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SpaceX
Welcome to Edition 6.18 of the Rocket Report! In this article we’ve a double dose of reports from China, where there are two separate efforts to duplicate SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. On the American side of the pond we even have two stories about United Launch Alliance and its effort to get Vulcan flying, and the associated fee of the rocket’s delays.
As all the time, we welcome reader submissions, and should you don’t need to miss a problem, please subscribe using the box below (the shape won’t appear on AMP-enabled versions of the location). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets in addition to a fast look ahead at the subsequent three launches on the calendar.
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Chinese company tests vertical landing. A Chinese business rocket company has successfully launched and safely landed a test article on its path to developing a reusable launch vehicle, Space News reports. Beijing-based Interstellar Glory Space Technology Ltd., also often known as iSpace, launched the Hyperbola-2Y single-stage hopper on Thursday. The methane-liquid oxygen reusable test vehicle rose to a height of 178 meters during its 51-second flight.
… After this ascent, the hopper performed a powered descent and soft landing, supported by 4 landing legs. The three.35-meter-diameter, 17-meter-long test stage is powered by a variable thrust Focus-1 engine. The vertical takeoff, vertical landing test marks progress toward a reusable medium-lift rocket that might debut in 2025. It is usually the most recent marker in Chinese efforts to emulate the success of SpaceX and its Falcon 9 rocket. (More on that below). It’s price noting that SpaceX performed similar tests with its “Grasshopper” vehicle a couple of decade ago. Blue Origin is the one other company to land rockets which have flown to space. (submitted by Ken the Bin and EllPeaTea)
Isar will make its debut launch from Norway. Through the opening ceremony for the Andøya Spaceport in Norway, Isar Aerospace said the debut launch of its Spectrum rocket would happen from there. When the spaceport on an island north of the Norwegian mainland is accomplished, it should have several launch pads. Isar Aerospace may have exclusive access to the primary launch site, which was built to Isar’s specifications, including a launch pad, payload integration facilities, and a mission control center.
… “Along with Andøya Spaceport, our team has created a wonderful piece of engineering, the primary orbital launch site in continental Europe which can bring this access to space to Norway, and back to Europe,” said Daniel Metzler, CEO and co-founder of Isar. “For Isar Aerospace, this step equals entering the ultimate stages of our path to first flight.” The corporate says it’s currently within the production phase of all parts of the rocket, including the flight engines. Recently, the Aquila engine accomplished a 260-second hot fire test. The rocket stages will then need to undergo acceptance testing, a series of tests that can confirm that the systems meet all essential requirements for flight. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
Phantom Space signs satellite deal. An organization called Tropical Weather Analytics says it has agreed to a “strategic partnership” with Phantom Space to design, manufacture, launch, and operate its Hurricane Hunter Satellite Constellation. Weather Analytics says its 12U CubeSats will “provide unprecedented 3D spatial resolution and revisit rate (five times per day) on a worldwide scale.” As a meteorologist, I can actually say that such coverage of developing and lively hurricanes could be a boon to forecasting.
… “Our team is committed to leveraging our extensive experience to develop and launch a reliable and advanced satellite constellation,” said Jim Cantrell, CEO of Phantom Space. “This partnership exemplifies our mission to offer progressive solutions that address pressing global challenges.” The news release makes other interesting statements, including Phantom’s vision of mass manufacturing and launching a whole bunch of rockets. I suppose we’ll discover. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
Minuteman III test terminated because of anomaly. The flight of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was terminated over the Pacific Ocean early on Wednesday morning because of an “anomaly,” the Air Force said. The launch originated from Vandenberg Space Force Base, and the unarmed missile’s flight ended safely.
… “An anomaly is any unexpected event in the course of the test,” the Air Force said in an announcement. “Since anomalies may arise from many aspects regarding the operational platform itself, or the test equipment, careful evaluation is required to discover the cause.” Several organizations will investigate the failure, which should help make sure the reliability of the Minuteman fleet.