbit, but the company has big plans to venture deeper into space, with its first mission to the Moon set for next year. Thanks to a contract with NASA, Rocket Lab will send a small spacecraft called CAPSTONE into orbit around the Moon to test out how to navigate in lunar orbit and help human missions to the Moon in the future.

It’ll be the most ambitious mission yet for Rocket Lab, which just launched its workhorse Electron rocket on its 12th flight this weekend. In total, the company has put up to 53 spacecraft into space, and so far, all of the those launches have sent satellites into low Earth orbit. But the company has been eyeing ways to push the envelope. “From day one that I came to Rocket Lab, it’s been an interest to stretch the legs of Electron and keep pushing to see what we can do,” Amanda Stiles, the Moon program manager for Rocket Lab who used to be the director for Google Lunar X Prize, tells The Verge. “And I know from the very highest levels of the company, there’s always been a big interest in going to the Moon.”

This mission will rely on a key piece of hardware that Rocket Lab has been using for the last few years: its Photon spacecraft. The cylindrical vehicle sits on the top of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket, propelling customers’ hardware into low Earth orbit. It can also serve as a customizable satellite that can carry various payloads and instruments into space. “For most people’s purposes, they’re looking at low Earth orbit, but it’s also flexible where we can upgrade it and use it as a platform for these more advanced missions,” says Stiles. “So, this is the first advanced version of a Photon for that purpose.”

Meanwhile, Rocket Lab wins two NRO launches: Rocket Lab wins NRO contracts for back-to-back launches – SpaceNews.com.

Here is an interview with Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab: Perspectives Video Interview with Peter Beck, Chief Executive, Rocket Lab – Satellite News

The next Electron launch is targeted for July 3rd: Rocket Lab to Demonstrate Fastest Launch Turnaround to Date | Rocket Lab

The mission, ‘Pics Or It Didn’t Happen,’ is scheduled to launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 Pad A on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula no earlier than 3 July, 2020 UTC— just days after the successful launch of Rocket Lab’s most recent mission, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now,’ on 13 June, 2020 UTC. The back-to-back missions will represent Rocket Lab’s fastest turnaround between missions to date.

‘Pics Or It Didn’t Happen’ will deploy seven small satellites to a 500km circular low Earth orbit for a range of customers, including Spaceflight Inc.’s customer Canon Electronics, as well as Planet and In-Space Missions.

** An interview with Simon Gwozdz, CEO and Founder of Equatorial Space Systems in Singapore. Space Café Podcast Episode 005 Featuring Simon Gwozdz Is Now Available – SpaceWatch.Global

** Briefs:

==================

Check out the
The Lurio Report
for news and analysis of key developments in NewSpace

The latest issue:
Riding a Dragon, Rockets Rising, Space Resource Policy
Vol. 15, No. 4, June 14, 2020

Space Frontier Foundation Award for NewSpace Journalism

==================

** SpaceX:

**** A SpaceX Falcon 9 launch of another batch of Starlink satellites along with two Blacksky earth imaging satellites is set to lift off on Thursday, June 25th at 4:39 pm EDT (2039 GMT).  A static test firing on the pad is planned for today.

**** SpaceX attracting strong customer response to rideshare opportunities on the Starlink launches:

**** Tom Mueller, former chief of SpaceX propulsion development, gave an on-line presentation and extended Q&A with the Launch Canada student/amateur rocketry group last Friday. His main emphasis was on his experiences with home built liquid-fueled rockets but he occasionally made a SpaceX related remark. See the Highlights entry in the comments there for an overview of topics discussed.

Tom gave this video conference yesterday to Canadian student rocketeers. The first hour focuses on his successes and failures in amateur rocketry and his early career, as well as future goals now that he took a back seat with SpaceX. In the second part, he answers various questions from the audience on rocketry, SpaceX, his personal life, and more.

** More rocket and spaceship projects discarded by SpaceX – Scott Manley

In its 18 year history SpaceX has developed a lot of concepts on paper which never made it to flight, or, were never made to work. Either way the company has a rich history of projects that seemed like a good idea at the time but fell out of favour due to difficulties with engineering, a dearth of time, or a lack of a customer wanting to pay the cost.

**** Starship

****** Boca Chica Beach kept rock’in for the past week. The Starship prototypes SN5 and SN6 were both fully stacked except for the nosecone sections. The SN7 test article under went repairs and then was pushed to its breaking point in a final pressure test (see video at the top of this blog item).

Multiple construction projects are also underway, including what may be a pad for SuperHeavy Booster tests.

A new launch stand was being readied for the SN5 prototype, which reached the launch site today (see item at top).

Fingers crossed that SN5 will not explode, implode, or destroyed by ground support equipment detonations and actually do a low altitude flight.

****** Elon Musk comments on offshore launch/landing platforms for Starship/Super Heavy operations:

See also Elon Musk names Hobart boat builder Incat as potential rocket pad supplier – ABC News

****** Videos of Boca Chica activities over the past week:

****** June 18: SpaceX Boca Chica – Starship SN5 & SN6 have a get together in the high bay – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

Starship SN5 and Starship SN6 were spotted together in the high bay. Meanwhile, SpaceX teams continue to prepare the launch site ahead of the resumption of full-scale Starship testing. Video and Pictures from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer).

****** June 19: SpaceX Boca Chica – Starship SN7 Repaired & Superheavy Launch Pad Construction – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

Starship SN7 is repaired and upgraded while the Superheavy Launch Pad undergoes further construction including pouring multiple new foundations. Cory’s Taco Dome makes a reappearance as well as some other unknown ring stacks. Video and Pictures from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer).

****** June 19:  SpaceX Boca Chica – Starships, Test Tanks, Big Cranes and Thrust Pucks – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

With Test Tank SN7 at the launch site, Starship SN5 and SN6 in the High Bay, a huge crane is being assembled and a new Thrust Puck was being transported during Friday. Video and Pictures from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer).

****** June 21:  SpaceX Boca Chica – Super Heavy Pad Construction & SN7 Test Prep – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

SpaceX teams continued to lay the foundations for the Super Heavy orbital launch pad in Boca Chica. Meanwhile, SN7 was getting ready for another round of testing and a large crane is on-site to assemble the new high bay. Video and Pictures from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer).

****** June 22: SpaceX Boca Chica – Super Heavy Pad Work and Flare Stack Returns – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

With SN7 preparing for testing on Tuesday, and the return of the Flare Stack – work at next door’s Super Heavy launch pad involved the installation of huge columns of rebar. Video and Pictures from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer).

** Webcast rocket reports:

*** SpaceX Starship News, Starship/Super Heavy offshore Spaceport and Starlink Beta Testing coming soon – Marcus House

**** SpaceX Starship Updates – Chinas Next-Gen Crew Capsule & Long March 5B Rocket Explained – What about it!?

=====

=== Space Art from C. Sergent Lindsey ===

Sweatshirt imprinted with “SpaceX Delivers the Goods” by C Sergent Lindsey.
Rockets, Space transport roundup

Space transport roundup – June.16.2020

A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here):

** SpaceX launches Starlink and Planet SkyNet satellites. Early Saturday morning, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral for the second time in June with a batch of satellites for the Starlink broadband Internet constellation. Rather than the usual 60 satellites, however, this flight carried 58 Starlinks, leaving out two to provide room for three SkyNet earth observation satellites from Planet Labs and their deployment mechanism. Not long after the upper stage reached orbit, the three SkySats could be seen drifting away during the live webcast. The subsequent deployment of the Starlinks took place during a communications gap. The Starlinks will use  their onboard propulsion systems to reach their final operating orbits.

A view of the Starlink and SkySat satellites before being enclosed in the nosecone fairings:

Three Planet SkySats at the top of the stack of Starlink satellite for the Starlink mission. Credits: SpaceX

A view of the launch from outside of the Cape: SpaceX-Starlink 8 Launch-Landing Burn 06-13-2020 – USLaunchReport:

The booster returned to Port Canveral this morning:

The nosecone fairings on this launch had flown previously. They were recovered intact from the ocean and could conceivably fly on third launch: SpaceX’s next rocket fairing reuse milestone within reach after latest recovery – Telsarati.

[ Update: Elon Musk comments on the fairings:


]

Find more about  other SpaceX activities below.

** Rocket Lab sent five smallsats to orbit on the 12th Electron launch from New Zealand just past midnight on Saturday morning US Eastern time. The payload included three test smallsats for NRO, the auroral plasma science ANDESITE 6U CubeSat built by students at Boston University , and the M2 Pathfinder communications test satellite from University of New South Wales campus at Canberra in Australia.

** Rocket Lab sets July 3rd for next Electron launch, three weeks after the mission described above:  Rocket Lab to Demonstrate Fastest Launch Turnaround to Date | Rocket Lab

The mission, ‘Pics Or It Didn’t Happen,’ is scheduled to launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 Pad A on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula no earlier than 3 July, 2020 UTC— just days after the successful launch of Rocket Lab’s most recent mission, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now,’ on 13 June, 2020 UTC. The back-to-back missions will represent Rocket Lab’s fastest turnaround between missions to date.

‘Pics Or It Didn’t Happen’ will deploy seven small satellites to a 500km circular low Earth orbit for a range of customers, including Spaceflight Inc.’s customer Canon Electronics, as well as Planet and In-Space Missions.

The primary payload aboard this mission, Canon Electronics Inc.’s CE-SAT-IB, was procured by satellite rideshare and mission management provider Spaceflight Inc. The mission objective for the CE-SAT-IB satellite is to demonstrate Canon Electronics Inc.’s Earth-imaging technology with high-resolution and wide-angle cameras, as well as test the microsatellite for mass production.

The next five spacecrafts manifested for this mission are the latest generation of SuperDove satellites manufactured by Planet, operator of the world’s largest constellation of Earth-observation satellites. Planet’s satellites are capable of imaging the Earth’s entire landmass on a near-daily basis. This unprecedented dataset helps researchers, students, businesses and governments discover patterns, detect early signals of change, and make timely, informed decisions. These five SuperDoves, Flock 4v, are equipped with new sensors to enable higher image quality with sharper, more vibrant colors and accurate surface reflectance values for advanced algorithms and time-series analysis.

The final spacecraft aboard Electron for this mission has been supplied by British small mission prime, In-Space Missions. The Faraday-1 6U CubeSat is a hosted payload mission providing a low-cost route to orbit for start-ups, institutions, and large corporate R&D groups.  In addition, it provides a first flight demonstration of In-Space’s own software-defined payload that will enable uploadable payload capabilities on future missions.  Faraday-1 is the first flight of the Faraday service with four future satellites already under contract.

See also Spaceflight Inc. Coordinates Rideshare Launch of Canon Electronics’ Second Earth Observation Satellite – Spaceflight.

** China sends an ocean observation satellite into orbit on a Long March 2C rocket:  China successfully launches new ocean observation satellite – Xinhua

China successfully sent an ocean observation satellite into orbit from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China’s Shanxi Province on Thursday.

A Long March-2C rocket, carrying the satellite HY-1D, lifted off at 2:31 a.m. (Beijing Time), according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

The new satellite will form China’s first satellite constellation for marine civil service together with HY-1C, which was launched in September 2018, and double the current ocean observation data, according to CNSA and the Ministry of Natural Resources.

See also Long March 2C lofts Haiyang-1D – NASASpaceFlight.com.

** Interstellar Technologies of Japan tried to reach suborbital space (100km) last Saturday with a MOMO sounding rocket. The MOMO-5 rocket lifted off and for 30 seconds or so the flight appeared to go well but then there was then a flash and spark-like debris was seen in the plume. The nozzle came apart. Nevertheless, the vehicle  continued upward for another 40 seconds and then began to tumble. The engine was shut off remotely and the vehicle fell into the sea about 4 miles offshore from the launch pad.

The rocket reached an altitude of about 11.5 kilometers. Surprisingly low considering how long the engine fired before the fault occurred. Other than the nozzle failure, all the other systems performed well. According to posts on the company’s Twitter account, another vehicle is already under construction.

More info at:

As its name suggests, Momo-F5 is the fifth sounding rocket built by Interstellar Technologies, which aims to build affordable rockets to “make space more accessible,” according to a statement. It stands 32 feet (10 meters) tall and weighs about 1 metric ton. The company has launched one successful mission, the Momo-F3 rocket flight of May 2019, out of its five to date.

Interstellar Technologies used the Campfire crowdfunding site to raise $391,000 (42 million yen) for the Momo-F5 launch, well above the mission’s goal of nearly $84,000 (9 million yen). The mission was named for the book “Poupelle of Chimney Town” by Akihiro Nishino.

** Astra will try again this July to launch a rocket to orbit from the Alaskan launch facility on Kodiak Island. San Francisco startup Astra is going for its first orbital rocket launch in July – CNBC.

** Briefs:

==================

Check out the
The Lurio Report
for news and analysis of key developments in NewSpace

The latest issue:
Riding a Dragon, Rockets Rising, Space Resource Policy
Vol. 15, No. 4, June 14, 2020

Space Frontier Foundation Award for NewSpace Journalism

==================

** SpaceX:

**** The Director General of Roscosmos not thrilled with SpaceX success in launching crew to the ISS and taking commercial satellites to GEO:

Responses to Rogozin plus comments on the Raptor engine:

  • Elon Musk: “Quite a piece! I should credit Soviet/Russian engine work in the 80’s as being a factor in deciding to switch from H2 to CH4. They demonstrated excellent performance on test stands, with Isp up to 380 secs.”
    • Elon Musk “Combined with SpaceX deep subcooling of propellants to near liquefaction temp of N2, use of common dome (CH4 & O2 liquid at similar temps) & higher T/W of engines enables de facto higher delta-V than an H2/O2 stage”.
    • Just a Tinker: “Folks don’t realize the mass penalty using hydrogen as rocket fuel. The Space Shuttle’s External Tank carried about four time the volume of liquid hydrogen than its liquid oxygen. Hydrogen is light but takes room that equates to larger tanks. Liquid methane takes much less room.“
    • Elon Musk: “Also, insulation of a deep cryogen ( which I’d call anything that liquifies nitrogen aka 78% of air) is heavy & prone to heat leaks. H2 is hell.“
  • Everyday Astronaut: “I know you’d never add unecessary complexity in the manufacturing line, but I’m still surprised you never made a closed cycle Merlin Vacuum to get closer to that 380 mark. Especially with SpaceX’s experience with ox rich preburners now with Raptor Rocket“.
  • Elon Musk: “We could never reach 380 Isp with RP/kerosene. CH4 has higher Isp potential on paper, but even better in practice. With CH4, you can reach >99% of max theoretical combustion efficiency, but RP is ~97% on a good day & requires desooting of turbines between flights.”
  • Elon Musk: “Important technical note: due to higher O/F of CH4 vs RP1 (oxygen is dense) & significant density increase of subcooled CH4 (plus no common dome insulation needed), plus cryo strength bump of CH4, tank mass of CH4/O2 stage is almost same as RP1/O2.“
  • Everyday Astronaut: “So now that Raptor’s been pushed through its paces and more and more in actual production, how’s it looking? Manage any full duration tests yet? Re-firing / re-using looking better than Merlin yet?“
  • Nick Wijngaards: “I’m curious to see new test footage or specs improvements of the raptor engine. SN1 vs SN20 Rocket“
  • Elon Musk: “Hundreds of improvements in manufacturability primarily (this is by far the hardest problem), mass down, thrust up, Isp up. Current improvement list continues past SN50. As the saying goes, it’s 1% inspiration & 99% perspiration …”
    • James Tyrrell: “We’re on SN5/6/7 and there are plans continuing past SN50!! well.. holy shit.“
    • Elon Musk: “Actually, we’re on SN30 for Raptor.“
  • Everyday Astronaut: “Some day can we get a video compilation, “How not to run a full flow staged combustion engine” like the booster landing montage. Face with tears of joy I’ll bet there’s some speculat failures when pushing Raptor, that would be an amazing video“
  • Elon Musk: “Sure. That’s long montage.“

**** Amazing Camera Views From Inside SpaceX Rocket Fairings – Scott Manley

On Tuesday a great video was posted from the fairing of a SpaceX rocket carrying a payload of Starlink Satellites. It was one of the best looks at the interior of the fairings which are practically independent spacecraft able to control their entry & descent to steer their way to a rendezvous with the recovery vessels.

**** Major upgrades planned for the McGregor test facility: SpaceX pursues local funding for $10 million upgrade to McGregor plant – wacotrib.com

The rocket company launched by billionaire Elon Musk will spend $10 million on infrastructure improvements at its rocket-testing facility in McGregor. The upgrades will include “noise suppressors,” which should prove welcome to those within earshot of SpaceX’s rumbling, window-rattling rehearsals.

Waco City Council and McLennan County Commissioners Court will vote Tuesday on sending SpaceX $2 million from the Waco-McLennan County Economic Development Corp. fund, with each entity allocating $1 million.

**A cool view of the separation of the booster from the upper stage and of the booster using its thrusters to reorient itself for its return for landing:

**** Starship

****** Labeled SN7 by observers, a shortened version of a Starship tank was moved to the launch area at Boca Chica Beach last week. (A similar shortened tank named SN2 was pressure tested back in March to check wielding techniques.) On Monday the tank was pressured tested until it failed. A rupture was much less dramatic than previous failures in which parts and metal were hurled about.

Elon said the test results were positive:

****** The full scale Starship prototype SN5 is expected to roll out to the pad area in a few days. It will mount on a new stand that’s nearly complete. The previous stand was destroyed by a fiery explosion when methane fuel ignited after leaking from a failed disconnect mechanism at the base of the SN4 vehicle. A ram mechanism has been installed in the stand for pushing on the bottom of the tank. This presumably simulates the stresses on the tanks during a launch to orbit. Arocket’s tank must deal not only with the internal pressure of the propellant but also the increase in the propellant’s effective “weight” as the rocket accelerates.

The original plan was for SN4 to do a low altitude hop powered by its single Raptor engine. SN5 would then do higher altitude flights using 3 Raptors. The presumption of observers is that SN5 will still get 3 Raptors despite SN4’s destruction before it had a chance to fly.

Assembly of prototype Starships SN6 is also nearly complete. See videos below for views of the construction of the Starship prototypes.

****** Elon Musk has indicated that launches of the huge Starship/Super Heavy booster combo will most likely require an offshore facility due to safety issues and loudness. It appears the preparations for development of such a facility are underway:

****** June 11: SpaceX Boca Chica – 304L Starship Sections Appear as Roll Lift Rides In – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

Lots of pre-rollout preps ongoing at SpaceX Boca Chica for SN5 and SN7 test tank as more Starship Sections – made from the new 304L Steel rings – appear at the production facility. Video and Pictures from the awesome Mary (@bocachicagal).

June 12: Starship SN7 Tank Rollout – SPadre – YouTube

June 14: SpaceX Boca Chica – Starship SN6 Stacking as SN5 heads outside. – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

With SN7 Test Tank at the launch site, Two “Grown Up” Starships – SN5 (now outside of the High Bay) and SN6 – (into final stacking) are preparing for the test campaigns. Video and Photos from Mary (@BocaChicaGal) – Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer)

June 16: SpaceX Boca Chica – SN7 test tank reaches 7.6 bar during pressure test. – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

The SN7 test tank reached 7.6 bar during pressure testing to failure, per SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. With some improvements, Musk expects the next test tank to be able to achieve even higher pressures. Video and Pictures from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by (@thejackbeyer)

** Webcast rocket reports:

**** SpaceX Starship is now the top priority, Crew Dragon updates, Starlink launch with Planet rideshare – Marcus House

** SpaceX Starship Updates – Super Heavy Preparations – What about it!?

Today we will take a first look at SpaceX’s preparations for the largest booster Rocket ever built. Super Heavy. We will recap everything, that’s happened since the last Episode, look at the latest Starship Prototype progress, look into what Elon Musk had to say and last but not least, take a look at possibly the first efforts of getting infrastructure in place to support Super Heavy.

=====

=== Space Art from C. Sergent Lindsey ===

Sweatshirt imprinted with “SpaceX Delivers the Goods” by C Sergent Lindsey.
Rockets, Space transport roundup

Space transport roundup – June.10.2020

A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here):

** SpaceX to launch another batch of Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket this week, the second such launch in June. Liftoff at Cape Canaveral is set for 5:42 am EDT (0942 GMT). Here is a video from SpaceX showing the fairings separating from the Falcon 9 on the recent Starlink launch:

Find more about other SpaceX activities below

** Rocket Lab Electron set to launch on Thursday June 11:. The liftoff is set for a window between 12:43-2:32 a.m. EDT ( 0443-0632 GMT)

See also:

** Update on development of ULA Vulcan launch system: Vulcan on track as ULA eyes early-2021 test flight to the Moon – NASASpaceFlight.com

United Launch Alliance has announced their Vulcan rocket is progressing towards its maiden launch as soon as early-2021. While an exact launch target isn’t known yet, the mission will use a newly-built Launch Umbilical Tower while sharing Atlas V’s Vertical Integration Facility and SLC-41 launch pad in Florida.

** Update on ESA’s reusable Prometheus engine: ESA moves ahead on low-cost reusable rocket engine – ESA

ESA’s Prometheus is the precursor of ultra-low-cost rocket propulsion that is flexible enough to fit a fleet of new launch vehicles for any mission and will be potentially reusable.

At the Space19+ Council meeting in Seville, Spain last November, ESA received full funding to bring the current Prometheus engine design to a technical maturity suitable for industry. Developed by ArianeGroup, Prometheus is now seen as key in the effort to prepare competitive future European access to space.

By applying a design-to-cost approach to manufacturing Prometheus, ESA aims to lower the cost of production by a factor of ten of the current main stage Ariane 5 Vulcain 2 engine.

Rendering of the reusable methane fueled Promethus engine.

** Sierra Nevada posts snapshots from Dream Chaser assembly:

** Briefs:

==================

Check out the
The Lurio Report
for news and analysis of key developments in NewSpace

The latest issue:
Masten Goes Lunar, Rocket Lab, New Space and a Virus
Vol. 15, No. 3, May 2, 2020

Space Frontier Foundation Award for NewSpace Journalism

==================

** SpaceX:

**** SpaceX aiming for four launches in June:

  • June 3:  Successful launch of Starlink 7
  • June 12 – Starlink 8 + Planet Labs SkySats 16-18
  • June 24 – Starlink 9 + Two Blacksky/LeoStella satellites
  • June 30 – USAF GPS-III-SV03

Acceleration of the Starlink deployments is very important for the company and two or more Starlink flights per month are likely to become the norm: Evaluating SpaceX’s Starlink Push – NASASpaceFlight.com.

**** A Falcon 9 booster landed after a 5th flight following the Spacelink 8 launch on June 3rd. A previous booster flew five times but its 5th landing failed due to a mistake during refurbishment. The boosters for the Falcon 9 Block 5 vehicles, considered the final major variant of the F9 system, were designed to fly 10 times before undergoing either major refurbishment or retirement. So this booster will no doubt be used for a 6th flight. Turn around times were predicted by Elon Musk to go as low as 24 hours but so far have not been less than a couple of months. With the pressure on to launch Spacelink satellites as quickly as possible, it will be interesting to see if the turnaround times decrease substantially.

**** Booster from June 3rd Starlink launch has already gone horizontal at Port Canaveral. Leg retractions now happen quite soon after the boosters are lifted from the landing platforms onto the dock.

A video of the booster returning to Port Canaveral on June 7th:

**** Starlink and Dragon spacecraft share some hardware and software technology: SpaceX engineers flash some facts about Starlink satellites – Geekwire

    • The technology used for the display screens on the Crew Dragon also provided the basis for the user interface on the first two prototype Starlink satellites, launched in 2018. “It’s grown a ton since then, but it was awesome to see Bob and Doug using something that somehow felt familiar to us too,” Monson wrote.
    • SpaceX relies on the Linux operating system in its satellites as well as its rockets. “Each launch of 60 satellites contains more than 4,000 Linux computers,” Monson said. “The constellation has more than 30,000 Linux nodes (and more than 6,000 microcontrollers) in space right now. And because we share a lot of our Linux platform infrastructure with Falcon and Dragon, they get the benefit of our more than 180 vehicle-years of on-orbit test time.”

**** NASA agrees to allow crew missions to fly with previously flown Dragon spacecraft and first stage boosters. This is similar to what happened with cargo missions. After initial flights with all new systems are performed successfully, NASA will allow to the utilization of previously flown Dragon 2 vehicles and F9 boosters. There will be certification procedures to insure the systems are as ready for flights as  new unused systems would be.

**** Astronauts launched on first crewed Dragon mission will stay at the ISS till August. : NASA anticipates August return for Hurley and Behnken – Spaceflight Now

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will likely return to Earth in August to wrap up a test flight to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, a senior space agency official said Tuesday.

The exact schedule for Hurley and Behnken’s return to Earth will hinge on several factors, such as the performance of their Crew Dragon spaceship, the progress of their work on the space station, and weather conditions in the capsule’s landing zones in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, according to Ken Bowersox, the acting associate administrator for NASA’s human exploration and operations mission directorate.

Bowersox said Tuesday that the Crew Dragon’s Demo-2 mission — the first SpaceX mission to carry astronauts — is proceeding as planned, and the crew capsule is performing well since its launch on a Falcon 9 rocket May 30 from the Kennedy Space Center and docking with the space station one day later.

The first operational crew mission with four astronauts aboard a Dragon is expected to lift off in late August or early September:

NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi are training for the Crew-1 mission. The Crew-1 flight will only launch after the return of the Demo-2 mission, and a subsequent review of data from the Crew Dragon test flight.

While the spacecraft for the Demo-2 mission came with a four-month certified mission lifetime, the Dragon for the Crew-1 flight will be certified for a full-duration 210-day mission, according to NASA.

Stich said there are several modifications to the capsule SpaceX is building for the Crew-1 mission, although major components such as the capsule’s life support system and guidance, navigation and control systems are largely unchanged.

“The Crew-1 vehicle can land in a little bit higher wind state,” Stich said. SpaceX has changed some of the outer composite panels to make that a little stronger.”

“It also has the capability not only dock to the forward port of the space station, but it can go to the zenith (space-facing) port as well, so it has that capability, and it has a couple other features,” Stich said.

**** 10 years since the launch of the first Falcon 9. Here’s an article about the history of the F9 highlighted by a couple of interesting stories about improvisations that got the early F9s into orbit on time: Forget Dragon, the Falcon 9 rocket is the secret sauce of SpaceX’s success | Ars Technica

Musk hated to substantially delay the mission. With this first launch of the Cargo Dragon spacecraft, he knew full well SpaceX stood to make history. No private company had ever launched a spacecraft into orbit before and then safely retrieved it. So he took out his phone and rang up Marty Anderson, one of the company’s ace technicians.

“Hey Marty, do you think you can just go and climb in the interstage and cut the bottom six inches off the skirt?” Musk asked.

No joke—Musk wanted Anderson to go into the rocket with a pair of metal shears and trim the bottom of the skirt. This was the solution to a tear in an engine nozzle.

Anderson was game. Hours later, he flew on Musk’s private jet from the company’s factory in California to Florida, got into a lift, and rode a crane up to the interstage. This happened with the rocket standing upright, out on the launch pad. Soon, Anderson had snipped away the skirt at the bottom of the engine.

**** Starship

****** The cleanup following the SN4 explosion proceeded rapidly and another launch platform will be ready soon. According to road closure schedules and FAA notices, the SN5 prototype is expected to roll out to the launch site this week and engine tests restarted soon thereafter.

More at SpaceX set for a swift return to testing following Starship SN4 anomaly – NASASpaceFlight.com.

** Elon makes Starship the primary focus for SpaceX. With the successful launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft to the ISS with two astronauts on board, the development of the Falcon vehicle Crew systems is essentially complete. The company will need to insure that Crew and Cargo operations are carried out efficiently and safely, but the hardware development segments of the company can now move on to other projects. These will now be centered on development of the Starship and its Super Heavy Booster systems: Elon Musk email to SpaceX employees: Starship is the top priority – CNBC

SpaceX launched astronauts for the first time barely a week ago but CEO Elon Musk does not want the company resting on its laurels.

Instead, Musk urged SpaceX employees to accelerate progress on its next-generation Starship rocket “dramatically and immediately,” writing Saturday in a company-wide email seen by CNBC.

“Please consider the top SpaceX priority (apart from anything that could reduce Dragon return risk) to be Starship,” Musk wrote in the email.

See also

****** SpaceX drops plans to restart Starship activities at a facility at Port of L.A. While some design and component manufacture will be carried out at the Hawthorne, California headquarters, it appears that Texas will be the primary site for most all Starship  development, assembly, and testing activities.

****** View of the Boca Chica facilities:

The next major structure for Boca Chica is a building to assemble the huge Super Heavy booster: SpaceX’s Starship Super Heavy booster needs a custom assembly tower – Teslarati

**** Selections of videos showing activity at Boca Chica during the past week:

****** June 5: SpaceX Boca Chica – Starship SN7 taking shape as launch site is prepared for SN5 – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

With Starship SN5 days from rolling to the launch site Starship SN7 sections (inc. “mystery dome”) are being prepared for stacking next to Starship SN6 in the High Bay! Video and Photos from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer)

****** June 6:  SpaceX Boca Chica – New Starship Nosecone Peeking – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

While preparations continue at the launch site for the arrival of Starship SN5, future Starships are lining up for their turn. Another new nosecone was spotted peeking out of one of the big tents. Video and Photos from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer)

****** June 8:  SpaceX Boca Chica – Launch Pad prepares to receive Starship SN5 – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

Lots of work on the newly installed launch mount at the Boca Chica launch site was ongoing on Sunday as Starship SN5 prepares for this coming week’s rollout for testing. Video and Photos from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer)

****** June 8:  SpaceX Boca Chica – SN6 prepares as launch site work continues – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

While work continues at the SpaceX Boca Chica launch site ahead of Starship SN5’s arrival later this week, Starship SN6 is almost ready to become a complete stack via work on the thrust section. Video and Pictures from Mary (@bocachicagal)

****** June 9: SpaceX Boca Chica – SN7 dome goes for a flip – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

Three Starships in work at SpaceX Boca Chica, highlighted by a flip of a SN7 dome, that is either a common or top dome, but is certainly looks different to previous domes. Video and Photos from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer).

** Webcast rocket reports:

**** SpaceX Starship News with SN5, SN6 and SN7, Crew Dragon to be reused for Crew flights, Starlink – Marcus House

**** Scott Manley reviews rocket designs that SpaceX proposed but later dropped:

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=== Space Art from C. Sergent Lindsey ===

Sweatshirt imprinted with Space Art from C. Sergent Lindsey.