Наноракета для наноспутников?

[Старый]

instml пишет:
Европейцы создадут...
Предполагается, что аппарат будет взлетать с наземного аэродрома, подниматься на предельную для себя высоту и запускать одноразовую ракету-ускоритель с полезным грузом на борту. 

Ничего, у нас тоже зубы через #опу дёргают...

[Salo]

http://spacenews.com/vector-space-systems-raises-funds-to-develop-small-launch-vehicle/

Vector Space Systems raises funds to develop small launch vehicle
by Jeff Foust — April 26, 2016

An illustration of Vector Space System's proposed small launch vehicle. Credit: Vector Space Systems
 
WASHINGTON — A company led by a number of space industry veterans is the latest to enter the crowded small launch vehicle field, hoping to stand out by focusing on the very small end of the market.
Vector Space Systems announced April 26 that it has raised a seed round of more than $1 million fr om a group of angel investors. The Tucson, Arizona-based company plans to use the funding to continue development of its Vector small launch vehicle.
Vector is designed to provide dedicated launches of very small spacecraft. The vehicle is capable of placing satellites weighing up to 45 kilograms into a basic low Earth orbit, and 25 kilograms into a standard sun synchronous orbit. Those launches will cost $2–3 million each, with the higher price reserved for "first class" launches reserved as little as three months in advance.
That vehicle is based on technology under development for several years by Garvey Spacecraft Corporation, a small Long Beach, California, company that has built suborbital prototypes of a small launch vehicle. John Garvey, the founder of Garvey Spacecraft Corporation and chief technology officer of Vector Space Systems, contributed intellectual property and assets from that work to accelerate development of this new vehicle.
"This gives us a very rapid running head start on the development of our launch vehicle," said Jim Cantrell, chief executive of Vector Space Systems, in an interview.
The company has already developed the overall vehicle design, its first- and second-stage engines and other key systems, and plans to use the seed round funding to begin qualification testing of the engines and other risk reduction work. The company's goal is to enter commercial service with Vector in 2018, but Cantrell did not disclose how much additional funding they will need to complete the vehicle's development.
Cantrell has worked in the commercial space industry for 30 years, including a role on the team that founded SpaceX and that company's first vice president of business development. Ken Sunshine, the company's chief financial officer, previously worked for Orbital Sciences Corporation and Virgin Galactic. Eric Besnard, vice president of engineering for Vector Space Systems, is a professor at California State University Long Beach that has worked on launch vehicle technologies with Garvey.
Vector is targeting companies developing very small satellites that don't want to rely on secondary payload accommodations, which can be relatively inexpensive but also result in delays. "If businesses are planning to make a profit using the smaller micro satellite capability, they need a launch vehicle that can match their agility and still be 'right priced' for the market," he said. Dedicated launches also give satellite developers more freedom in the design of their spacecraft than if they have to fit into a standardized container or payload adapter when flying as a secondary payload, he added.
While a number of other companies, including Firefly Space Systems, Rocket Lab and Virgin Galactic, are building their own small launchers, Cantrell argued that his company stands out by focusing on much smaller satellites. "Micro and nanosatellites weighing less than 40 kilograms still fly as secondary rides on those rockets," he said. "We are offering a dedicated flight for the microsatellite community, which allows them to launch when they want and wh ere they want."
Cantrell said Vector Space Systems has two letters of intent from potential customers, which he did not name. The company plans to start accepting flight reservations in July.
Some companies and government agencies have attempted to develop vehicles for dedicated launches of very small satellites. Atlanta-based Generation Orbit has been working for several years on a vehicle called GOLauncher, an air-launch system capable of launching up to 40 kilograms for less than $3 million a launch. The company has not disclosed a schedule for that vehicle, however.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency had also been pursuing an air-launch system called Airborne Launch Assist Space Access (ALASA) capable of placing 45 kilograms into orbit for $1 million a launch. However, in late 2015 DARPA decided to terminate plans to do a flight demonstration of the vehicle because of issues with the vehicle's unique propellant mixture, which exploded in ground tests.
In an April 25 presentation to the National Academies' Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board here, Pam Melroy, deputy director of DARPA's Tactical Technology Office, said that ALASA's $1 million cost goal led them to try the experimental, and ultimately unsuitable, propellant. "It really drove us to drive this technology," she said. "But it's so energetic you'd never hang this off a manned aircraft."

[Salo]

http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/04/this-company-believes-baby-rockets-have-a-big-future-in-space/

While SpaceX eyes its "BFR," an early employee now pursues an "SFR"       
As micro-satellite market grows, new launch company seeks to service 25kg payloads.          
 
 by Eric Berger - Apr 26, 2016 4:55pm EEST

Vector could begin orbital flights of its micro-rocket by 2018.
Vector Space Systems
 
Before he founded SpaceX to colonize Mars, Elon Musk turned to long-time aerospace veteran Jim Cantrell in 2001 for advice. The rocket-building bug hadn't bit Musk yet, but the tech prodigy still wanted to make a grand gesture to get NASA and the rest of the world talking about Mars. Musk had settled upon the idea of sending mice to Mars and back, having them procreate along the way. With about $20 million to burn, Musk sought to buy three old Russian ICBMs and retrofit them as launch vehicles.
It was a crazy plan. But Cantrell, who had worked with the Soviet and then the Russian space program for more than two decades, agreed to help smooth negotiations with the Russians. The scheme fell apart, of course, but that failure led Musk to the epiphany that he should build his own rockets, and he founded SpaceX in June 2002. Cantrell said at the time that the only foreseeable money-making pathway was big payloads: multiton communications and national security satellites. "In those days, you'd look at the market, and the only rational decision you could make was to start small and grow the size of the vehicle," Cantrell said.
Cantrell left SpaceX in 2002, seeing the venture as too risky and unlikely to turn a profit. (It succeeded, he said, because Musk could not conceive of failure). However, even as SpaceX has become a dominant player in the large satellite launch industry, the small satellite industry has grown rapidly. The miniaturization of communications and imaging satellites has led to a new generation of rocket companies, such as Firefly Space Systems and Rocket Lab, which have built smaller launchers. Their rockets will generally heft payloads larger than 100kg into Sun-synchronous orbits 500km or higher.
Even with the rise of cubesats and other smaller technologies, payloads have continued to shrink. Over the last decade, Cantrell has watched this trend, seeing an opportunity to jump back into the launch business with a nano-satellite rocket. In late 2015, he called John Garvey, whose company Garvey Spacecraft Corporation had been working on such a rocket, and together they decided to found a new company called Vector. The company is developing a rocket with a reusable first stage that can deliver up to 25kg to a 400km Sun-synchronous orbit. Because of the groundwork already done by Garvey, Cantrell said Vector could begin orbital flights in 2018.
Cantrell will formally announce the company's plans later today at the Space 2.0 Conference in Silicon Valley. He will also say Vector, based in Tucson, Arizona, has raised more than $1 million in angel funding to support further development.
The company's philosophy is pretty simple. Some recent industry reports have suggested that satellites weighing 50kg or less will comprise about 75 percent of all satellites launched by 2020. Today, these smaller payloads typically "share" rides to space on larger rockets and cannot count on a launch date. Instead of being treated as excess cargo, Vector intends to offer these small satellites the capability to launch within three months of demand into any desired orbit fr om Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska or Cape Canaveral in Florida. Launch costs will range from $2 million to $3 million.
Through its association with Garvey, Vector has conducted about 30 suborbital flights of the first stage of its 12-meter rocket, which runs on special hydrocarbon fuel. The first stage is powered by three engines, each with 5,000 pounds of thrust. It is designed to be recoverable via a parachute system.
Cantrell said the company will also focus on "platform development," which means it plans to offer customers full-service development, from incorporating a particular technology into a satellite, launching it, and designing the space systems to deploying it in orbit. "We're not sure what that will exactly look like," he said. "But the goal is to make it easier for innovators and entrepreneurs to get their ideas into space."
Cantrell said his experiences in Silicon Valley and the aerospace industry leads him to believe that lowering the barrier of entry into space will unleash innovation. It is a lot easier to convince a venture capitalist to invest a few million dollars into an idea versus $10 million, $50 million, or more required for small satellite launchers or ride-along vehicles. "We want to give those guys a platform so they can continue to innovate without having to worry about a launch," Cantrell said. "To me, this is potentially the most interesting part of the aerospace market. The sheer numbers of satellites in this size range are high, and this is probably wh ere the real innovation is going to come."
After 15 years, Cantrell is happy to leave the big stuff, the heavy payloads, dreams of Mars, and eventually the much ballyhooed BFR—Big F***ing Rocket—to Musk. He's content to go after the small stuff.

[Salo]

http://www.satnews.com/story.php?number=60112970

Satnews Daily
October 5th, 2016
MOU Between KSF & IOS For Smallsat Shots

 
On October 3rd, KSF Space Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Interorbital Systems (IOS), wherein the latter firm will identify launch opportunities as well as provide associated pre-launch support for KSF missions.
KSF Space Foundation has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Interorbital Systems (IOS) in California, this October the 3rd 2016. Under the agreement, Interorbital Systems will identify launch opportunities and provide associated pre-launch support to KSF Space Foundation.
According to IOS, by mid-2017/early 2018, the firm will initiate launch services for smallsats to a circular, polar orbit at 310 km altitude. Their current manifest numbers 135 smallsats awaiting launch. Interorbital Systems has developed a simple, robust rocket technology that will enable that firm to be the lowest-cost launch provider in the commercial space industry. Interorbital Systems is currently engaged in building a Moon rocket, NEPTUNE 8 LUNA (N8), for the Google Lunar X Prize Team SYNERGY MOON and other NEPTUNE rocket-series variants, such as the N3, and N5 for commercial satellite launches.
The KSF Space was initially founded to enable cost-effective access to LEO with zero-environmental impact flying solutions. The foundation offers access to near-space and LEO for research and scientific experiments in many fields, such as Earth or Space Observation, biological testing, satellite positioning detection, earth magnetic field measurement, radio transmit, atmosphere science and technology experiment. The foundation encourage universities to develop R&D missions using small sats as these tiny spacecraft have become one of the most important elements in developing future scientific space missions.
KSF Space also recently announced the creation of the world's first Nano-satellite Engineering Professional Certification "NEP Certificate" The NEP Certification pathway will validate the training and experience of aerospace engineers and experts and will be recognized by major space companies, organizations, foundations and agencies. Some of the industry partners will work with KSF Space to review the content of the course material and accredit the certificate by recognizing NEP Certification as world's first and only smallsat specialization and training credential.

[Salo]

Peter B. de Selding ‏@pbdes  7 ч.7 часов назад  
Spanish launch-vehicle startup @PLDSpace has received modest $$ from Euro Commission, Spanish govt agencies inc CDTI/ENISA, & now @infoGMV.
 
  Peter B. de Selding ‏@pbdes  7 ч.7 часов назад  
GMV(2): @PLDSpace suborbital Arion1 to launch 2018 frm Spain. Arion2 for smallsats targets 2020 launch. @infoGMV CEO Serrano on PLD board.
 
 
  Peter B. de Selding ‏@pbdes  7 ч.7 часов назад  
GMV(1) invests in Spanish rocket startup PLD Space, brings PLD to EUR 6.7M frm public/private sector, to supply GNC for PLD's Arion rockets.
 

[Salo]

ttp://pldspace.com/arion2.html

Orbital SPACE Transportation Services

ARION 2 is a 3-stages, cost-effective, reusable launch vehicle dedicated to the small satellite market.
All critical technologies will fly previously onboard ARION 1 suborbital launch vehicle, giving them flight heritage.
2 configuration: Classic for standard missions and Enhanced fairing for large payloads.

 ARION 2, classic firing:
 
 
 
 ARION 2, enhanced firing:
 
 

[Salo]

http://www.interorbital.com/interorbital_06222015_021.htm

In August 2016, Interorbital's launch contract with Google Lunar X PRIZE Team SYNERGY MOON was verified, sending the team and launch-provider one step closer toward the Moon launch they hope will win the $30 million dollar prize.
       
       2017 testing features field testing of all rocket systems including the guidance and control system for the NEPTUNE rocket series. Upon completion of these final ground tests, IOS will conduct a full-scale vehicle flight test of a guided CPM, as one of the milestones in IOS' busy launch schedule for 2017.
       
       IOS is also completing the design of the hypergolic liquid version of the its common upper stage. A single CPM with two common upper stages will be launched to orbit after the low-altitude guidance flight tests have been completed. This launch vehicle has been designated the N1 LS2 LS3. This version is capable of launching a 4.5 kg payload to 310 km or a 3 kg payload to 550 km polar orbit. This will be the smallest and lowest-cost launch vehicle in the world.

[che wi]

Ещё один прожект – ракета-носитель Chetak от индийского стартапа Bellatrix.

http://www.bellatrixaerospace.com/chetak.html

[Salo]

http://www.interorbital.com/interorbital_06222015_019.htm

Update 07.25.17        
NEPTUNE 1 Guidance Test Vehicle (N1 GTV)
 
                                                 
           MOJAVE 07.25.2017---The Interorbital team is nearing the completion of its N1 GTV launch vehicle which incorporates IOS' new high-efficiency CPM 2.0 filament-wound tank assembly, its new rocket engine gimballing system, its new CPM controller, and its new in-house developed guidance system. This finless, single CPM launch vehicle will be used in an upcoming low-altitude test flight. Eleven commercial and educational CubeSat and TubeSat payloads are manifested on this flight.
       
       CPM 2.0 is composed of four identical tanks containing the rocket's storable propellants and pressurant gas. This regulated pressure-fed configuration was chosen to increase engine performance while at the same time reducing cost and manufacturing time.
       
       During the test flight, the rocket will simulate an orbital launch trajectory by using the main rocket engine's throttling capability to vary the thrust-to-weight ratio, thus simulating the actual conditions that will be experienced during an orbital launch. After the rocket passes through the transonic phase and Max Q, the engine will gradually throttle down, slowing the rocket until it begins to hover. At this point, the rocket engine will be shut down and the rocket will be allowed to fall. At a safe altitude, a parachute will be deployed for vehicle and payload recovery.
       
       Following the test of the N1 GTV launch vehicle, the IOS team will construct an orbital version of the N1 launch vehicle. The N1 consists of a single CPM 2.0 and two liquid upper-stages. It will be capable of placing a 14 pound (6.4 kg) payload into a 192 mi (310 km) polar orbit---perfect for the dedicated launch of the new 3U-CubeSat plus 1U-propulsion system assemblies now trending in the small satellite industry. Since the N1 launch vehicle is 36 ft (11 m) in length and weighs only 5,400 lbs (2,449 kg), it will be the smallest orbital launch vehicle in the world. The NEPTUNE 1 is the world's lowest-cost orbital launch vehicle, with a base price of $250,000 (academic only) per launch to a circular polar orbit at 310km.
       
       The same Common Propulsion Module that powers the N1 can be bundled into groups of one, three, five, or eight to meet the mission lift requirements for payloads weighing up to 500-kgs (1,100-lbs).