{"id":19952,"date":"2019-10-17T15:15:44","date_gmt":"2019-10-17T19:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19952"},"modified":"2019-10-17T19:58:33","modified_gmt":"2019-10-17T23:58:33","slug":"space-transport-roundup-oct-17-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19952","title":{"rendered":"Space transport roundup &#8211; Oct.17.2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find <a href=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5\">previous roundups here<\/a>):<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Rocket Lab launches ninth Electron rocket<\/strong> with <a href=\"https:\/\/astrodigital.com\/\">Astro Digital<\/a> satellite: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rocketlabusa.com\/\">Rocket Lab successfully launches ninth Electron mission, deploys payload to highest orbit yet | Rocket Lab<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The mission, named \u2018As The Crow Flies,\u2019 lifted off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand\u2019s M\u0101hia Peninsula at 01:22 UTC, 17 October 2019 (14:22 NZDT). Approximately 71 minutes after lift-off, Electron\u2019s Kick Stage deployed the payload to a circular orbit of more than 1,000 km &#8211; more than twice the altitude of any Electron mission to date. The mission successfully demonstrated recent upgrades to the Kick Stage\u2019s 3D-printed Curie engine, including the move to a bi-propellant design for improved performance. Curie also serves as the propulsion system on Rocket Lab\u2019s Photon satellite bus, and the flight-proven engine upgrades support enduring missions in LEO, as well as higher orbits.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>This mission takes the total number of satellites deployed by Rocket Lab to 40 and continues the company\u2019s track record of 100% mission success for customers.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The spacecraft on board was a Palisade technology demonstration satellite &#8211; a 16U CubeSat with on-board propulsion and next generation communications systems developed by Astro Digital, and software developed by Advanced Solutions Inc. including an advanced version of ASI\u2019s MAX Flight Software.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This video of the webcast shows the liftoff at the 15:05 point. There are also interesting background stories about the company&#8217;s rocket making process, plans for reusing the first stage, the launch site, etc.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gI_Ng4SGyUY?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Composite vehicle frame for Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser ready for full assembly<\/strong> and preparation for first flight in 2021:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2019\/10\/dream-chaser-path-flight-primary-structure-snc\/\">Dream Chaser on a path to maiden flight as primary structure arrives at SNC &#8211; NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sncorp.com\/press-releases\/dream-chaser-primary-structure-arrives-in-colorado\/\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dream Chaser Primary Structure Arrives in Colorado &#8211; Sierra Nevada Corporation<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>&#8230;The structure is the largest piece of technology to make up Dream Chaser and the most advanced high-temperature composite spaceframe ever built.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><em>The primary structure is a pressurized composite structure that will contain pressurized payloads heading to the International Space Station. The structure was manufactured by subcontractor Lockheed Martin and recently shipped from their Fort Worth, Texas facility to Louisville, Colorado, where Dream Chaser is being built and integrated by SNC.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Design highlights:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Uses advanced composite 3D woven assembly methods and represents the most advanced high-temperature composite spaceframe ever built.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Structure is about 30 feet long by 15 feet wide and approximately 6 feet high and weighs roughly 2,200 pounds.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Materials include carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs), more traditionally referred to as \u201ccomposites.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>The use of CFRP materials instead of aluminum and titanium alloys, lowers manufacturing costs for creating a unique, aerodynamically complex spaceframe design.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Composites decrease the amount of thermal protection required compared to an aluminum primary structure.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Advanced 3D woven construction minimize penetrations to the hot lower aeroshell.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_19939\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19939\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sncorp.com\/press-releases\/dream-chaser-primary-structure-arrives-in-colorado\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"19939\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=19939\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/credited-primary-structure-picture.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"648,600\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dream Chaser Primary Structure\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The primary structure for the Dream Chaser arrives at the SNC Colorado facility.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/credited-primary-structure-picture.jpg\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-19939\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/credited-primary-structure-picture-500x463.jpg\" alt=\"Dream Chaser Primary Structure \" width=\"500\" height=\"463\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/credited-primary-structure-picture-500x463.jpg 500w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/credited-primary-structure-picture.jpg 648w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-19939\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The primary structure for the Dream Chaser arrives at the Sierra Nevada Corp. Colorado facility. Credits: SNC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>** <strong>South Korea&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/perigee.kr\/\">Perigee Aerospace<\/a> to launch from the <a href=\"https:\/\/southernlaunch.space\/whalers-way\">Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex<\/a><\/strong> on the southern Coast of Australia. The Whalers Way facility is a project of the Australian company, <a href=\"https:\/\/southernlaunch.space\/\">Southern Launch.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/southernlaunch.space\/news\/2019\/9\/30\/southern-launch-welcomes-perigee-aerospace\">Southern Launch Welcomes Perigee Aerospace \u2014 Southern Launch<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.satnews.com\/story.php?number=1851978087&amp;utm_source=Satnews&amp;utm_campaign=2640e44db1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_10_14_02_52&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_88f38d81f3-2640e44db1-70602045&amp;mc_cid=2640e44db1&amp;mc_eid=61a06f05bb\"> Perigee Aerospace Signs on to Use Southern Launch Rocket Facilities in South Australia &#8211; Satnews<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>** <strong>Launcher company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyrora.com\/\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Skyrora<\/a> of Scotland opens a new facility<\/strong> and begins firing tests of a \u00a030kN rocket engine: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insider.co.uk\/news\/scottish-space-explorer-completes-crucial-20574603\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Scottish space explorer completes crucial first phase of tests &#8211; Business Insider<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">UK launch company <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Skyrora_Ltd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Skyrora_Ltd<\/a> has released some footage of its latest engine test, a 30kN engine that will fly on its orbital launch vehicle Skyrora XL.<\/p>\n<p>This is from a new European test site, although for &#8220;commercial reasons&#8221; (?) the company isn&#8217;t revealing the location. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QcX4dnV3of\">pic.twitter.com\/QcX4dnV3of<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jonathan O\u2019Callaghan (@Astro_Jonny) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Astro_Jonny\/status\/1183709401397579776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 14, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>**<strong>Report\u00a0 released on flight safety of the proposed Georgia spaceport<\/strong>. While waiting for FAA licensing process to be completed, <a href=\"https:\/\/spaceportcamden.us\/\">Spaceport Camden<\/a> management says that they have been working<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>&#8230; to determine a way to increase transparency about the project\u2019s licensing information without complicating the agency\u2019s ongoing review or releasing sensitive or export-controlled information that cannot lawfully be shared with the public. Pursuant to those goals, the County initiated the development of a publicly releasable report, prepared by The Aerospace Corporation, that describes the project\u2019s flight safety analysis.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The report can be viewed at <a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/camdencountyboc\/docs\/vtr-2019-01516\/26\">Flight Safety Analysis for Spaceport Camden County &#8211; CamdenCountyBOC &#8211; issuu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Today China launched a Long March 3B with the TJSW-4 <\/strong>military satellite, whose capability and mission have not been publicized: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2019\/10\/long-march-3b-launches-tjsw-4\/\">Long March 3B launches TJSW -4 &#8211; NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Official launch video by Our Space<\/p>\n<p>&#x2139;\uff1a<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/t9dvACjy4U\">https:\/\/t.co\/t9dvACjy4U<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/uodRQUvhQ5\">pic.twitter.com\/uodRQUvhQ5<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 LaunchStuff (@LaunchStuff) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LaunchStuff\/status\/1184868751172345856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 17, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>China developing a second super heavy rocket<\/strong> in addition to Long March 9: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ecns.cn\/news\/2019-10-15\/detail-ifzpuyxh5818520.shtml\">Initial research on rocket ends successfully &#8211; ecns.cn<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>According to the report, the new rocket is being designed at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in Beijing. Its main body will be 87 meters tall, which means it will be almost twice as tall as the Long March 5, currently the biggest of China&#8217;s rockets.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The gigantic craft will boast liftoff weight of about 2,200 metric tons, nearly triple that of the Long March 5. This will enable the rocket to place a 25-ton spacecraft in a lunar transfer trajectory, the newspaper said.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The Long March 9 is expected to fly in 2030.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>&#8220;But it is necessary for China to develop a new rocket for manned missions because such a rocket will offer us a new option, besides the Long March 9, for future explorations to the moon or other deep-space destinations,&#8221; he said.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>&#8220;And compared with the Long March 9, it will have lower costs and can enter service earlier.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>According to the designers&#8217; plan, a Long March 9 will be capable of lifting 140 tons of payload into a low-Earth orbit or a 50-ton spacecraft to a lunar transfer trajectory. The 100-meter colossal machine will also be able to ferry 44 tons of payload to a Mars transfer orbit.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Indian <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isro.gov.in\/launcher\/rlv-td\">RLV program<\/a> to do a drop test of a prototype reusable spaceplane<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deccanchronicle.com\/science\/science\/161019\/isro-readies-its-swadeshi-space-shuttle.html\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Isro readies its Swadeshi space shuttle &#8211; DeccanChronicle.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), for the first time, will be tested on land \u2014 the 2.2 km runway at ATR to be precise \u2014 with its under carriage in position after a freefall from a helicopter flying at an altitude of three km. The onboard computer will help the RLV to glide for some distance before touching down like an aircraft, scientists at Isro told Deccan Chronicle.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_19945\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19945\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isro.gov.in\/technology-development-programmes\/reusable-launch-vehicle-technology-demonstration-program-rlv-td\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"19945\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=19945\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/rlv1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1200,829\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Indian spaceplanes in orbit\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Artist&amp;#8217;s view of reusable space planes in orbit, which is the goal of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstration  program (RPV-TD) aims to develop.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/rlv1-1024x707.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-19945 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/rlv1-500x345.jpg\" alt=\"Indian spaceplanes in orbit\" width=\"500\" height=\"345\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/rlv1-500x345.jpg 500w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/rlv1-768x531.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/rlv1-1024x707.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/rlv1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-19945\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist&#8217;s view of reusable space planes in orbit, which is the goal of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstration program (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.isro.gov.in\/technology-development-programmes\/reusable-launch-vehicle-technology-demonstration-program-rlv-td\">RLV-TD<\/a>) aims to develop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>** <a href=\"http:\/\/www.spacex.com\"><strong>SpaceX<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n<p>***<strong> NASA funding to assist development of in-orbit refueling of Starships<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.floridatoday.com\/story\/tech\/science\/space\/2019\/10\/12\/nasa-shows-interest-spacexs-starship-orbital-refueling-ambitions\/3957775002\/\">NASA shows interest in SpaceX&#8217;s Starship orbital refueling ambitions &#8211; Florida Today<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The technology to dock spacecraft and transfer propellants or other necessities has a history in spaceflight, but doing so autonomously and in more modern ways has long been sought after by NASA, commercial satellite operators, and even the Department of Defense.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Having that ability could mean spacecraft such as Starship go on longer voyages; or it could help existing satellites in orbit around Earth stay in their positions longer without having to shut down due to fuel depletion. And it doesn&#8217;t have to just be fuel \u2013 such docking maneuvers could help pave the way for in-orbit repairs and servicing, too.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>A new Starship\/Super Heavy animation was posted by SpaceX<\/strong> this week. The in-orbit refueling starts at about the 1:15 point.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/C8JyvzU0CXU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>More details on development of the vacuum version of the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Raptor_(rocket_engine_family)\">Raptor<\/a> engine<\/strong> released by Elon Musk: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-starship-raptor-vacuum-engine-upgrade-elon-musk\/\">SpaceX&#8217;s Starship Raptor Vacuum engine plans laid out by CEO Elon Musk<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Elon Musk says that SpaceX Starship engine upgrades are on track to begin static fire tests of a Raptor Vacuum variant as few as a \u201ccouple months\u201d from now.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Designed to enable more efficient performance in thin atmosphere or vacuum, Musk admitted that the first version(s) of Raptor Vacuum (RVac) will likely be a compromise between efficiency and speed of development. Nevertheless, the faster SpaceX can prepare Raptor Vacuum for flight, the easier it will be for Starship to begin serious (sub)orbital flight tests.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Raptor vertical test stand under construction at McGregor, Texas facility<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2019\/10\/spacex-renovating-falcon-stand-mcgregor\/\">SpaceX renovating former Falcon 9 test stand at McGregor &#8211; NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-elon-musk-starship-raptor-test-stand-upgrades\/\">SpaceX Starship&#8217;s Raptor engine test facilities are about to get a big upgrade, says Elon Musk &#8211; Teslarati<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>According to CEO Elon Musk, SpaceX\u2019s Starship and Super Heavy rockets are about to get a new test stand that will enable additional and more useful static fire tests of their Raptor engines.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>These modifications could reportedly lead to a simplified engine design and will generally expand SpaceX\u2019s ability to rapidly acceptance-test a huge number of Raptors \u2013 a necessity given that each Starship\/Super Heavy pair will need up to 43 engines.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>Latest on SpaceX efforts to buy out Boca Chica home owners<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brownsvilleherald.com\/news\/local\/no-place-like-home-spacex-extends-deadline-reappraises-boca-chica\/article_525c0628-ec78-11e9-8569-6b8454847ef1.html\">No place like home: SpaceX extends deadline, reappraises Boca Chica properties &#8211; Brownsville Herald<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kveo.com\/news\/update-spacex-residential-buyout\/\">UPDATE: SpaceX residential buyout | KVEO-TV<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>*** <strong>Recent views of Boca Chica Beach facilities<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/L2k4HVcAMgo?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"und\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JCzInG7zGI\">pic.twitter.com\/JCzInG7zGI<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 SPadre (@SpacePadreIsle) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SpacePadreIsle\/status\/1184192285669543936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 15, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>And of the Cocoa Beach Starship site<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MiuxC-xfF_Q?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SpaceX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SpaceX<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Starship?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Starship<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/MK4?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#MK4<\/a> stacking has begun 17 October 2019. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/skDfMea1GD\">pic.twitter.com\/skDfMea1GD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 John Winkopp (@John_Winkopp) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/John_Winkopp\/status\/1184849912250470400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 17, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong>Update<\/strong>: More about the start of construction of a third demo starship: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2019\/10\/17\/spacex-starts-construction-of-another-starship-rocket-in-florida.html\">SpaceX starts construction of another Starship rocket in Florida &#8211; CNBC<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>SpaceX now has three of its next-generation Starship rockets under construction, as aerial video shows the latest developments at the company\u2019s facility in Florida.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The first bands of stainless steel for another Starship rocket were put on a stand Thursday, and were captured in a video taken from a flying drone. Former commercial pilot John Winkopp took the video and gave CNBC permission to use his footage.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>SpaceX sea fleet grows to assist reusability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212; Two ships will now be deployed for satellite missions so that both nosecone fairings can be caught: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-prepared-first-dual-falcon-9-fairing-catch\/\">SpaceX preparing to catch two Falcon 9 fairings at once with twin net-carrying ships &#8211; Teslarati<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212; And another sea-going platform is being prepared so that both side boosters of a Falcon Heavy can land at sea: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/elon-musk-says-spacex-building-third-drone-ship\/\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Elon Musk says SpaceX is still building a third drone ship &#8211; but is it for Falcon or Starship? &#8211; Teslarati<\/a><\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>Lots of launches for Falcon 9 and Starship rockets<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-starlink-constellation-upgrade-forty-thousand-satellites\/\">SpaceX could upgrade Starlink constellation with tens of thousands of satellites<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">====<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1524742414\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1524742414&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=hobbyspace&amp;linkId=079d0abd89e653831609367e775bdb25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><strong>Delta-v<\/strong><\/em><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&amp;l=am2&amp;o=1&amp;a=1524742414\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe style=\"width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=tf_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=hobbyspace&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1524742414&amp;asins=1524742414&amp;linkId=044d01889d5c6fded3f9c6e28680f86a&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here): ** Rocket Lab launches ninth Electron rocket with Astro Digital satellite: Rocket Lab successfully launches ninth Electron mission, deploys payload to highest orbit yet | Rocket Lab The mission, named \u2018As The Crow Flies,\u2019 lifted off from Rocket Lab &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19952\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Space transport roundup &#8211; Oct.17.2019<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rockets"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-5bO","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17320,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17320","url_meta":{"origin":19952,"position":0},"title":"Videos: Rocket Lab launches Electron rocket with NASA sponsored CubeSats","author":"TopSpacer","date":"December 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Rocket Lab today successfully launched an Electron rocket from the Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand. The vehicle reached low earth orbit and its kick stage later circularized its orbit and then deployed 13 small satellites sponsored by NASA, including several university built CubeSats: https:\/\/youtu.be\/KZwLJMPuos8 Here is a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Amateur\/Student Satellite&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Amateur\/Student Satellite","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Trevor-Launch-71-1024x683.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24572,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=24572","url_meta":{"origin":19952,"position":1},"title":"Space transport roundup: Part 1 &#8211; Orbital Launches &#8211; Oct.27.2021","author":"TopSpacer","date":"October 27, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport from late July till today (find previous roundups here). The roundup is split into three postings: Part 1 Orbital launches Part 2: Light orbital lift development, suborbital, space transport articles, news, videos, etc. Part 3 SpaceX Falcon 9, Dragon,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/LV0007_11.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/LV0007_11.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/LV0007_11.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/LV0007_11.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/LV0007_11.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/LV0007_11.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":23898,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=23898","url_meta":{"origin":19952,"position":2},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; Part 2: Everybody Else &#8211; May.18.2021","author":"TopSpacer","date":"May 18, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is a sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here). Today's Part 1 Roundup focused on\u00a0 SpaceX. Part 2 here reports on other companies and organizations. ** Rocket Lab Electron second stage fails in launch attempt; First stage recovered from sea. Two\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/RecoveredFirstStage-May2021_750x1000-375x500.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":22618,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=22618","url_meta":{"origin":19952,"position":3},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; Sept.3.2020","author":"TopSpacer","date":"September 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here): ** SpaceX flies the prototype Starship SN6 on a low altitude hop: The SN6 flew today following a postponement on Sunday believed due to high winds, which continued until today. In what looked like\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/SpaceXDelivers-PhoneCase_2-500x285.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16274,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16274","url_meta":{"origin":19952,"position":4},"title":"Rocket Lab to launch an Electron with 5 payloads including Irvine CubeSat built by high schoolers","author":"TopSpacer","date":"June 22, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This evening US time and Saturday afternoon New Zealand time, Rocket Lab will attempt to launch the third Electron rocket\u00a0into orbit. The rocket is to lift off from the Mahia Peninsula on the\u00a0east coast of\u00a0New Zealand's\u00a0North Island. You can watch the launch via the rocketlabusa.com\/live-stream webcast. The vehicle is carrying\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Education&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Education","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/OnPad-June19-2018-1024x683.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17050,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17050","url_meta":{"origin":19952,"position":5},"title":"Lots of rocket launches planned for next 10 days","author":"TopSpacer","date":"November 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Several rocket launches around the world are scheduled for the next couple of weeks. Most of these will be webcast. ** Rocket Lab Electron - Nov.10\/11, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. EST (0300-0700 GMT on 11th) - Rocket Lab is ready to put several commercial smallsats into low earth orbit on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Events&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=37"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&l=ur2&o=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19952"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19952\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19960,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19952\/revisions\/19960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}