Rocket Lab succeeds in placing three satellites in orbit on second test launch
Capitalism in space: The small rocket company Rocket Lab successfully placed three smallsats in orbit on the second test launch of its Electron rocket yesterday.
I have posted the video of the launch below the fold. Everything unfolded smoothly and without any issues, including the video feed. This success bodes well for Moon Express’s effort to win the Google Lunar X-Prize, which has a deadline the end of March. Though Rocket Lab had said it wants to do three test launches before initiating commercial services, they have already initiated those services with the placement of three satellites by two customers on this launch yesterday. They have also hinted that if this launch was a success they might accelerate commercial operations.
In addition, ULA successfully launched a military satellite on two days ago with its Atlas 5 rocket. The 2018 launch stands are thus as follows:
4 China
2 ULA
1 SpaceX
1 Rocket Lab
1 Japan
1 India
I should add that though the U.S.’s total matches China at the moment, the government shut down prevents any further U.S. launches. It also prevents SpaceX from doing its Falcon Heavy static fire test. (I wonder: would this be an issue if SpaceX was launching from its private launchsite at Boca Chica?)
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Capitalism in space: The small rocket company Rocket Lab successfully placed three smallsats in orbit on the second test launch of its Electron rocket yesterday.
I have posted the video of the launch below the fold. Everything unfolded smoothly and without any issues, including the video feed. This success bodes well for Moon Express’s effort to win the Google Lunar X-Prize, which has a deadline the end of March. Though Rocket Lab had said it wants to do three test launches before initiating commercial services, they have already initiated those services with the placement of three satellites by two customers on this launch yesterday. They have also hinted that if this launch was a success they might accelerate commercial operations.
In addition, ULA successfully launched a military satellite on two days ago with its Atlas 5 rocket. The 2018 launch stands are thus as follows:
4 China
2 ULA
1 SpaceX
1 Rocket Lab
1 Japan
1 India
I should add that though the U.S.’s total matches China at the moment, the government shut down prevents any further U.S. launches. It also prevents SpaceX from doing its Falcon Heavy static fire test. (I wonder: would this be an issue if SpaceX was launching from its private launchsite at Boca Chica?)
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Great video!
Q:
At about 21:30 in this video–there’s a call for “hot-swapping,” and then a part of the rocket is ejected –to what does that refer & what are they doing at that point?
“Why The Electron Rocket May Be Cheapest Way To Get To Space”
Scott Manley 1-21-2018
https://youtu.be/U5k1mlu6A7I
5:55
Lots-o-factoids on the rocket. Very well done.
>”hot-swap,”– dumping depleted engine battery packs.
Looks like Rocket Lab launched more than 3 smallsats.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/did-we-put-in-space-rocket-lab-boss-says-mysterious-payload-aboard-electron
From NSF:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=43625.msg1775253#msg1775253
I’m expecting some feminist to get all upset because there were no women in the Rocket Lab control room…
Jordan B Peterson:
“Why so many Male Engineers and Female Nurses?”
https://youtu.be/d7uZOAzVRgU
3:12
Facinating!
I hadn’t paid attention to Rocket Lab and didn’t know about the electric turbo pump.
Funny that it’s RL and not Tesla’s sister company that chose to use electric motors and LI batteries to drive it’s pumps.
It’s been something the auto industry has kicked around – using an electric motor to drive a supercharger compressor rather than exhaust gas or a belt drive. The advantage is better control (no turbo lag) but the added cost/weight/packaging issues seem to have held it back.
I wonder how disposable rocket use affected the calculations – the batteries don’t have to withstand multiple charge/discharge cycles and the motor can also be designed for a limited lifespan.
Wonder how it will work out. If the small launcher market proves lucrative, I’d think Space X may be in a position to whip up a small launcher using 2 – 5 Merlins. They are mass producing (by rocket industry scales) Merlins and they have used (recovered) Merlins, so their engine cost should be quite low…
Mitch-
Good stuff!
The battery pack they jettisoned apparently weighs around 200 kg. (ref: Scott Manley video) and they do use an inverter in the loop.
Can someone dig into the specs on this? Do we know how much “electric” they need and for how long? (we’re going for amps, is that correct?)
btw: Excellent staging-video!
(I’d like more telemetry in the future, but not going to whine about it– great video all around!)
-Totally fanciful and I don’t want to distract from the actual reality of the success–(I got wrapped up in Tesla-Stuff on the science-channel yesterday…) could we ever beam electricity to a rocket in flight?
Willi
January 22, 2018 at 9:59 am
I’m expecting some feminist to get all upset because there were no women in the Rocket Lab control room…
Did you just assume their gender? Report to the re-education super fun camp.
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Rocket_Lab_successfully_circularizes_orbit_with_new_Electron_kick_stage_999.html