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ЦитироватьRocket Lab‏Verified account @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) · 15 hours ago (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/849280022082981890)

Electron standing tall at @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) Launch Complex 1. First test flight in coming months. Stay tuned.

ЦитироватьЧебурашка пишет:
P.S. Последнее сообщение у них в твиторе посвящено празднованию 12 апреля. Больше ничего

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏ (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA)  @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA)  11 мая (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/862492473771347968)

An exciting day for us as we unveil the mission patch for 'It's a Test - the first ever orbital launch attempt from a private facility.

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 35 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/863816603976302592)

Rocket Lab says the first launch of its Electron rocket is now planned for a 10-day window starting in a week:

http://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-sets-date-for-first-electron-launch/

ЦитироватьRocket Lab sets date for first Electron launch
by Jeff Foust (http://spacenews.com/author/jeff-foust/) — May 14, 2017

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/155687.jpg)
Rocket Lab's first Electron rocket, seen here in a hangar at the company's New Zealand launch site, is scheduled for launch during a 10-day window that opens May 21. Credit: Rocket Lab
 
WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab, the U.S.-New Zealand company developing the Electron small launch vehicle, plans to carry out its first flight in a window that opens May 21.

The company announced May 14 that a 10-day window for the first Electron launch, which the company has dubbed "It's a Test," will open at 5 p.m. Eastern May 21 (9 a.m. local time May 22) from the company's launch site at Mahia Peninsula on New Zealand's North Island.

Спойлер

"We are all incredibly excited to get to this point," Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab, said in a statement about the planned launch. "Our talented team has been preparing for years for this opportunity and we want to do our best to get it right."
 
The company is setting expectations for a test launch that may suffer delays and could end in failure. "During this first launch attempt it is possible we will scrub multiple attempts as we wait until we are ready and conditions are favorable," Beck said in the statement.

The launch, as the company's name for it emphasizes, is a test flight, with no satellite payload on board. The launch is the first of three such test flights Rocket Lab plans before beginning commercial launches later this year.

Rocket Lab plans to carry out the launch largely out of public view. The company said a press kit about the mission that there will be no public viewing sites in the vicinity of its New Zealand launch site for this mission. There are also no plans to webcast the launch, although the company said it will provide video footage "following a successful launch."

Although Rocket Lab is launching from New Zealand, the company is headquartered in the United States, and thus will require a launch license from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for this and future Electron missions. As of May 14, the FAA had not published a launch license for this flight.
 
The Electron is a small launch vehicle capable of placing up to 150 kilograms into a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. The rocket's first stage is powered by nine Rutherford engines, burning liquid oxygen and kerosene for two and a half minutes. A single modified Rutherford engine is used on the second stage, which releases the rocket's payload into orbit seven and a half minutes after liftoff.

Rocket Lab had planned to launch Electron last year, but suffered delays because of both vehicle and launch site development. In a March interview, Beck said he still hoped to perform five to seven launches this year, including the three test launches and initial commercial missions.

Among its customers is Moon Express, a Florida-based company facing a deadline of the end of this year to launch its commercial lunar lander in the Google Lunar X Prize competition. Other customers include NASA, who awarded the company a Venture Class Launch Services contract in 2015, and Planet and Spire, two companies developing constellations of Earth-monitoring cubesats.

In March, Rocket Lab announced that it had raised $75 million in a Series D financing round, led by two venture capital firms, Data Collective and Promus. The company has raised $148 million to date, and said the new round would allow it to increase Electron production capacity.

[свернуть]

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 5 ч назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/863817619656163328)

On May 22 NZST, we will open a 10 day window in which our team will attempt a first launch of our Electron rocket.

ЦитироватьElectron Test Launch Window Announced
Posted on 15 May 2017
 
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/209676.jpg)

Here we go! We are about to open a 10 day launch attempt window from May 22, 2017, for the first launch attempt of our Electron rocket.

The launch, titled 'It's a Test', will take place from our private orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1, on the Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand.

This is a significant milestone for Rocket Lab and the space industry globally. We are about to enter the next phase of the Electron program, which will see the culmination of years of work from our dedicated team here at Rocket Lab.

'It's a Test' is all about gathering data. There are over 20,000 channels collected during the flight. We will use this information to learn and iterate.

Спойлер

As with any new rocket, there are a lot of factors that come together ahead of a test and we're not going to fly unless we're ready. It's highly possible we will scrub multiple attempts as we fine tune and wait for favorable weather conditions.

We're committed to making space accessible. Thanks for your interest and support - it means a lot to us.

[свернуть]

Stay tuned!

Cheers,
Pete

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 3 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/863848986981015552)

Target for 'It's a Test' - an elliptical orbit, varying between 300 - 500km at an 83 degree inclination.
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/156415.jpg)

ЦитироватьАлексей пишет:
проект с самого начала выглядит очень серьезно

ЦитироватьЧебурашка пишет:
А если успешно улетит, на какую страну запишут пуск? Новую Зеландию?

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA)  18 мин (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/864408476096659457)

We successfully completed a wet dress rehearsal at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 today. Let's hope for the same weather next week! #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 12 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/864767665839230977)

Rutherford is specifically designed for Electron and is the first of its kind to use 3D printing for all primary components #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162461.jpg)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185936.jpg) The FAA‏Подлинная учетная запись @FAANews (https://twitter.com/FAANews) 6 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/FAANews/status/864868145810599936)

.@faanews (https://twitter.com/FAANews) has licensed the @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) Electron rocket launch in New Zealand. Learn more: http://bit.ly/2qp1Wqi  (https://t.co/Poi7JlLE1V) #FAASpace (https://twitter.com/hashtag/FAASpace?src=hash) (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/125513.png)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162478.jpg)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 2 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/864979195629142016)

Rocket Lab is pleased to welcome new customer @SpaceflightInc (https://twitter.com/SpaceflightInc) to our launch manifest! http://bit.ly/2pMDQqF  (https://t.co/4N2aG0brtL)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162505.jpg)

ЦитироватьRocket Lab Signs Launch Contract with Spaceflight
Posted on 18 May 2017
 
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/210003.jpg)
 
Rocket Lab today announces a new customer contract with Spaceflight, the launch services and mission management provider. Spaceflight has purchased an Electron rocket to increase the frequency of its dedicated rideshare missions.

Dedicated rideshare for smallsats is a launch where several payloads share the same vehicle to a specific destination. An an entirely carbon-composite vehicle, designed to carry payloads of 225kg to an elliptical orbit and up to 150kg to a nominal 500km sun synchronous low earth orbit, the Electron is ideal for dedicated rideshare missions. It is especially suited to those serving difficult-to-come-by launch destinations, such as mid-inclination orbits for remote sensing satellites.

Спойлер

Curt Blake, President of Spaceflight's launch business, said, "There are numerous rideshare launches each year to Sun Synchronous Orbit, but getting to 45 to 60 degrees is hard to find, and can cost the equivalent of buying an entire rocket. We are thrilled to be working with Rocket Lab to enable our customers' remote sensing missions that require high revisit time over North America, Europe, and the Middle East."

Peter Beck, Rocket Lab CEO, added, "We are incredibly excited about the upcoming test launch of the Electron, which will take us one step closer towards the commercial phase of our program. We are delighted that Spaceflight has chosen to sign up as a customer ahead of testing, reflecting confidence in Electron and its ability to provide frequent launch opportunities to low Earth orbit."

[свернуть]

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 5 ч назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/865130082356146176)

Mission Control (MCC) is the technological hive of Rocket Lab where more than 25,000 data channels are processed during a launch #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162528.jpg)

ЦитироватьHYDROPAC 1722/17
 WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
 NEW ZEALAND-NORTHEAST COAST.
 DNC 06.
 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
 0030Z TO 0530Z DAILY 22 MAY THRU 03 JUN
 IN AREAS BOUND BY:
 A. 39-11.55S 177-46.67E, 39-11.55S 178-04.93E, 
 40-02.91S 178-04.85E, 40-03.46S 177-57.27E.
 B. 44-20.42S 177-49.33E, 44-13.44S 179-22.06E, 
 48-01.00S 179-34.04W, 48-19.73S 178-50.20E.
 2. CANCEL THIS MSG 030630Z JUN 17.//
 Authority: CNW 123/17 170515Z MAY 17.
 Date: 170619Z MAY 17
 Cancel: 03063000 Jun 17

HYDROPAC 1720/17
 SOUTH PACIFIC.
 DNC 06, DNC 29.
 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS SPACE DEBRIS
 0030Z TO 0530Z DAILY 22 MAY THRU 03 JUN
 IN AREAS BOUND BY:
 A. 44-13S 179-22E, 48-01S 179-34W,
 48-20S 178-50E, 44-20S 177-49E.
 B. 58-28S 176-32W, 62-52S 173-58W,
 63-10S 175-50W, 58-41S 178-28W.
 2. CANCEL THIS MSG 030630Z JUN 17.//
 Authority: NAVAREA XIV 43/17 162130Z MAY 17.
 Date: 162136Z MAY 17
 Cancel: 03063000 Jun 17

ЦитироватьPIN пишет:

ЦитироватьАлексей пишет:
проект с самого начала выглядит очень серьезно

Работает таки черный цвет!

Цитироватьinstml пишет:
Осталось меньше суток до пуска.

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 48 мин.48 минут назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/866200524634247168)
Peter, our CEO, checking out the wind. Don't worry - we also have a weather station out there! Weather is set to improve soon. #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/155917.jpg)
 https://twitter.com/i/videos/866200524634247168

  (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185831.jpg) Chief of Air Force‏ @CAF_NZ (https://twitter.com/CAF_NZ) 4 ч.4 часа назад (https://twitter.com/CAF_NZ/status/866158276815106048)
Wishing Peter Beck and the entire team at @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) every success for Electron's first test flight this week.
 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162737.jpg)
 
  (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185447.jpg) Pavel Senko‏ @senko (https://twitter.com/senko) 4 ч.4 часа назад (https://twitter.com/senko/status/866153808010686464)
Калифорнийская компания Rocket Lab получила разрешение на три тестовых космических запуска в Новой Зеландии
https://www.apnews.com/09212fb00aad40ff86a1bbba27787b5a?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg)  Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA)  1 ч.1 час назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/866198795326967809)  
High winds have prevented vehicle rollout and launch preparation. Launch for Monday May 22 delayed a day to Tuesday May 23 (NZST). #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)

ЦитироватьSmall satellite launcher set for first orbital test flight this week
May 20, 2017 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/05/) Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/126474.jpg)
The Electron rocket at Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula on New Zealand's North Island during a May 16 wet dress rehearsal. Credit: Rocket Lab

[свернуть]

The first test flight of Rocket Lab's commercially-developed Electron launcher was held up by weather Sunday, but conditions could improve for a launch attempt Monday fr om New Zealand to place an instrumented rocket stage into Earth orbit in a demonstration of the company's low-cost delivery system for lightweight satellites.

The two-stage rocket's launch window opens at 2100 GMT (5 p.m. EDT) Sunday, or 9 a.m. Monday in New Zealand, but officials caution the test flight could blast off any time through June 1.

Launch managers will assess the readiness of the Electron booster, ground facilities and weather before attempting a launch, according to Rocket Lab, a U.S.-New Zealand company headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, with a design and engineering office in Auckland.

Rocket Lab said Sunday that high winds prevented rollout of the Electron rocket to the launch pad in New Zealand in time for a countdown Monday, local time. The earliest the launcher could take off is now Tuesday morning in New Zealand, or Monday afternoon, U.S. time.

Спойлер

The 55-foot-tall (17-meter) Electron rocket is designed to place small satellites into orbit for commercial and government owners. Rocket Lab says it will charge $4.9 million per flight, significantly less than any other launch provider flying today, and offer a dedicated ride for payloads that currently must ride piggyback with a larger payload.

The maiden flight of the Electron, christened "It's a Test," is the first of three test launches Rocket Lab plans in the coming months.

"We are all incredibly excited to get to this point," said Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, in a statement. "Our talented team has been preparing for years for this opportunity and we want to do our best to get it right. Our number one priority is to gather enough data and experience to prepare for a commercial phase. Only then can we can start delivering on our mission to make space more accessible."

With money fr om venture capital funds in Silicon Valley and New Zealand, along with a strategic investment from Lockheed Martin, Rocket Lab completed the design and qualification of the Electron rocket with less than $100 million since the company was established in 2006, according to Beck.

"We've done a lot in a short period of time with a little," Beck said in a March interview with Spaceflight Now.

Rocket Lab's progress was marked with test launches of more than 80 sounding rockets since the company's formation.

The total money invested in Rocket Lab to date is $148 million, and the company was valued at more than $1 billion during a Series D financing round closed in March.

Rocket Lab's launch base, dubbed Launch Complex 1, is located on Mahia Peninsula on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The facility — the first privately-operated orbital launch range — sits on an outcrop overlooking the Pacific Ocean, a site Rocket Lab says allows it to put safely place satellites in a range of orbits, including sun-synchronous perches preferred by Earth observation craft, without flying over land.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/126475.png)
Mahia Peninsula is located on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, around 240 miles (380 kilometers) southwest of Auckland. Credit: Google Maps/Spaceflight Now

The Federal Aviation Administration is the regulatory agency overseeing the launch base and Electron missions because Rocket Lab is headquartered in the United States.

The FAA approved a launch license for the first three Electron orbital test flights May 15 after a series of countdown rehearsals that involved loading the rocket with propellants and checking its ignition and destruct systems.

The target for the Electron's debut launch is an orbit between 186 miles (300 kilometers) and 310 miles (500 kilometers) in altitude, inclined 83 degrees to Earth's equator.

But the rocket will not carry any commercial satellites. Only an inert payload and sensors to monitor the performance of the Electron will be aboard the inaugural mission.

"It's all instrumentation," Beck told Spaceflight Now. "It's a giant flying laboratory. We'll learn what we got right and what we got wrong and roll that information into the next vehicle, so that we can come out of the test flight program with three flights under our belt and move into our commercial flight program with our customers knowing that the vehicle is very well understood."

More than 20,000 channels of instrumentation are on the first Electron rocket.

Future Electron missions could loft up to 330 pounds (150 kilograms) of payload to a circular sun-synchronous polar orbit 310 miles above Earth.

A Rocket Lab spokesperson said the company will provide daily updates on the status of the launch beginning Sunday, but Rocket Lab does not plan to provide a live video stream of the flight.

"Due to the likelihood of postponements, test launch attempts will not be live streamed, but video footage of a launch and other press materials will be made available as quickly as possible following the launch attempt," Rocket Lab said in a press kit detailing the launch.

"During this first launch attempt, it is possible we will scrub multiple attempts as we wait until we are ready and conditions are favorable," Beck said.

Made of black carbon composite materials, the 3.9-foot-diameter (1.2-meter) Electron rocket is powered by Rutherford engines, a powerplant developed by Rocket Lab engineers that burns a mixture of kerosene and liquid oxygen.

Each Rutherford engine generates around 4,600 pounds of thrust, using battery-powered pumps to cycle the engine's liquid propellants, an innovation Rocket Lab describes as "entirely new" in rocket propulsion.

The Electron's engine, named for the New Zealand-born nuclear physicist Ernest Rutherford, is the first of its type to be primarily 3D-printed. Each Rutherford engine, including its engine chamber, injector, pumps and main propellant valves, can be printed in 24 hours.

Nine Rutherford engines drive the Electron's first stage, producing around 34,500 pounds of thrust at liftoff, and powering up to 41,500 pounds of thrust later in the flight. A single Rutherford engine is on the Electron's second stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBiZqHpZBV4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBiZqHpZBV4)

Readying the commercial launch range in New Zealand proved to be just as much a challenge as the rocket itself, Beck said.

"We are not just commissioning the launch vehicle, but we're commissioning an entire launch range, including all the flight termination assets and all the telemetry assets," Beck said in March. "We've got downrange tracking stations that we own on remote islands in the Pacific, so it's not just a matter of rolling the vehicle out to an established pad.

"It's the very first time that the FAA has provided a truly commercial launch license, so there's a lot of work in that," Beck said.

Personnel from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska have been in New Zealand for several months to set up and test tracking and range safety systems at the Mahia Peninsula launch site.

Ground crews spent the last few months checking connectivity between tracking stations and verifying the destruct mechanisms on the Electron rocket could terminate the flight if it went awry.

Beck said the maiden launch will fly with manual and autonomous flight termination systems, and future Electron missions will likely carry just a self-destruct device, which simplifies the infrastructure required for a rocket launch.

"The range is a massive undertaking," Beck said. "You don't realize how good you've got it until you go and build your own range and realize what's involved in that. Anybody who turns up at KSC (Kennedy Space Center) has it great, that's for sure."

A crew of around 45 engineers and managers stationed at Rocket Lab mission control in Auckland and at a range control center at Mahia will be in charge of the countdown.

Public access to the area around the launch base will be cut off beginning around six hours before liftoff, and the Electron will be lifted vertical by a support tower and filled with kerosene fuel at T-minus 4 hours.

Liquid oxygen will be pumped into the rocket beginning at T-minus 2 hours, 30 minutes, and the Electron's on-board computers will take control of the countdown at T-minus 2 minutes.

Ignition of the nine first stage Rutherford engines will occur at T-minus 2 seconds. The engines will throttle up to full power as computers verify their health before the Electron is released from the pad.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/126476.jpg)
Aerial view of Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand. Credit: Rocket Lab

The rocket will clear the launch pad's 4-story launch tower within about three seconds, then pitch to the south on an azimuth of 174 degrees, climbing past the altitude of most commercial airliners within about a minute, according to Rocket Lab.

Rocket Lab has released a timeline of major events expected during the Electron's maiden test launch:

[/li]
• T+plus 2 minutes, 30 seconds: First stage engine cutoff
• T+plus 2 minutes, 34 seconds: First stage separation
• T+plus 2 minutes, 36 seconds: Second stage ignition
• T+plus 3 minutes, 7 seconds: Payload fairing jettison
• T+plus 7 minutes, 24 seconds: Electron reaches orbit
• T+plus 7 minutes, 26 seconds: Second stage engine cutoff
  

The initial flights of the Electron will be expendable, or single-use, but officials have not ruled out modifying the booster for multiple launches.

Rocket Lab says it could launch once every 72 hours from the Mahia Peninsula base once commercial operations commence, but Beck said the company also has agreements to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska.

"We aim to do two flights a week," Beck said. "That was the reason we sel ected this site in New Zealand to build the first commercial orbital launch site. Luckily, we don't have much air traffic at all, but still we have to close a large portion of the Pacific airspace when we fly."

If successful, the Electron test launch will be the first commercial rocket to reach Earth orbit from a launch complex in the Southern Hemisphere.

"The New Zealand site gives us unprecedented frequency, but we also acknowledge that there are certain customers that want to launch from the U.S. as well," Beck said. "We'll get through the test flight program down here, and we intend to build sites up in the U.S. The reason why we called it Launch Complex 1 is because we intend on building more than one."

Beck said launches going into orbits over Earth's poles could take off from Alaska, while other missions could be based from Kennedy Space Center.

NASA is one of several customers who have signed up for a launch with Rocket Lab to place multiple small research satellites into orbit, committing to a nearly $7 million launch contract in October 2015. That mission is scheduled to lift off later this year.

 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/126477.jpg)
The Electron rocket horizontal at Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. Credit: Rocket Lab

The U.S. space agency also signed launch contracts with two other company's working on micro-launchers in the same class as the Electron: Virgin Galactic and Firefly Space Systems.

The air-dropped LauncherOne rocket, now part of a Virgin division known as Virgin Orbit, could conduct its first test launch by the end of this year. Firefly ran into financial trouble last year and halted development of its Alpha launch vehicle.

Rocket Lab also has a commercial launch deal with Moon Express, one of the competitors vying for the Google Lunar X Prize, for three missions to send micro-landers to the moon, the first of which must depart by the end of 2017 to win the prize.

Other Rocket Lab customers include Planet, a San Francisco company which builds and manages a fleet of CubeSats in orbit designed to take daily images of Earth's surface. Planet's launches to date have been on supply ships heading for the International Space Station, wh ere the CubeSats are deployed, and as secondary payloads aboard Indian rockets.

Customers with satellites released from the space station or launched on the same booster with larger spacecraft often have little say about wh ere or when their payloads go into space, a problem companies like Rocket Lab intend to solve.

Planet signed a launch agreement in 2016 with Rocket Lab for at least three dedicated Electron flights, beginning this year.

Spire Global also also agreed to send its CubeSat-type satellites to orbit on up to 12 Electron rocket launches, expanding the San Francisco-based operator's fleet of commercial weather forecasting and maritime tracking spacecraft.

Rocket Lab has also sold one Electron mission to Spaceflight, a Seattle company which aggregates small satellites from commercial, academic and government customers to share launches into orbit. Spaceflight and Rocket Lab did not announce a date for the rideshare flight in a press release last week disclosing the launch contract.

Rocket Lab's latest infusion of $75 million fr om venture capital funds in March will help the company "scale up" its production to be ready for the anticipated launch rate, Beck said.

"The 3D-printed engine is a big part of that," Beck said. "Right now, with six printers, we can produce one engine every 24 hours, so if we need to produce more engines, we can just buy more printers. We put ourselves in a very scaleable situation, and now we just need to execute on that."

The funding will also go toward outfitting a new rocket 150,000-square-foot rocket factory in Huntington Beach, California, and upgrading Rocket Lab's existing facilities in New Zealand.

"Certainly, the rubber is hitting the road, so to speak," Beck told Spaceflight Now. "We've got our first test flight, and we've got two other test flights right behind that. Both vehicles are rolling through the factory right now. In lots of ways, it's a big moment of the company, not just to get through the test flights, but to scale and produce these vehicles in more significant numbers."

[свернуть]

Цитироватьinstml пишет:
Ракету не сдуло?  :)

Цитироватьitwik пишет:
а разве там грузомакет, как указано в заголовке темы?

ЦитироватьДимитър пишет:
3 пуска с грузомакетами!?

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186040.jpg)  Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight)  42 мин.42 минуты назад (https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/866632473794555904)
Rocket Labs maiden launch of Electron is NET 8:30 pm Eastern (pending weather). Launch site rivaling Tanegashima on beauty?
 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162464.jpg)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 54 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/866792255339634688)

Launch currently on hold due to weather - high clouds causing risk of triboelectrification. Updates to follow #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 8 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/866808841337307139)

Launch postponed for the day due to risk of triboelectrification. Will try again tomorrow! #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)

Цитироватьtnt22 пишет:
due to risk of triboelectrification

ЦитироватьЧебурашка пишет:

Цитироватьtnt22 пишет:
due to risk of triboelectrification

Бгг... знакомое слово.
Эта та неведомая хня, что вынудила перенести на сутки пуск самой большой модели ракеты в мире - Ареса I-X ?

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 3 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/866893286920691712)

Launch attempt could be any time between 1pm - 5pm, May 24 - June 2 (NZST). Weather and operational factors can impact exact time. #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)

Video (https://twitter.com/i/videos/tweet/866893286920691712)

ЦитироватьRocket Lab delays debut of new launcher to dodge bad weather
May 23, 2017 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/05/) Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/126482.jpg)
Rocket Lab's Electron rocket horizontal at Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand. Credit: Rocket Lab

[свернуть]

Rocket Lab, a company eyeing a market to launch small satellites, said Monday that bad weather at its privately-operated launch base on New Zealand's North Island kept a commercial Electron booster from lifting off on its maiden test flight for the second day in a row.

Спойлер

The liftoff is now scheduled for no earlier than Tuesday afternoon, U.S. time, or Wednesday morning in New Zealand. Rocket Lab has not disclosed a target launch time.

High winds kept ground crews from rollout the Electron rocket to the launch pad in time for a launch attempt Sunday, but the conditions improved enough to transfer to the booster to the launch stand for another try Monday, according to Rocket Lab.

But officials opted to scrub Monday's attempt due to high clouds over the launch facility, which could have triggered the build-up of static electricity on the rocket as it climbed through the atmosphere.

"We've been able to roll the rocket out to the launch pad, but now we're waiting for the high altitude cloud to clear," said Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's CEO. "Safety is Rocket Lab's number one priority and we are following guidelines set by the FAA and NASA around weather and launch safety."

When it takes off, the 55-foot-tall (17-meter) Electron rocket will head south from Rocket Lab's launch facility, dubbed Launch Complex 1, at Onenui Station on Mahia Peninsula, a spit of land on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand.

Rocket Lab officials said they are looking for optimal weather conditions for the launch, which aims to put an inert payload into polar orbit between 186 miles (300 kilometers) and 310 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth.

"Current weather conditions put us at risk of what's called triboelectrification," Beck said in a statement released Monday. "This is the build-up of static charge through friction.

"Ice and other particles in high cloud strike the rocket transferring electrons (the atomic kind) and build up charge on the surface of the vehicle," Beck said. "This can lead to large voltage potential and encourage electric discharges or lightning which may affect the avionics on-board."

Established in 2006, Rocket Lab test-launched more than 80 suborbital sounding rockets before focusing on the privately-developed Electron launcher, a vehicle sized to loft small satellites and clusters of CubeSats into low Earth orbit.

Headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, Rocket Lab's main engineering, design and mission control center is in Auckland, New Zealand.  Rocket Lab started construction of Launch Complex 1 in late 2015, before moving the first liquid-fueled Electron rocket to the facility earlier this year.

Electron launches are licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration because Rocket Lab is technically a U.S. company, with intentions to base future rocket production and launch operations in the United States.

...

Rocket Lab says future Electron missions could take off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Pacific Spaceport Complex at Kodiak Island, Alaska.

The company plans three test Electron test launches in the coming months before beginning commercial service.

...

[свернуть]

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg)  Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA)  7 мин7 минут назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/867106745390292992)
Our range team is making preparations ahead of a launch attempt from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia NZ. #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)
https://twitter.com/i/videos/867106745390292992
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/155918.jpg)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 11 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/867153780286124033)
Spoke with Rocket Lab's Peter Beck earlier today. Optimistic weather will be good for today's launch; no technical issues with the vehicle.

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 2 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/867183126488809476)

Launch preparations progressing well. #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 17 сек. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/867203883814100992)

Launch scrubbed for the day due to triboelectrification. Weather set to worsen throughout the day. Will attempt again tomorrow! #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg)  Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA)  1 ч.1 час назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/867221704799662080)
Our friends @DigitalGlobe (https://twitter.com/DigitalGlobe) took an image of Launch Complex 1 using WorldView-2 as it passed by! Taken from 770km (478 miles) #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)
 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162594.jpg)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg)  Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA)  4 ч.4 часа назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/867183126488809476)  
Launch preparations progressing well. #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)
https://twitter.com/i/videos/867183126488809476
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/155920.jpg)
 
  (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg)  Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA)  6 ч.6 часов назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/867154521050329088)  
Rocket Lab's goal is to make space accessible using our Electron launch vehicle #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)
https://twitter.com/i/videos/867154521050329088
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/155919.jpg)

ЦитироватьPirat5 пишет:
что это за руки у ракеты? крылья?  :o

ЦитироватьRocket Lab waits out weather delays
by Jeff Foust (http://spacenews.com/author/jeff-foust/) — May 24, 2017

Спойлер

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/155712.jpg)
An image from DigitalGlobe's WorldView-2 satellite showing the Electron rocket on the pad on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula May 23. Credit: satellite image ©2017 DigitalGlobe

[свернуть]

WASHINGTON — As weather continues to delay the first launch of its Electron rocket, Rocket Lab's chief executive said the company remains patient until conditions are right to attempt a flight.

Rocket Lab postponed its third attempt to launch the Electron rocket from its launch site on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula May 23, citing concerns about "triboelectrification," or electrical discharges as the rocket passed through high-altitude clouds. Similar concerns postponed a launch attempt the day before, and high winds delayed the initial launch attempt May 21.

Спойлер

"Similar to yesterday, high altitude cloud created a risk of triboelectrification. Our team were able to fuel the vehicle and prepare it for flight, but worsening weather conditions meant we were forced to delay," Rocket Lab Chief Executive Peter Beck said in a statement after the latest postponement. "The team did a great job today, and our operations are running smoothly."

In a telephone interview earlier May 23, Beck was optimistic that weather would improve for the launch attempt. "It's expected to clear at the beginning of our window, so we're looking good," he said. In the later statement, he said a weather front moved quicker than expected.

Beck said the team has had no technical issues during launch preparations. "We're working no issues with the vehicle. From that perspective we're really good," he said in the interview.

He said that the company wouldn't try to press its luck launching in marginal weather conditions despite the repeated delays. "The most important thing is that we get the data and learn from the vehicle. After four years of hard work, it doesn't make sense to launch in such conditions," he said. "We'll just wait until another day."

The company has a four-hour launch window each day through June 1. That's driven by the demands of the support services for the launch, including U.S. government agencies providing regulatory oversight. "If we get through this window, we'll hope to open a new one relatively soon," he said.

The company has faced some criticism for lack of coverage of the launch. There are no nearby public viewing areas, and the company elected not to provide a live webcast. "We're groaning at the seams for bandwidth with our own telemetry and equipment," he said.

"As much as I'd like to livestream this one, I just wanted the team, without that additional pressure, get on with their jobs," he said, acknowledging that the lack of a webcast was the "number one asked question" about the flight. Beck said that future Electron launches would be webcast.

This test launch does not carry a satellite payload but instead instruments to measure the launch environment. "Our payload is basically a giant laboratory," he said. He said two future test flights might be able to carry commercial payloads before regular commercial launches begin, citing demand from customers.

The vehicle for the second Electron launch is completed and sitting in the company's factory in New Zealand. It would launch after a review of the data collected in the first launch, regardless of its outcome. "I would expect it would be at least a month or two before we would attempt another one, to give us enough time to learn everything we need to learn," Beck said.

Rocket Lab hopes to begin commercial launches later this year, which Beck said would take place only after the company had concluded it had learned everything it needed from those test flights and no longer needed to "experiment" on the rocket. At least one company, Moon Express, is counting on Rocket Lab to hold to that schedule: its lunar lander needs to launch on an Electron by the end of this year in order to qualify for the $20 million Google Lunar X Prize.

[свернуть]

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/867466459600924679)

Yesterday, we had to hold at T-12 minutes due to the weather closing in. Trying again today! #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162647.jpg)

ЦитироватьSergey Кoskin пишет:
как они собираются осуществлять прием телеметрической информации

ЦитироватьPIN пишет:

ЦитироватьSergey Кoskin пишет:
как они собираются осуществлять прием телеметрической информации

Через радиоканал. Что, есть альтернативы?

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 29 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/867523393624522753)

Why a black rocket? Carbon composite materials are black! Paint is heavy & adds another process. Plus, doesn't it look beautiful! #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)

https://twitter.com/i/videos/tweet/867523393624522753
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/155921.jpg)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 5 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/867543004705202176)

Day progressing well. #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/162656.jpg)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 48 сек. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/867598469581504512)

Made it to space. Team delighted. More to follow! #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)

ЦитироватьEmily Calandrelli @TheSpaceGal (https://twitter.com/TheSpaceGal)  15 minutes ago (https://twitter.com/TheSpaceGal/status/867596601824378880)

Nice launch from @RocketLabUS (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA)

ЦитироватьRocket Lab has created a piece of New Zealand space history with the first successful test launch of an electron rocket off the Mahia Peninsula at about 4.24pm today.

The previous three attempts have been "scrubbed" - with yesterday's launch called off just 12 minutes before the scheduled launch.

More to come.

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185831.jpg) Chief of Air Force‏ @CAF_NZ (https://twitter.com/CAF_NZ) 4 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/CAF_NZ/status/867603035815411712)

Congratulations to the @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) team on a successful launch from the men and women of the @NZAirForce (https://twitter.com/NZAirForce). Great job! || #Itsatest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Itsatest?src=hash)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67521.jpg) Stephen Clark‏ @StephenClark1 (https://twitter.com/StephenClark1) 16 сек. назад (https://twitter.com/StephenClark1/status/867605890547027968)

Rocket Lab confirms the Electron rocket "reached space" after launching from New Zealand at 4:20pm local time (0420 GMT; 12:20am EDT).

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185621.jpg)  Emily Calandrelli‏Подлинная учетная запись @TheSpaceGal (https://twitter.com/TheSpaceGal)
For those asking, not sure if it went orbital. Survived max Q. Vid feed cut out shortly after.

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67516.jpg) Jonathan McDowell‏Подлинная учетная запись @planet4589 (https://twitter.com/planet4589) 3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/867623535694548993)

RocketLab confirms Stage 1 burn & sep, nose fairing sep, Stage 2 ignition, but failure to orbit.

3 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/867623750996459521)

This is pretty good because they got to test out almost everything. Puts them in a good position to get to orbit next time.

Цитировать(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/210016.jpg)

Rocket Lab broke new ground today when its Electron rocket reached space at 16:23 NZST.

Electron lifted-off at 16:20 NZST from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. It was the first orbital-class rocket launched from from a private launch site in the world.

"It has been an incredible day and I'm immensely proud of our talented team," said Peter Beck, CEO and founder of Rocket Lab. "We're one of a few companies to ever develop a rocket from scratch and we did it in under four years. We've worked tirelessly to get to this point. We've developed everything in house, built the world's first private orbital launch range, and we've done it with a small team.

"It was a great flight. We had a great first stage burn, stage separation, second stage ignition and fairing separation. We didn't quite reach orbit and we'll be investigating why, however reaching space in our first test puts us in an incredibly strong position to accelerate the commercial phase of our programme, deliver our customers to orbit and make space open for business," says Beck.

Over the coming weeks, Rocket Lab's engineers in Los Angeles and Auckland, New Zealand will work through the 25,000 data channels that were collected during. The results will inform measures taken to optimize the vehicle.

"We have learnt so much through this test launch and will learn even more in the weeks to come. We're committed to making space accessible and this is a phenomenal milestone in that journey. The applications doing this will open up are endless. Known applications include improved weather reporting, Internet from space, natural disaster prediction, up-to-date maritime data as well as search and rescue services," says Beck.

Today's launch was the first of three test flights scheduled for this year. Rocket Lab will target getting to orbit on the second test and look to maximize the payload the rocket can carry.
At full production, Rocket Lab expects to launch more than 50 times a year, and is regulated to launch up to 120 times a year. In comparison, there were 22 launches last year from the United States, and 82 internationally.

Rocket Lab's commercial phase will see Electron fly already-signed customers including NASA, Spire, Planet, Moon Express and Spaceflight.

ЦитироватьElectron rocket first flight, It's a Test 2017
 
  (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220782.jpg)  (https://www.youtube.com/user/SciNewsRo)
 SciNews (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjU6ZwoTQtKWfz1urL7XcbA)

Цитироватьtnt22 пишет:
second stage ignition and fairing separation

ЦитироватьMaiden flight of the Electron Rocket #ItsATest
 
  (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220290.jpg)  (https://www.youtube.com/user/TMRO)
 TMRO (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeQYemGBA3zkt2WY5dpRxsw)

ЦитироватьRocket Lab Test Flight 1: View from base of launch pad
 
  (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220761.jpg)  (https://www.youtube.com/user/kiwispacefoundation)
 KiwiSpace Foundation (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHVbD-Oda7n8SbTXgnZJg8Q)

ЦитироватьRocket Lab Test Flight 1: View from the rocket #ItsaTest
 
  (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220761.jpg)  (https://www.youtube.com/user/kiwispacefoundation)
 KiwiSpace Foundation (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHVbD-Oda7n8SbTXgnZJg8Q)

ЦитироватьRocket Lab Test Flight 1: Wide-angle view of launch pad, tracking antennae
 
  (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220761.jpg)  (https://www.youtube.com/user/kiwispacefoundation)
 KiwiSpace Foundation (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHVbD-Oda7n8SbTXgnZJg8Q)

Цитироватьtnt22 пишет:
Прим. Смотреть можно более-менее 1-ю половину ролика... А потом - практически одни битые кадры

ЦитироватьGeorge (http://novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/user/14507/) пишет:
Поворот это штатно?

Цитироватьtnt22 пишет:

ЦитироватьGeorge (http://novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/forum/user/14507/) пишет:
Поворот это штатно?

На мой непросвещённый взгляд - там не поворот, там постоянное вращение...  :(

ЦитироватьЧебурашка пишет:
Короче, косяки в системе управления или в исполнительных органах.
Полёт по сути неуправлямый. Странно, что ракета не самоликвидировалась, отлетев немного от старта

Цитироватьpkl пишет:
А у неё вообще есть система самоликвидации?

Цитироватьpkl пишет:
Её закрутило с самого старта.

ЦитироватьЧебурашка пишет:

Цитироватьpkl пишет:
А у неё вообще есть система самоликвидации?

А в Новой Зеландии есть регулятор, который отвечает за безопасность подобных дивайсов? Ведь неуправляемая ракета может улететь куда попала.

ЦитироватьGeorge пишет:

Цитироватьpkl пишет:
Её закрутило с самого старта.

Там целых девять двигателей на первой ступени и они все отклоняются. Весьма хитроумная СУ. А так как много элементов в работе, то вероятность отказа весьма велика, особенно для новой РН с такими количеством новшеств. Так что отказ не удивителен. Также интересно, что ТНА двигателей раскручиваются электродвигателями, питаемыми аккумуляторами суммарной мощностью 1 МВт. Никаких предкамер и прочего.

Зато это первая РН в мире, у которой двигатели отпечатаны на 3Д. За этой технологией будущее. Двигатели работали нормально, с чем создателей можно поздравить с открытием целой эпохи в двигателестроении.  :)

ЦитироватьЧебурашка пишет:
А в Новой Зеландии есть регулятор, который отвечает за безопасность подобных дивайсов?

ЦитироватьIt's a Test - Lift Off!
 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220743.jpg)  (https://www.youtube.com/user/RocketLabNZ)
Rocket Lab (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsWq7LZaizhIi-c-Yo_bcpw)

Опубликовано: 25 мая 2017 г.

Rocket Lab - Electron Test Flight One
4:20pm May 26 (NZST)

ЦитироватьЗапущенная компанией Rocket Lab ракета не смогла выйти на орбиту
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186912.jpg)
Ракета-носитель Electron© EPA/ROCKET LAB
НЬЮ-ЙОРК, 25 мая. /ТАСС/. Американская компания Rocket Lab, занимающаяся разработкой коммерческой доставки грузов на орбиту, впервые запустила ракету в космос с частного космодрома, однако носитель не вышел на орбиту.
Тестовый пуск носителя Electron был осуществлен с полуострова Махия в Новой Зеландии, где расположен "Пусковой комплекс-1", принадлежащий Rocket Lab.
Как заявил директор компании Питер Бек, "приоритетом номер один" этого испытания для его команды был "сбор достаточных сведений и приобретение опыта для подготовки коммерческой стадии" их деятельности. "Это был отличный полет. Работа двигателей первой ступени, ее отделение, зажигание в двигателе второй ступени и отделение головного обтекателя прошли отлично", - сообщил Бек.
В то же время он признал, что ракета не достигла околоземной орбиты. "Мы будем анализировать, почему", - добавил глава компании. "Однако то, что мы вышли в открытый космос во время нашего первого тестового полета, невероятно укрепляет наши позиции в сферах развития коммерческой стадии программы, доставки (грузов) наших клиентов на орбиту и открытия космического пространства для бизнеса", - подчеркнул Бек.
Rocket Lab отметила, что во время этого испытания на борту носителя не было груза. Перед тем как начать коммерческую эксплуатацию ракеты для вывода спутников, корпорация планирует провести в этом году еще два пробных пуска. Во время второго теста Бек намерен "максимально нагрузить" носитель и вывести его на орбиту. Rocket Lab уже заключила предварительные контракты с несколькими клиентами, в том числе c NASA и частными компаниями Planet и Moon Express.
Ракетостроительная компания утверждает, что после выхода на рынок сможет осуществлять более 50 пусков в год, позже их число может достичь 120. В прошлом году, по словам Rocket Lab, во всем мире было запущено всего 82 ракеты. Бек указал, что работа его компании будет способствовать "подготовке более точных прогнозов погоды, обеспечению доступа к интернету, предсказанию стихийных бедствий, получению свежих данных по судоходству, а также проведению поисково-спасательных работ".
Electron - ракета длиной 17 метров и диаметром 1,2 метров - предназначена для доставки небольших спутников или других грузов весом до 150 кг на околоземную орбиту. Она оснащена девятью двигателями Rutherford, которые работают на смеси сжиженного кислорода и керосина. По словам Rocket Lab, для создания части компонентов ракеты компания использовала технологию 3D-печати. 

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 34 мин.34 минуты назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/867781196570218499)

Thank you to everyone who has supported our team! We were delighted with the result of the test. Full video: http://bit.ly/2rDKbVq (https://t.co/QIsDpVyu1y)

ЦитироватьIt's a Test - Launch Day Video

 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/220743.jpg)  (https://www.youtube.com/user/RocketLabNZ)
Rocket Lab (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsWq7LZaizhIi-c-Yo_bcpw)

ЦитироватьGeorge пишет:
Там целых девять двигателей на первой ступени и они все отклоняются. Весьма хитроумная СУ. А так как много элементов в работе, то вероятность отказа весьма велика, особенно для новой РН с такими количеством новшеств. Так что отказ не удивителен.

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLabUSA (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA) 8 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/867903552429056000)

New camera angle taken during yesterday's launch - includes sound. More to come! #ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash)

https://twitter.com/i/videos/tweet/867903552429056000

Цитироватьh4lf пишет:

ЦитироватьGeorge пишет:
Там целых девять двигателей на первой ступени и они все отклоняются. Весьма хитроумная СУ. А так как много элементов в работе, то вероятность отказа весьма велика, особенно для новой РН с такими количеством новшеств. Так что отказ не удивителен.

А если вспомнить сколько элементов в работе в человеческом мозге... не надоело ещё определять вероятность отказа по количеству "элементов"?

ЦитироватьЧебурашка пишет:
У Маска, кстати первый пуск однофлакона был не лучше. Второй и третий тоже.

ЦитироватьSergey Кoskin пишет:
Почему не провели роботу над граблями после первого пуска?

ЦитироватьSergey Кoskin пишет:

Почему не провели роботу над граблями после первого пуска? В рокетлабе получили какой-то результат, а что получили нипанятно...

ЦитироватьЧебурашка пишет:
У Маска, кстати первый пуск однофлакона был не лучше. Второй и третий тоже.

ЦитироватьЧебурашка пишет:
У Маска, кстати первый пуск однофлакона был не лучше. Второй и третий тоже.

ЦитироватьKBOB пишет:

ЦитироватьЧебурашка пишет:
У Маска, кстати первый пуск однофлакона был не лучше. Второй и третий тоже.

Да, согласен, но тут 9 двигателей, в отличии от одного на Falcon-1. Как они собираются делать ракету класса Falcon-9? 81 двигатель поставят? Или купят 3D-принтер большего размера?

ЦитироватьSergey Кoskin пишет:

Цитироватьh4lf пишет:

ЦитироватьGeorge пишет:
Там целых девять двигателей на первой ступени и они все отклоняются. Весьма хитроумная СУ. А так как много элементов в работе, то вероятность отказа весьма велика, особенно для новой РН с такими количеством новшеств. Так что отказ не удивителен.

А если вспомнить сколько элементов в работе в человеческом мозге... не надоело ещё определять вероятность отказа по количеству "элементов"?

Человек - отобраный, и серийный... при том не все моски человеки фунцыклируют в пртдилох нармы
Нет, не надоело, ибо статистика такая - вероятностная...

ЦитироватьЧебурашка пишет:
Короче, косяки в системе управления или в исполнительных органах.
Полёт по сути неуправляемый. Странно, что ракета не самоликвидировалась, отлетев немного от старта

ЦитироватьRocket Lab chief says maiden launch result maintains pace for commercial service             
 May 30, 2017 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/05/) Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)
 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/126483.png)
Video credit: Rocket Lab
The result of last week's inaugural test flight of Rocket Lab's Electron satellite launcher fr om New Zealand, which reached space but was unable to enter orbit, positions the company for two more demonstration missions in the coming months before the privately-operated booster enters commercial service by the end of the year, Rocket Lab's chief executive said.
The 55-foot-tall (17-meter) Electron rocket, propelled by nine kerosene-fueled engines, lifted off Thursday from Rocket Lab's space base on the tip of Mahia Peninsula, a rocky outcrop on the east cost of New Zealand's North Island.
Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, told reporters after Thursday's launch that engineers were analyzing data to determine what went wrong to prevent the Electron from entering orbit.
Nevertheless, Beck said Rocket Lab's team was "ecstatic" following the test flight, which he said proceeded normally until some time after ignition of the second stage's single engine.
"We had a really good lift off from the tower, a good first stage burn, we went through Max-Q, which is the area wh ere the rocket experiences the maximum structural loads," Beck said. "We had a good first stage burn, we got a good stage separation, a good second stage ignition, and we got all through the fairing separation.
"We're really happy with what we achieved ... For a test flight, we got a lot further than certainly we expected, and we captured all of the major events through the flight," Beck said.
The Electron rocket is designed to deliver small satellites and clusters of CubeSats into orbit at relatively low cost. According to Rocket Lab, the launcher can carry up to 330 pounds (150 kilograms) of payloads to a 310-mile-high (500-kilometer) sun-synchronous polar orbit, a perch preferred by many Earth-imaging spacecraft.
And Rocket Lab says it can do it for $4.9 million per launch, significantly less than prices of other rockets.
Buoyed by $148 million in venture capital financing and investments from Lockheed Martin and the government of New Zealand, Rocket Lab announced the Electron program in 2014 after launching more than 80 suborbital sounding rockets since the company's founding in 2006.
Beck said Rocket Lab's focus now is on analyzing data collected on Thursday's test launch, which did not have a commercial payload on-board but aimed for Earth orbit. The second of the company's three planned Electron test flights is expected later this year.
"The second vehicle is already in the factory," Beck said. "We've got over 20,000 channels of data to go through, so we want to go through the data a little bit, and we'll go through that very thoroughly, learn what we need to learn, and roll the next one out. I wouldn't expect that to be sooner than a couple of months."
Headquartered in Southern California with a factory, mission control center and launch base in New Zealand, Rocket Lab is one of several companies vying in the small satellite launch market.
Virgin Orbit, a spinoff of the space tourism developer Virgin Galactic, is working on the air-dropped LauncherOne project at a factory in Long Beach, California, with a test flight scheduled as soon as the end of this year. Another company, Vector, also has plans for a satellite satellite booster, but it is further behind Rocket Lab and Virgin Orbit.
Speaking to reporters in a conference call, Beck did not offer any speculation on the anomaly that brought down the Electron rocket Thursday.
"We need to review the data, and we'll be doing that over the coming weeks, and once we're clear, we can talk about that," Beck said. "There's some great video footage ... We had a very clean stage separation and a very nice second stage ignition, a very clean fairing separation, so all those critical events were captured."
Rocket Lab has launch contracts to deliver CubeSats to orbit for NASA, Planet and Spire Global, plus a rideshare launch agreement with Spaceflight, a Seattle-based company that aggregates batches of small satellites to fly on the same rocket. Moon Express, a contender for the Google Lunar X-Prize, also plans three launches of tiny robotic moon landers on Electron rockets.
After blastoff from Launch Complex 1 at Mahia Peninsula, the Electron turned south over the Pacific Ocean, climbed through a deck clouds and achieved supersonic speeds within about a minute. Nine Rutherford engines, developed by Rocket Lab, powered the booster into the sky on more than 40,000 pounds of thrust, around half the thrust generated by an engine on a Boeing 777 airliner.
The Rutherford engines, one of which also powers the Electron upper stage, use battery-powered pumps to cycle liquid propellants, an innovation Rocket Lab describes as "entirely new" in rocket propulsion.
The Electron's engine, named for the New Zealand-born nuclear physicist Ernest Rutherford, is the first of its type to be primarily 3D-printed. Each Rutherford engine, including its engine chamber, injector, pumps and main propellant valves, can be printed in 24 hours.
"Everything we saw in the first stage looked nominal, but we'll have to go and review the data," Beck said.
Although the Electron fell short of the speed it needed to enter orbit, Beck said it was not a setback.
"We got through all the critical events of an orbital flight, right through past fairing separation, so that puts us in a very, very strong position for the next test flight," Beck said. "Bearing in mind that it's very rare that a new launch vehicle, especially one from a new start-up company, would reach orbit, we're very happy with the data that we've seen and how far we got on the first test flight.
"So that certainly doesn't put us behind," Beck said. "If anything, that puts us well ahead because we were able to get through all of those events and validate all the systems."
Beck added that Rocket Lab intends to reach orbit on the second test flight, and the outcome of Thursday's mission gives the team more confidence.
"This is why we have a test flight program, because there's a tremendous amount of unknowns," Beck said. "When you begin a launch vehicle, obviously, we would always like to get to orbit on the first shot, but that is reserved for a very, very rare group of people in history, nevermind that it's usually a country thing, not a company thing, so to get all the way past fairing separation, and (have) all those critical events done, we were ecstatic."
Rocket Lab shipped the first Electron rocket to its launch base in February, and teams spent the last few months commissioning and testing ground systems needed to pump propellants into the launcher, track the rocket's flight, and destroy the booster if it strayed off-course.
The company said the launch facility on Mahia Peninsula is the first fully commercial privately-operated orbital-class launch range in the world.
The Federal Aviation Administration has regulatory authority over Rocket Lab's launch operations because it is a U.S.-based company with intentions to eventually launch from sites in Alaska and Florida. New Zealand aeronautical and maritime agencies were responsible for clearing air and marine traffic for the launch.
Crews from the Pacific Spaceport Complex at Kodiak Island, Alaska, traveled to New Zealand to set up range safety systems for Rocket Lab.
"It was a huge, huge effort from the team, and all the ground systems," Beck said. "We've spent probably the last month (doing) a lot of conditioning and fault-finding on all the ground systems. People kind of see these launch towers as lumps of steel and whatnot and think they're relatively benign, but boy, there's a lot going on there."
Poor weather kept the Electron grounded on three consecutive days before Thursday's liftoff, giving Rocket Lab's launch team extra practice on countdown and scrub procedures.
"We're running a very slick operation now, especially having to delay the launch and having multiple attempts because of weather," Beck said. "We certainly got a lot of practice. We did the fueling and detanking, and (practiced) all those operations."
Now attention turns to tune the next Electron rocket to fix the problem that plagued last week's test flight.
"I'm sure it won't be a significant thing that we need to resolve," Beck said. "We had great guidance, everything was nominal and down the middle. We're very, very happy with the vehicle's performance."

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/67585.jpg) Eric Berger‏Подлинная учетная запись @SciGuySpace (https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace) 6 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/880405735464685568)

"Beck thinks Rocket Lab has now solved the orbit issue." Plans two more test launches in the next six weeks.

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 2 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/891656572228833284)

Analysis of data fr om Rocket Lab's first Electron test flight in May "could be available" in the next week:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11896478 (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11896478)

ЦитироватьMoon Express dream of lunar mission with Rocket Lab on track
29 Jul, 2017 8:49am

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/190712.png)
 By: Grant Bradley  (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/author/grant-bradley/)
Aviation, tourism and energy writer for the NZ Herald
grant.bradley@nzherald.co.nz (mailto:grant.bradley@nzherald.co.nz) @gbradleynz (http://www.twitter.com/@gbradleynz)

 
...

Rocket Lab is in the early stages of a three-vehicle test programme and Moon Express is still developing its lander at its facilities at Cape Canaveral, from wh ere Apollo missions were launched.

Rocket Lab's first test launch successfully made it to space in late May. The first stage performed as it should but the second stage failed to deliver the payload to orbit.

Results of data analysis from the test flight could be available some time next week.

Спойлер

Earlier this month Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck said the company and its investors had confidence in the programme and they had another five rockets in various stages of production.

Beck said then a second test launch was about two or three months away and the company hoped to get its commercial launches underway as soon as it was satisfied with the test programme.

...

[свернуть]

ЦитироватьRocket Lab Completes Post-Flight Analysis

POSTED ON 7 AUGUST 2017
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Rocket Lab Completes Post-Flight Analysis
Rocket Lab has completed an internal review of data from its May 25 test flight of its Electron rocket. The review found the launch had to be terminated due to an independent contractor's ground equipment issue, rather than an issue with the rocket. Rocket Lab's investigation board has identified the root causes and corrective actions.

Спойлер

The Federal Aviation Administration, the primary body responsible for licensing the launch, has overseen Rocket Lab's comprehensive investigation and will review the findings.

Rocket Lab's engineers have spent the last two months working through an extensive fault tree analysis to ensure all factors that may have influenced the outcome of the launch were thoroughly evaluated. The investigation involved the review of over 25,000 channels of data collected during the flight in addition to extensive testing at Rocket Lab facilities in California and New Zealand.

Rocket Lab's investigation team determined the launch, named 'It's a Test', was terminated due to a data loss time out, which was caused by misconfiguration of telemetry equipment owned and operated by a third-party contractor who was supporting the launch from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1.

Four minutes into the flight, at an altitude of 224 km, the equipment lost contact with the rocket temporarily and, according to standard operating procedures, range safety officials terminated the flight. Data, including that from Rocket Lab's own telemetry equipment, confirmed the rocket was following a nominal trajectory and the vehicle was performing as planned at the time of termination.

"We have demonstrated Electron was following its nominal trajectory and was on course to reach orbit," said Peter Beck, Rocket Lab CEO. "While it was disappointing to see the flight terminated in essence due to an incorrect tick box. We can say we tested nearly everything, including the flight termination system. We were delighted with the amount of data we were able to collect during an exceptional first test launch.

Rocket Lab's telemetry systems provided data verifying Electrons capabilities and providing us with high confidence ahead of our second test flight. The call to terminate a launch would be tough for anyone, and we appreciated the professionalism of the flight safety officials involved."

The telemetry data loss that led to the termination of the flight has been directly linked to a key piece of equipment responsible for translating radio signals into data used by safety officials to track the vehicle performance. It was discovered a contractor failed to enable forward error correction on this third-party device causing extensive corruption of received position data. The failure was first indicated by the fact that Rocket Lab's own equipment did not suffer similar data loss during launch. Further confirmation of the cause was demonstrated when replaying raw radio-frequency data - recorded on launch day - through correctly configured equipment also resolved the problem.

The fix for the issue is simple and corrective procedures have been put in place to prevent a similar issue in future. No major changes to the Electron launch vehicle hardware have been required and the company has authorized the production of four additional launch vehicles as it prepares for commercial operations ahead of the test flight program. Rocket Lab's second Electron rocket, named 'Still Testing', is undergoing final checks and preparations ahead of being shipped to Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 shortly.

[свернуть]

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏ @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 45 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/894440381663690752)

#ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash) launch had to be terminated due to misconfigured ground equipment owned and operated by a third-party contractor.


42 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/894441092988272640)

#ItsaTest (https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsaTest?src=hash) Electron rocket was following a nominal trajectory and was performing as planned at the time of termination. The fix is simple.


22 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/894446001481592832)

No major changes to Electron launch vehicle hardware are required. Build of rockets four – six has been authorized!

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏ @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 25 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/894449577490759680)

The name of Rocket Lab's second Electron vehicle – Still Testing.

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏ @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 29 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/894451092884410368)

The roll was within limits - we're updating parameters and tightening our bounds ahead of flight two.

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/186008.jpg) Roberto Mastri‏ @RobertoMastri (https://twitter.com/RobertoMastri) 1 ч назад (https://twitter.com/RobertoMastri/status/894453438423207936)

Great! Can you tell, approximately, when it will be launched?


 (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏ @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 25 мин назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/894466730059104256)

We're looking to roll the rocket out to the pad in around eight weeks!

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 1 ч. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/894542714947067905)

Rocket Lab plans a second Electron launch no sooner than early October; if successful, they'll go directly into commercial service.

ЦитироватьTelemetry glitch kept first Electron rocket from reaching orbit
by Jeff Foust (http://spacenews.com/author/jeff-foust/) — August 7, 2017

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/155731.jpg)
The first Electron rocket lifts off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand launch site May 25. Credit: Rocket Lab

LOGAN, Utah — Rocket Lab blamed the failure of its first Electron rocket to reach orbit on a telemetry glitch in ground equipment that can be easily corrected, keeping the company on track to begin commercial launches by the end of this year.

In a statement released late Aug. 6, the U.S.-New Zealand company said its Electron rocket was flying as planned on its May 25 inaugural launch when a dropout of telemetry from the vehicle required range safety officials to terminate the flight four minutes after liftoff, at an altitude of 224 kilometers.

Спойлер

The company said that a third-party contractor supporting the launch misconfigured ground equipment that translated radio signals from the rocket into data used by range safety officials. That caused "extensive corruption of received position data," resulting in the data loss that led safety officials to trigger the rocket's flight termination system.

"It's a very, very easy thing to fix. You literally tick a box in some software," said Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab, in an Aug. 6 interview during the 31st Annual Conference on Small Satellites here. "It's more about working with our contractors to ensure that we have better oversight of their services."

The company did not disclose the name of the contractor who made the software configuration error. Beck did say that Rocket Lab would continue to use that company on its future launches.

Rocket Lab's separate telemetry stream, unaffected by the software glitch, showed that the rocket was performing as planned up until the flight was terminated. "We have demonstrated Electron was following its nominal trajectory and was on course to reach orbit," Beck said in the company's statement.

In the interview, Beck noted that the company found the problem "very quickly" when reviewing the data collected from the launch. He said the company waited until now to disclose the cause until it completed a review of all the data. "We had to explore all of the possible branches of the fault tree" of possible causes of the failure, he said.

That review found no issues with the vehicle during the launch that require changes to future Electron vehicles. "We were very happy with the vehicle and the vehicle's performance," he said. "There's almost no hardware changes."

The second Electron, Beck said, will be rolled out to its New Zealand launch pad in about eight weeks, or early October. "There's still quite some preparation of the launch vehicle once it's on the pad," he said. "Hopefully we'll turn it a bit quicker this time."

That launch, like the first, will be a test flight without a commercial payload. Rocket Lab originally planned to carry out three test flights of the Electron before starting commercial missions, but Beck said that if the next launch is a complete success, the company will skip the third test flight and move into commercial missions.

"Running another test flight won't actually achieve much for us other than statistics," he said. "Provided the second test flight goes well then we'll accelerate directly into commercial operations."

That schedule, he said, would allow a first commercial launch by the end of the year. That schedule is particularly essential to Moon Express, which plans to launch its MX-1E lunar lander on an Electron to compete for the Google Lunar X Prize. The prize rules require teams to launch their landers by the end of this year.

"We're in a good position to fulfill that customer, for sure," Beck said of Moon Express.

Other customers on Rocket Lab's manifest will likely slip to 2018. One customer, NASA, had awarded Rocket Lab will a Venture Class Launch Services contract in late 2015. Earlier this summer NASA said that mission, designated by the agency as Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) 19, was scheduled for November. In several presentations at a pre-conference workshop here Aug. 5 and 6, organizations developing cubesats that will fly on ELaNa 19 said they expected the launch to take place some time in early 2018.

Beck said that the company's goal for 2018 was to perform one Electron launch a month. However, he acknowledged, "it will take us a while to get to one a month" as it ramps of production at facilities in New Zealand and California.

Despite not making it to orbit on the first Electron, Beck said he was "immensely proud" of what the company has accomplished. "The vehicle performed very well, and now we're just cruising home to orbit," he said.

[свернуть]

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 46 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/894973843336380416)

Peter Beck, on difficulties building Rocket Lab's launch site: if anyone is thinking about building own pad, I advise against it. #smallsat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/smallsat?src=hash)


43 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/894974725658624000)

Beck: all 9 Rutherford engines in Electron 1st stage performed above targets. Second stage engine also worked normally. #smallsat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/smallsat?src=hash)


41 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/894975064629624832)

Beck: estimated rocket would have reached 508x290 km orbit if not terminated; goal was 500x300 km. #smallsat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/smallsat?src=hash)


38 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/894975989515599872)

Beck: Rocket Lab giving away 3U cubesat assignment on future flight at the conference to the "coolest" payload. (He judges that.) #smallsat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/smallsat?src=hash)


34 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/894976829743800320)

Beck: goal of doing weekly launches; might be tough if smallsat constellations go away but still see significant demand. #smallsat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/smallsat?src=hash)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/29262.jpg) Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust) 35 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/894977589172764676)

For those interested in mission patches, the one for Rocket Lab's 2nd launch, called "Still Testing." #smallsat (https://twitter.com/hashtag/smallsat?src=hash)
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/165736.jpg)

ЦитироватьRocket Lab finishes test flight inquiry, plans second launch later this year
August 13, 2017 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/08/) Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

The inaugural test flight of Rocket Lab's commercial small satellite booster in May fell short of orbit because a software programming error on a piece of ground equipment led a safety officer to send a premature termination command, and the company is planning to deliver the next Electron vehicle to its New Zealand launch pad in October.

Engineers identified no significant problems with the Electron rocket's performance on the May 25 test launch, raising confidence in the chances the second flight could attain the velocity needed to reach an orbit around Earth, said Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab.

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(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/126642.png)
The first Electron rocket took off May 25 fr om a launch base in New Zealand. Credit: Rocket Lab

"We're very happy with the performance of the vehicle," Beck said in an interview with Spaceflight Now. "The flight was a heavily instrumented flight. It had something like 25,000 channels of data and instruments on-board, and the data that we were able to obtain was exceptionally good, and it enabled us to validate all the engineering decisions and performances of the vehicle, the thermal environment, the structural environment."

The collection of vibration, structural and environmental measurements was the primary goal of the May test flight, which lifted off from Rocket Lab's privately-operated launch pad on Mahia Peninsula, a piece of land on the east cost of New Zealand's North Island.

"We captured all the data we needed," Beck said.

The Electron rocket soared to an altitude of 139 miles (224 kilometers) before a piece of ground tracking equipment faltered, erroneously leading a range safety officer to terminate the launch to ensure the launcher did not stray from its pre-approved flight path.

Beck said the tracking system was provided by an independent contractor, but he declined to identify the owner of the equipment.

The ground hardware was incorrectly programmed, according to Rocket Lab, causing position data it received from the Electron booster to be corrupted. The equipment was designed to translate radio signals into data for safety officials to track the rocket, the company said in a statement.

The contractor failed to enable forward error correction on the tracking device, Rocket Lab said.

The tracking hiccup occurred around four minutes after liftoff as the rocket climbed into space on a southerly trajectory from Mahia Peninsula. By that point in the flight, the Electron's nine Rutherford main engines, which generated more than 40,000 pounds of combined thrust at full power, had switched off and the first stage had jettisoned to fall into the Pacific Ocean.

The second stage's single Rutherford engine ignited and the rocket's payload fairing separated as expected before the tracking error led to the premature end of the mission.

Investigators determined that Rocket Lab's own equipment did not suffer the same data loss during the mission, officials said. Engineers also replayed flight data recorded on launch day through the third-party tracking system when it was correctly configured, and the problem disappeared.

(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/126641.jpg)
Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab. Credit: Rocket Lab

The flight safety officer inside Rocket Lab's launch control center followed established procedures and sent the command to shut down the Electron's second stage engine after the data dropout.

"Basically what happened is the contractor misconfigured the software, which resulted in the antennas losing track of the vehicle," Beck said. "Of course, when that happens, the flight safety officers who are looking at a computer screen at their console, the rocket disappears off their console, so they had no other option than to terminate the vehicle."

Rocket Lab said it will deliver the results of its inquiry to the Federal Aviation Administration, the regulatory authority responsible for licensing commercial Electron launches.

With a launch base, control center and factory in New Zealand, Rocket Lab also has a headquarters in Southern California, wh ere it is outfitting a second rocket assembly plant. Eventually aiming to launch as often as once per week, the U.S.-New Zealand operates under the regulatory umbrella of the FAA.

"Even though the engine stopped (after the termination command), the vehicle didn't stop," Beck said. "It went on and continued to do all its normal things as it would on orbit. We were able to test absolutely everything, even though we didn't make it to orbit. We tested all the RCS (Reaction Control System) and all the orbital systems, and unfortunately, we also tested the flight termination system, so we can say that we tested absolutely everything on the vehicle."

Some outside observers noticed the rocket develop a steady roll in video replays of the launch. That was intended, according to Beck.

"The bottom line on that one is the guidance team didn't want to over-constrain the roll," Beck said. "The roll is the least damped axis. When you've got nine engines on the bottom, theres' a lot of plume-plume interaction. The nine engines sort of interact with each other, and it's very easy to cause roll torques."

Rocket Lab's guidance team opted to let the launcher roll to a pre-programmed rate, giving engineers a chance to study the torques generated by the interplay of the Electron's nine first stage engines.

"On the next flight, we probably won't run that same algorithm, or we'll keep the vehicle in one attitude, but for us, it was all part of the test program to learn and to characterize all those weird torques that are impossible to try and learn on the ground," Beck said.

The Electron rocket was designed to deliver small satellites weighing up to 330 pounds (150 kilograms) to a circular sun-synchronous orbit around 310 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth. Standing 55 feet (17 meters) tall, the two-stage launcher burns a mixture of kerosene and cryogenic liquid oxygen propellants.

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The first Electron rocket sitting horizontal at Rocket Lab's launch pad in New Zealand. Credit: Rocket Lab
 
The company says it will charge $4.9 million per Electron flight, significantly less than any other launch provider flying today, and offer a dedicated ride for payloads that currently must ride piggyback with a larger payload.

With money from venture capital funds in Silicon Valley and New Zealand, along with a strategic investment from Lockheed Martin and the government of New Zealand, Rocket Lab completed the design and qualification of the Electron rocket with less than $100 million since the company was established in 2006, according to Beck.

A further round of venture capital financing early this year brought the total investment in Rocket Lab to $148 million, valuing the company at more than $1 billion.

Rocket Lab is one of several companies — alongside start-ups and spinoffs like Virgin Orbit and the now-defunct Texas-based rocket developer Firefly — that have been established in recent years to meet demand for launches in the small satellite market.

The second of Rocket Lab's three planned test flights is scheduled later this year. If that launch goes well, the company will likely delete the third demonstration mission, and the first commercial Electron flight could be ready for takeoff by the end of December, Beck said last week.

"We've got the next test flight rolling out out to the pad in about eight weeks' time," Beck said. "If it's a really good clean flight, we'll probably accelerate into commercial operations."

Once Rocket Lab delivers the next Electron rocket to the launch pad, ground crews will spend several weeks readying the booster, rehearsing countdown procedures, and verifying all of the vehicle's sensors and instruments are functioning.

"This vehicle, again, has on the order of 25,000 or 30,000 sensors, so for us these flights are all about gathering data, so there's a lot of 'go-no go' criteria around those sensors," Beck said. "Usually, it takes us a good couple of weeks to get all that buttoned up, and then we'll be ready to launch."

One of Rocket Lab's first commercial missions is set to send a robotic lunar lander into space for Moon Express, a Florida-based aerospace developer vying to win the Google Lunar X-Prize, which requires a successful landing on the moon by the end of 2017.

Beck told Spaceflight Now that Rocket Lab will be able to support the launch for Moon Express this year, assuming the lunar payload is ready, but the company will not rush into the second test flight.

"I'm conscious that these are still test flights, and we operate in a very cautious manner," Beck said. "So if something is looking a bit weird, then we just won't go."

Some changes are in store for the second Electron flight, which Rocket Lab has christened "Still Testing." The maiden Electron launch was named "It's a Test."

While the May 25 launch carried only an inert payload, the next mission will have satellites on-board, Beck said.

"It's mainly instrumented, but we are flying some payloads up, and we developed our own CubeSat deployer," Beck said.

Rocket Lab's CubeSat canister has completed ground testing, and engineers will evaluate how they work on the next test flight.

"It just gives us a good oppportunity to qualify more components and more systems," Beck said.

Beck said Rocket Lab will reveal which small satellites will fly on the next test flight closer to launch.

No major changes to the Electron rocket's basic designed are planned, but Rocket Lab will introduce several tweaks to components on the launcher.

"We had lots of margins on some areas, so we've reduced some thermal insulation in some areas, and reduced some mass and complexity and optimized some things for production, but there are no major hardware changes," Beck said. "We're not pulling out any subsystems or reworking any subsystems. There are some software tweaks, of course, as there always are, but it's not like we had to go back and redesign anything for the next flight."

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Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏ @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 6 ч назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/902713171407806464)

Flight two is coming. Successful stage 1 stack test completed. #Electron (https://twitter.com/hashtag/Electron?src=hash) #StillTesting (https://twitter.com/hashtag/StillTesting?src=hash)

Video (https://twitter.com/i/videos/tweet/902713171407806464)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185973.jpg) Caleb Henry‏ @CHenry_SN (https://twitter.com/CHenry_SN) 26 мин. назад (https://twitter.com/CHenry_SN/status/930179213981863937)

.@RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) says its second Electron rocket "Still Testing" arrived at Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula. Despite being a test, the mission will carry one satellite for @planetlabs (https://twitter.com/planetlabs) and multiple for @SpireGlobal (https://twitter.com/SpireGlobal). Launch date is TBD (photo below is from last year).
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/170666.jpg)

Цитировать (https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/185826.jpg) Rocket Lab‏Подлинная учетная запись @RocketLab (https://twitter.com/RocketLab) 13 ч назад (https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/930227765244076032)

Electron has arrived at LC1. #StillTesting (https://twitter.com/hashtag/StillTesting?src=hash) window to be announced in coming weeks!
(https://img.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/170685.jpg)

ЦитироватьSecond Electron rocket shipped to New Zealand launch site
November 16, 2017 (https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/11/) Stephen Clark (https://spaceflightnow.com/author/stephen-clark/)

Rocket Lab's second flight-ready Electron rocket has arrived at its launch base in New Zealand for the company's first mission to deliver commercial satellites into orbit.

The launch is expected as soon as December, once engineers and technicians complete several weeks of testing on the rocket. The tests are expected to include countdown rehearsals, and possibly a hold-down firing of the Electron's engines on the launch pad.

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The target launch date for the Electron mission, which Rocket Lab says is primarily an experimental test flight, will be announced in the coming weeks, the company said in a statement Monday.

Rocket Lab has dubbed the second Electron launch "Still Testing." It comes after the Electron rocket's maiden test flight May 25, which the company named "It's a Test."

"It's a great feeling to have another rocket on the pad," said Peter Beck, Rocket Lab's founder and CEO. "To be preparing for a second flight just months after an inaugural test is unprecedented for a new launch vehicle. It's a testament to Electron's robust design and the hard-working team behind it.

"The 'Still Testing' flight is a significant milestone in opening access to space and unlocking the potential that holds in improving the everyday lives of millions of people," Beck said in a statement.

Several CubeSats from two California firms will ride to space inside the Electron rocket's payload shroud. One Dove Earth-imaging CubeSat is slated to be on the launch for San Francisco-based Planet, and at least two Lemur-2 commercial weather CubeSats from Spire Global, another company headquartered in San Francisco, are assigned to the Electron's second flight.

A manager at Planet said the Electron rocket will aim to release the CubeSats in an egg-shaped orbit ranging between 186 miles and 310 miles (300 to 500 kilometers) above Earth inclined 83 degrees to the equator.

Rocket Lab, Planet and Spire announced the agreement to fly the CubeSats on the Electron test flight in September.

"We're thrilled with Electron's performance in the first test flight and now we're eager to test the next crucial step – payload deployment," Beck said. "No major changes to the launch vehicle hardware have been required, the third-party error that meant we didn't make orbit has been corrected and we're focusing on the six Electron vehicles in production right now."

The Electron soared to an altitude of 139 miles (224 kilometers) on the May 25 test flight. The first stage completed its burn as designed, then separated before the Electron's second stage ignited and the vehicle's payload shroud jettisoned to fall into the Pacific Ocean.

Rocket Lab said a piece of ground equipment supplied by a third party malfunctioned during the launch, losing track of the launcher and prompting a safety officer to send a command to terminate the mission to ensure the rocket did not stray from its pre-approved trajectory.

A review of telemetry data from the rocket showed it performed normally, with no indications of a problem that would have prevented it from reaching the velocity required to enter orbit.

No satellites were aboard the Electron launch in May.

Rocket Lab says there is a high likelihood of delays during the second Electron campaign as officials wait for favorable weather and ensure the rocket is ready for liftoff.

"While we're still very much operating in a test phase and can likely expect a few scrubs during the second test flight attempt, we're incredibly excited about carrying Planet and Spire payloads on Electron," Beck said. "The data these companies gather has an increasingly significant role to play in how we understand our planet and better manage it."

Beck told Spaceflight Now in August that he expects Rocket Lab will provide a live webcast of the second Electron test flight. The company restricted access to live video from the remote New Zealand launch base on the maiden test flight.

Rocket Lab operates Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula on the eastern coast of New Zealand's north island, located about 235 miles (380 kilometers) southeast of Auckland, home of Rocket Lab's design, manufacturing and control centers.

The company has its global headquarters in Huntington Beach, California, and plans to produce rockets there in the future. Rocket Lab's Electron flights are conducted under the regulatory umbrella of the Federal Aviation Administration.

The light-class Electron rocket is capable of placing up to 330 pounds (150 kilograms) of payloads in a circular sun-synchronous orbit around 310 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth. The two-stage launcher stands 55 feet (17 meters) tall and burns a mixture of kerosene and cryogenic liquid oxygen propellants with nine Rutherford first stage engines and a single Rutherford powerplant on the upper stage.

The Rutherford engine uses electric turbopumps, a technological first in the space launch industry, and was developed in-house at Rocket Lab.

The company says it will charge $4.9 million per Electron flight once the booster begins regular launches, significantly less than any other launch provider flying today. The Electron is sized to offer a dedicated ride for payloads that currently must ride piggyback with a larger payload.

With money from venture capital funds in Silicon Valley and New Zealand, along with a strategic investment from Lockheed Martin and the government of New Zealand, Rocket Lab completed the design and qualification of the Electron rocket with less than $100 million since the company was established in 2006, according to Beck.

A further round of venture capital financing early this year brought the total investment in Rocket Lab to $148 million, valuing the company at more than $1 billion.

Rocket Lab's competitors in the light launch market include Virgin Orbit, which is developing an air-dropped liquid-fueled rocket in the same class as the Electron.

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