A-ONE: Cygnus Mass Simulator, Dove 1, PhoneSat х3 - Antares-110 - MARS LP-0A - 21.04.2013 21:00 UTC

[Salo]

Из плана американских космических пусков:
July 6 - PhoneSat 1.0 (x3) (Risk reduction test flight) - Antares - MARS

[Salo]

Космос-3794 пишет:

Четыре кубсата, три одинарных и один строенный. будут запущены в первом полете Антареса, предварительно запланированном на лето:

http://quantum.nasa.gov/materials/2012-01-17-D1-Marshall.pdf

Launch 3x PhoneSat 1.0 in June 2012
•/ Taurus II --> 280x280km orbit
•/ Duration 3 weeks
•/ Launch Cost: $250k (for 3 satellites)

Launch 1x PhoneSat 2.0 in December 2012
•/ Falcon 9/Dragon --> 450x300km orbit
•/ Duration: 3-6 months
•/ Cost: free through ELaNa programme

NASA Quantum Future Technologies Conference 17.1.12
Moffett Field, CA, USA

Потусторонний пишет:

Фонесат на баллоне и на столе

Креативное использование рулетки в качестве антенны :lol:

[Salo]

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

Aug. 9        Antares • Demo
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia

[Salo]

http://www.spacenews.com/satellite_telecom/120615-orbital-books-order-sat-platform.html

Pierce also said Orbital now plans to test-fire the first stage of its Antares rocket in late July or early August at the new Wallops Island, Va., spaceport — a month later than the schedule announced in late April.

A successful test-firing will be followed by a demonstration flight of the two-stage Antares vehicle, without the Cygnus cargo module, in August or September.

The first Antares-Cygnus flight, designed to carry cargo to the international space station, then would occur in November or December.

Antares and Cygnus would begin regular cargo deliveries to the station, under Orbital's Cargo Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA, at a rate of two flights per year starting in 2013.

[Salo]

http://www.spacenews.com/civil/120706-nash-replaces-reed-vcsfa.html

Meanwhile, the first Antares hold-down test at Pad 0-A is now scheduled for September. As part of its fight demonstration agreement with NASA, Orbital has to complete that test before it can launch Antares on its maiden flight, now scheduled for December. In the December flight, Antares will fly without its Cygnus cargo module. It would not be until next year, when Antares flies for the second time, that Orbital's European-built Cygnus freighter would fly to orbit and berth with the space station. The first Antares/Cygnus flight was supposed to happen in December 2010.

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21179.msg927478#msg927478

antonioe пишет:

As I mentioned in the Antares thread, I think the Space News reporter had the Antares Test and the Obital Demo-1 flights confused. As far as anybody at Orbital knows, ORB D-1 is still scheduled for 12 December 2012 (knock on wood...)

[Salo]

http://www.orbital.com/Antares/

Updated COTS and CRS Schedules
July 2012

Orbital updated its COTS and CRS operational schedules, with plans to achieve four major operational milestones within the next year. They are as listed below:

 Late August/Early September 2012 - Antares First-Stage Static Fire Test at Wallops
 October 2012 - Antares Test Flight for COTS
 December 2012 - COTS Demonstration Mission to ISS*
 First quarter 2013 - CRS Mission #1 to ISS*

*Dates are subject to coordination with NASA's ISS cargo delivery schedule.

[Salo]

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_07_30_2012_p36-478885.xml&p=3

When Orbital Sciences Corp. launches its first Antares rocket fr om Wallops Island, Va., later this summer, it will be carrying three 1U cubesats that take the consumer-electronics approach to spacecraft to new heights. Wedged into one of them will be a standard Android smartphone, with a bunch of extra batteries, in a test of whether the open-architecture electronics and commercial hardware can survive in space.

"If the platform is open, if the operating system is open, well then, almost anybody could write an app that could do something that may be beneficial to spaceflight, so you can tap into that larger community of app writers," says Bruce Yost a project manager at Ames Research Center, wh ere NASA's smallsat work is headquartered. "It kind of changes a lot of things that you do in aerospace."

Another "Phonesat" version carries the innards but not the case of the Android. The work, spearheaded at Ames with funding fr om OCT, is not lim ited to smartphone software, but includes such hardware possibilities as removing the weights from the phones' "vibrate" mode and using the motors as tiny reaction wheels, says Yost.

[instml]

The Cygnus Mass Simulator is a dummy payload represanting the mass properties of the Cygnus-PCM spacecraft on the maiden flight of the Antares-110 rocket.



Cygnus Mass Simulator [OSC]

Nation:    USA
Type / Application:    Vehicle evaluation
Operator:    Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC)
Contractors:    Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC)
Equipment:    
Configuration:    
Propulsion:    None

Satellite    Date    LS       Launch Vehicle    Remarks
Cygnus Mass Simulator    2012    WI LC-0A       Antares-110    with Dove 1, PhoneSat v1a, PhoneSat v1b, PhoneSat v1c

http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/cygnus-mass-simulator.htm

[Salo]

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=15457.msg952236#msg952236

russianhalo117 пишет:

Do we a possible date yet for the static fire test?

antonioe пишет:
If we are able to roll out the vehicle this Friday, we should be able to do the static fire test in mid-October.

[Salo]

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=15457.msg952236#msg952236

russianhalo117 пишет:

Do we a possible date yet for the static fire test?

antonioe пишет:
If we are able to roll out the vehicle this Friday, we should be able to do the static fire test in mid-October.

[Salo]

http://www.interfax.com.ua/rus/main/118142/

В США идет подготовка к запуску созданной с участием Украины новой ракеты-носителя Antares

14:26

На космодроме на базе Уоллопс (Вирджиния, США) готовятся к запуску новой ракеты-носителя (РН) легкого класса Antares (прежнее название Taurus-II-ИФ) для доставки грузов на международную космическую станцию (МКС), строящуюся американской Orbital Science Corp в рамках международной кооперации с участием Украины.

"В настоящее время на стартовом комплексе идет подготовка к заключительному этапу предстартовых испытаний ракеты-носителя", - сообщил агентству "Интерфакс-Украина" источник, знакомый с ходом реализации проекта.

"Согласно официально озвученной на сегодняшний день информации, первый пуск РН Antares намечен на октябрь", - уточнил собеседник агентства.

Он выразил удовлетворение ходом сотрудничества с США по программе, подчеркнув наличие полного взаимопонимания между Orbital Science Corp. и украинскими партнерами по проекту.

В 2008 году украинские ГКБ "Южное" и ПО "Южмаш" (оба - Днепропетровск) подписали долгосрочный, сроком до 2019 года, контракт с американской Orbital Science Corp. на разработку и изготовление первой ступени РН легкого класса Taurus-II (сегодня Antares - ИФ) для доставки грузов на международную космическую станцию (МКС). По данным из открытых источников, новая РН будет выводить грузы до 7 тонн на низкие орбиты.

В соответствии с контрактом украинская сторона обеспечит разработку и изготовление первой ступени РН, американская сторона ответственна за вторую ступень, наземный комплекс и маркетинг проекта. Финансирование программы будет осуществляться при участии NASA.

РН Antares будет оснащена ракетным двигателем НК-33, разработанным для сверхтяжелой ракеты Н-1, проект которой был закрыт в 70-е годы вместе с советской Лунной программой. На сегодняшний день американской стороной закуплено у РФ около 40 двигателей.

19.09.2012

[Salo]

https://twitter.com/i/#/OrbitalSciences/media/slideshow?url=pic.twitter.com%2Fsx82dil5



https://twitter.com/i/#/OrbitalSciences/media/slideshow?url=pic.twitter.com%2F3W0eF8zn

[George]

А почему легкой? У "Союз 2-1а" ПН примерно 7 тонн и это средняя РН. Так что "Антарес" средний носитель.

[Salo]

У Антареса далеко не семь.

[Salo]

http://www.spacenews.com/launch/120927-rollout-antares-first-stage-today.html

Thu, 27 September, 2012
Battery Issue Prompts Orbital To Postpone Antares Rollout
By Dan Leone

This story was upd ated at 5:18 p.m. EST

WASHINGTON — Orbital Sciences Corp. on Thursday (Sept. 27) scrubbed a planned rollout of the first stage of its Antares rocket, which was headed to the launch pad for a long-awaited hold-down test, because of problems with the horizontal transporter used to move the rocket to its launch site.

The rollout, which was scheduled to begin around 8:00 a.m. Thursday, was rescheduled for Saturday morning (Sept. 29) because of a "battery issue" with the transporter vehicle used to haul Antares fr om its hangar to Pad 0-A at NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility, Orbital spokesman Barron Beneski said in an email that reached Space News at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Orbital was preparing to bring the Antares first stage to Pad 0-A for a hold-down test that, Beneski said, will take place several weeks after the rocket stage is se t up at the pad.

"We were authorized to begin our on-pad operations," Beneski said Sept. 27 from Orbital's Dulles, Va., headquarters. "Once the rocket is hooked up, it will be four to six weeks before we do the hot-fire test."

The battery issue with the transporter showed itself early in the rollout process, according to an internal Orbital email.

"We experienced a problem with the transporters," Mike Whalen, Orbital's field site manager, wrote just before 11 a.m. in the email, which was obtained by Space News. "They checked out ok last night and early this morning, but one died when we attempted to roll.

"Team is trouble shooting and we know for sure that we have a power problem. We are getting new batteries delivered Pocomoke now. After installing them we will perform transporter checkout. If no fault code exist, we will probably roll out around 12:30 if all goes well," Whalen wrote.

Beneski had no immediate comment on the status of the transporter checkout. Whalen could not be reached for comment.

The planned Antares first-stage hold down is a critical milestone for Orbital. The test, if successful, will clear the way for the first flight of the full Antares launch vehicle by the end of this year, Beneski said.

NASA spokesman Jeremy Eggers did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Because Pad 0-A is located on a NASA range, the U.S. space agency has responsibility for certifying that it is fit for launch.

Delays in obtaining that certification, which Orbital blamed on the Virginia Commercial Spaceflight Authority that operates the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, have prevented Orbital from completing the remaining milestones in its Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreement with NASA.

Under the COTS agreement, Orbital has to perform two flight demonstrations of its Antares rocket, including one wh ere the vehicle boosts the company's unmanned Cygnus cargo capsule to the space station. Orbital plans to use these vehicles to fulfill its $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. The 2008 agreement calls for Orbital to make eight cargo delivery runs to the international space station.

[Salo]

morpheus пишет:

Вот фотки с твиттера https://twitter.com/OrbitalSciences

АниКей пишет:

Orbital Begins Antares Rocket Operations at Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport
-- Rockets First Stage Transported to New Launch Pad to Commence Full-Scale Operations --
http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/release.asp?prid=829
(Dulles, VA 1 October 2012) – Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB), one of the world's leading space technology companies, today announced that it has commenced Antares launch vehicle operations at the liquid-fuel launch complex at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS). Following a four-year design, development, construction, test and inspection process, the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA), which oversees MARS, has authorized Orbital to begin on-pad operations leading up to flight demonstrations of its Antares medium-class launch vehicle and Cygnus cargo logistics spacecraft, the vehicles Orbital will use to fulfill a $1.9 billion NASA contract to deliver essential cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). The MARS launch complex is located at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in eastern Virginia and is owned and operated by MARS, under the auspices of the VCSFA, which receives its funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia.

"MARS has completed construction and testing operations on its launch complex at Wallops Island, the first all-new large-scale liquid-fuel launch site to be built in the U.S. in decades," said David W. Thompson, Orbital's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Accordingly, our pad operations are commencing immediately in preparation for an important series of ground and flight tests of our Antares medium-class launch vehicle over the next few months. In fact, earlier today, an Antares first stage test article was transported to the pad from its final assembly building about a mile away, marking the beginning of full pad operations."

Over the next several months, the company plans to complete three major program milestones, including an on-pad hot-fire test of the Antares first stage, the maiden flight of a fully operational Antares rocket, and a demonstration mission to the ISS of Orbital's cargo delivery system, prior to commencing operational cargo delivery missions under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) agreement in 2013. This system, developed under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) joint research and development agreement with NASA, is made up of an Antares rocket, a Cygnus advanced maneuvering cargo logistics spacecraft, and ground-based mission operations command and control facilities.

The first of the three milestones, the Antares hot-fire test operation, will demonstrate the readiness of the rocket's first stage and launch pad fueling systems to support the upcoming flights. The hot-fire test involves firing Antares' dual AJ26 rocket engines that will generate a combined total thrust of 680,000 lbs. for approximately 30 seconds while the first stage is held down on the pad. The hot-fire operation is expected to be conducted in four to five weeks following integration and check-out of the Antares first stage test unit with the launch complex's fueling systems.

The hot-fire test will be followed about one month later by the maiden flight of the Antares rocket, which will carry a Cygnus mass simulator payload that will be heavily instrumented to gather data on the launch environment aboard Antares. In addition, four small "pico satellites" will be deployed from two dispensers that will be integrated with the mass simulator.

The last of the three COTS test milestones will be the COTS demonstration mission to the ISS. For this mission, a fully operational Cygnus spacecraft will be launched into orbit by Antares and, following an extensive series of in-orbit tests, will autonomously rendezvous and berth with the ISS. The first Cygnus will deliver approximately 550 kg of cargo upon its arrival and will remove about 1,000 kg of disposal cargo upon its departure from the orbiting laboratory.

[Salo]

http://www.orbital.com/CargoResupplyServices/

Antares First Stage Test Article Rolled Out to Pad

 October 2012

 Orbital and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) have completed checkout and performance testing of Launch Pad 0A and its associated Liquid Fueling Facility (LFF), paving the way to begin on-pad operations for the Antares Program at Wallops Island, VA. On October 1 an Antares first stage test article was transported fr om the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF), wh ere the Antares launchers are assembled, to the pad about a mile away.
 At the pad, the test article will be used to verify the launch pad fueling systems through a series of "wet dress rehearsals" during which Antares is fueled and then defueled to test all launch complex systems. Later, Orbital will conduct a 30-second hot-fire test of the Antares first stage and its dual AJ26 rocket engines. After these tests are successfully conducted, the test article will be returned to the HIF and the stage and the engines will be refurbished for a later flight.
 Approximately one month after the successful hot fire test, the maiden flight of the Antares rocket will occur. For this mission Antares will carry a simulated payload that will be heavily instrumented to gather data on the launch environment aboard the vehicle. In addition, four small "pico satellites" will also be deployed from two dispensers that will be integrated with the mass simulator.
 In 2013 Antares will conduct a demonstration mission to deliver cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) under the company's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreement with NASA. For this mission, a fully operational Cygnus spacecraft will be launched into orbit by Antares and, following an extensive series of in-orbit tests, will autonomously rendezvous and berth with the ISS. The first Cygnus will deliver approximately 550 kg of cargo upon its arrival and will remove about 1,000 kg of disposal cargo upon its departure from the Station.

[Salo]

http://www.spacenews.com/launch/121001-orbital-rolls-antares-pad.html

Mon, 1 October, 2012
Orbital Rolls Antares to Pad To Prep for Hold-down Test
By Dan Leone

 WASHINGTON — Orbital Sciences Corp. on Oct. 1 rolled the first stage of its Antares rocket out to the launch pad at NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility to prepare for a series of tests that, if successful, will clear the way for the company to begin routine cargo deliveries to the international space station sometime next year.

 Dulles, Va.-based Orbital wanted to move the Antares stage to the pad Sept. 27, but a power problem with a transporter vehicle used to haul the rocket from its hangar to the pad, coupled with expectations of foul weather on the Virginia coast during the weekend, prompted the company to delay rollout until Oct. 1, spokesman Barron Beneski said.

 Orbital holds a $1.9 billion NASA contract signed in 2008 that calls for eight cargo flights to the space station. Orbital will deliver that cargo with its unmanned Cygnus space freighter, which Antares will loft to low Earth orbit from Wallops. Before it can collect on the delivery contract, however, Orbital has to complete a hold-down test of the Antares first stage, then conduct two Antares demonstration flights out of Wallops.

 The first-stage hold-down test will take place at the pad sometime in the next four to five weeks, Orbital said in its Oct. 1 press release. In the hold-down test, the rocket core's two liquid engines — Soviet-vintage NK-33s refurbished by Sacramento, Calif.-based Aerojet and rebranded as AJ-26s — will be lit for about 30 seconds. Antares would have its maiden flight a month after a successful hold-down test, Orbital said Oct. 1. Assuming a successful test flight, a full-up Antares-Cygnus stack would be cleared to fly a demonstration cargo run to the space station before the end of the year, Orbital said. In that mission, Cygnus would deliver 550 kilograms of freight and relieve the outpost of about 1,000 kilograms of trash, Orbital said.

 Antares will launch all of its space station resupply missions from Pad 0-A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), a facility at the southern tip of Wallops Island that is operated by the state-funded Virginia Commercial Spaceflight Authority.

 Because MARS and Pad 0-A are on a NASA range, the agency had to give its approval for Orbital to begin operations at the launch pad.

 "When it comes to the pad, NASA's role has been in ensuring the pressure systems have been designed, fabricated, and tested in accordance with national and NASA standards," NASA spokesman Jeremy Eggers wrote in a Sept. 28 email to Space News. "NASA, and the MARS contractor responsible for engineering those systems, reviewed the systems and the data and provided permission for the operations of those systems at Pad 0-A."

 Difficulties with some of this fluid transfer and handling infrastructure at Pad 0-A had delayed critical Antares tests. Orbital blamed the difficulties, and the subsequent delays, on the spaceport.

 With the space shuttle fleet retired, NASA is now relying on private operators to send supplies to the space station, which is also served by European, Japanese and Russian cargo vehicles. Orbital is one of two U.S. companies NASA tapped for cargo runs. The other, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. of Hawthorne, Calif., completed a demonstration cargo run in May and is preparing to launch its first regular resupply mission Oct. 7.

[SpaceR]

Видео вывоза: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqKs19-zojs&feature=relmfu

[Salo]

Пуск назначен на 17 декабря.