Vector Wolverine от Vector Space

[tnt22]

Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 15 мин. назад

Vector carried out what it said was a successful low-altitude launch today, despite an igniter glitch & a wild pig:
http://spacenews.com/vector-performs-second-test-flight-of-smallsat-launch-vehicle/

http://spacenews.com/vector-performs-second-test-flight-of-smallsat-launch-vehicle/

Vector performs second test flight of smallsat launch vehicle
by Jeff Foust — August 3, 2017


The second Vector-R rocket lifts off on a low-altitude test flight from a site in Camden County, Georgia, Aug. 3. Credit: Vector
 
WASHINGTON — Vector, a company developing the Vector-R small launch vehicle, carried out what it said was a second successful low-altitude test flight of the rocket from a Georgia site Aug. 3.

The Vector-R rocket lifted off from future site of Spaceport Camden in Camden County, Georgia, near the Atlantic coast, at about 12:25 p.m. Eastern. The launch, designated B.002 by the company, is the second in a series of several test flights planned for the Vector-R.

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The company did not immediately release details about the flight, but declared the launch a success in social media posts immediately after the brief flight.

"In summary, the rocket took off, it flew, so we're happy about that," said John Garvey, chief technology officer of Vector, in an video released by the company a little more than an hour after the flight.

A launch attempt about 40 minutes earlier was aborted because of a problem with the ignition system for the rocket's single engine. "We had some ignition problems that we had to work our way through," Garvey said. Technicians made adjustments at the pad that corrected the problem, he said.

The launch was the second for the Vector-R, after a test flight three months earlier in California's Mojave Desert. Both launches were low-altitude test flights, with a peak altitude on this flight of no more than 3,000 meters. That is part of an incremental test strategy by the company.

"It's an incremental development approach that gradually adds more and more complexity and performance to the vehicle as we go along," James Cantrell, chief executive of Vector, said in an interview after the May test flight. Vector is planning a total of up to six test flights, culminating in an orbital launch, he said then.

Vector announced June 29 that it had raised a $21 million Series A funding round led by Sequoia Capital, a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley. That funding round, the company said at the time, would allow it to accelerate its testing program.

Garvey didn't give a schedule for the next test flight, which will test a thrust vector control system for the rocket. "We'll be regrouping in the next few days and looking at that schedule," he said, adding there is an engine test planned at the company's headquarters in Tucson, Arizona, on Aug. 11.

He added, though, that he expected Vector to begin commercial orbital launches within a year. "We're already buying hardware and doing things that are directly impacting" those orbital launches, he said. "We're already L-365 [days]."

The launch was also the first from the future site of Spaceport Camden, a proposed commercial launch site near the Atlantic coast in southern Georgia. Camden County officials have been working on plans to develop a vertical launch site on property that once hosted a Union Carbide facility, and is in the process of obtaining a launch site operator's license from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The site, though, lacks dedicated launch facilities or other critical infrastructure; Vector noted it needed a satellite internet link in order to provide a webcast of the launch. At one point in the webcast, a wild pig could be seen crossing the field in front of the launch pad as workers corrected the igniter problem with the rocket.

The forests surrounding the pad also posed a challenge for recovering the rocket, which descended back to Earth under a parachute. "This is a new experience for us," said Garvey, who has extensive experience launching and recovering rockets in the Mojave Desert. "It took about 45 minutes to find it. A little different than the desert."

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[tnt22]

Astro Digital‏ @astrodigitalgeo 18 мин. назад

Today we demonstrated integration of #Landmapper payload on the @vectorspacesys launch test https://blog.astrodigital.com/vector-micro-rocket-launch-w-astro-digital-cce05084309 ...

https://blog.astrodigital.com/vector-micro-rocket-launch-w-astro-digital-cce05084309

Astro Digital | Optimizing the way you bring information of the changing planet into your work.
Aug 3

Vector micro-rocket launch w/ Astro Digital

This morning Vector Space Systems successfully completed their second launch test of the Vector-R rocket, this time with an experimental Landmapper-HD payload onboard. This is just the start of hundreds of micro-rockets that Vector plans to launch with a small sat payload beginning in 2018. We are thrilled to be a part of this huge milestone.

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Alex connecting up the payload electronics to the rocket just days before the launch.

Having the experimental Landmapper-HD payload onboard the Vector-R rocket means that we test integration — mechanical fit and compatibility of the electronics — of our satellite payload with this new launch vehicle . We have also been able to test some of our new hardware designs under real life launch conditions.

Vector plans to be to launch from a wide variety of locations, not just the standard launch sites used by traditional launch vehicles. Today's launch is from the Camden Spaceport, located near the coast of Georgia. Part of the mission it to prove that they can go anywhere launch these rockets.

We work with the Vector team because launch continues to be one of the biggest risks to growing our business. This launch proves that Vector is on track to be a huge disruptor in the launch marketplace.

The Vector-R is one of two rockets that the Vector team hopes to start launching on a regular basis in the years ahead. It's designed to launch very small payloads weighing up to 145 pounds into lower Earth orbit.

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[Димитър]

Запустили аж на 3 км высоту. Что дальше ?

[Дмитрий В.]

Димитър пишет:
Запустили аж на 3 км высоту. Что дальше ?

4 км.

[Старый]

Дмитрий В. пишет:

Димитър пишет:
Запустили аж на 3 км высоту. Что дальше ?

4 км.

 

А чьи это там провода рядом с местом старта? Хозяевам проводов за них не страшно? 

[Apollo13]

Vector carried out what it said was a successful low-altitude launch today, despite an igniter glitch & a wild pig:

Черт с ней с ракетой. Свинью кто-то видел?

[Старый]

Apollo13 пишет:

Vector carried out what it said was a successful low-altitude launch today, despite an igniter glitch & a wild pig:

Черт с ней с ракетой. Свинью кто-то видел?

Мне понравился оборот "выполнили чтото что по их словам было "низковысотным запуском"".  
 Кажется их сообщениям не вполне доверяют.
 А где это вообще происходит? В густонаселённой Джорджии на дороге общего пользования?   Или это какаято другая Джорджия?
 

[Дмитрий В.]

Старый пишет:

Дмитрий В. пишет:

Димитър пишет:
Запустили аж на 3 км высоту. Что дальше ?

4 км.

 

А чьи это там провода рядом с местом старта? Хозяевам проводов за них не страшно?

Мне лично было страшно за лес.

[Старый]

Дмитрий В. пишет: 
Мне лично было страшно за лес.

Да хрен с ним. Новый вырастет. Они чего, лесных пожаров не видели? 
 Да и вообще не факт что сырой лес не в засуху загорится. 

[tnt22]

Apollo13 пишет:
Свинью кто-то видел?

См #159 - прочапала от правых столбов через дорогу к левым, затем скрылась в лесу. В кадре вертелась достаточно долго.

[tnt22]

Дмитрий В. пишет:
4 км.

4 км - это нарушении лицензии FAA, там четко сказано не превышать высоту в 10000 футов => 3048 м.  

[tnt22]

Старый пишет:
А чьи это там провода рядом с местом старта? Хозяевам проводов за них не страшно?

В реале хороший вид на видео из #180. Наземная точка съёмки не позволяет этого лицезреть.

[Apollo13]

tnt22 пишет:

Apollo13 пишет:
Свинью кто-то видел?

См #159 - прочапала от правых столбов через дорогу к левым, затем скрылась в лесу. В кадре вертелась достаточно долго.

Спасибо! А видео есть где-то?

[tnt22]

Старый пишет:
А где это вообще происходит? В густонаселённой Джорджии на дороге общего пользования?

В густонаселённой аллигаторами, змеями и кабанами    . Граница с Флоридой.

Jim Cantrell‏ @jamesncantrell 2 ч. назад

I have bug bites on my scalp after joining search for @vectorspacesys rocket yesterday in @CamdenSpaceport jungle w/ gators snakes & pigs

Территория графства Кэмден - 1651.7 км2; население - порядка 45000, в основном в г. Вудбайн; плотность населения - 26.8 ч/км2.

[tnt22]

Apollo13 пишет:
Спасибо! А видео есть где-то?

Наблюдали многие, но так как прямая трансляция (с прерываниями по тех. причинам) длилась более 4-х часов, то ответ скорее отрицательный...    
Но вот уже не мой скрин (Джеф успел лучший момент засечь):

Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 23 ч назад

They've got another visitor at the pad, too.

[tnt22]

VECTOR‏ @vectorspacesys 3 мин. назад

Another great image of yesterday's successful launch at @CamdenSpaceport

[tnt22]

http://spaceportcamden.us/why.php

Why Camden County, Georgia - U.S.A.?

The proposed Camden Spaceport site is located on the I-95 corridor next to the Atlantic Ocean and is surrounded by a large undeveloped buffer zone. Coastal Camden County, Georgia provides a nearly unrestricted launch range for the launch of spacecraft to a wide range of orbits. Orbital inclinations between 31° and 58° can be reached without the addition of costly propulsive maneuvers to change the orbital plane.

In addition, our southerly location and favorable launch azimuths enable more payload to orbit from Camden County. These launches have the capability to fly due east, maximizing the velocity boost from the rotation of the Earth and enabling more payload to reach orbit. 

We are also home to a former rocket testing facility that is ideal for space vehicle manufacturing and we can provide ready access to existing space launch sites in both Virginia and Florida.

[/li]
• Launches over the Atlantic Ocean and a large, undeveloped buffer zone mitigate any danger to major population centers and provide a nearly unrestricted launch range to a wide range of orbits.
• Southern latitude gives spacecraft a boost from Earth's rotation, adding velocity to the rocket, reducing the fuel needed, and enabling more payload to reach orbit.
• Orbital inclinations between 31° and 58° can be reached without the addition of costly propulsive maneuvers to change the orbital plane.
• Temperate weather permits launches year round.
• As a commercial property, Camden Spaceport eliminates the need for commercial space companies to sequence alongside governmental payloads or be saddled with the federal government regulation that exists at other launch sites.
• Rail and Interstate highway located within 13 miles.
• Barge access to the Atlantic with convenient shipping to other East Coast spaceports.
  

...

Learn more about Why Camden - PDF, 133791 B, 2 стр

[Старый]

Понятно. Вобщем в дикой сшанщине можно ставить космодром на каждом углу.
 Кабаны, крокодилы... Мы со своими лосями и медведями нервно курим в сторонке.  

[tnt22]

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vector-successfully-launches-first-ever-rocket-from-spaceport-camden-300499251.html#

Vector Successfully Launches First Ever Rocket from Spaceport Camden

First mission with customer payloads marks a key milestone in the company's march towards orbital launch services

NEWS PROVIDED BY
Vector
Aug 03, 2017, 12:30 ET

TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vector, a micro satellite space launch company comprised of new-space and enterprise software industry veterans from SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, McDonnell Douglas, Boeing, Sea Launch and VMware, today announced the successful suborbital flight of its B0.002 test vehicle, a full-scale prototype of the company's Vector-R launch vehicle. This launch represents both the first customer-funded launch operation for the new space commercial launch industry, as well as the first launch out of the historic Spaceport Camden in Georgia, which was originally used by NASA in the 1960's for ground-based static fire testing of large solid rocket motors.

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The flight test is particularly significant for Vector because the company is manifesting customer-sponsored experiments and payloads - a major achievement among the next generation of small launch vehicle developers. Test packages from Astro Digital, a leader in real-time satellite imagery data, and the Center for Applied Space Technology, an organization focused on space-based medicine research and applications, highlight Vector's mission to deliver increased access for organizations looking to launch microsatellites more affordably and at a higher frequency than ever before.

"Since our inception, Vector has been committed to making space open for business," said Jim Cantrell, CEO and co-founder of Vector. "Our historic launch today is a testament to the hard work of the Vector team, as well as support from NASA and Spaceport Camden. Together, we're on the fast-track to get to an orbital capability in 2018 and look forward to continuing momentum and unprecedented growth through the course of this year."

A primary objective of today's test was the demonstration and evaluation of a next-generation 3D additively manufactured engine injector developed through a collaborative research program with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.  This injector was ground tested last month and an earlier version was used in Vector's initial B0.001 launch vehicle in May. Today's launch represents another milestone for Vector, as it was the first time spark igniter technology developed with University of Alabama - Huntsville and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center was attempted to start the booster main engine.

"This is a significant accomplishment for Vector and for NASA's initiatives to advance enabling technologies for suborbital and orbital small launch vehicles," said Ron Young, NASA Flight Opportunities Program Manager. "NASA's role in helping the industry to develop commercial small satellite launch capabilities through the STMD Announcement of Collaborative Opportunities (ACO) awards, enables companies such as Vector to offer this capability to the commercial market place sooner."

Earlier this year, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed House Bill 1, also dubbed The Georgia Space Flight Act, to encourage commercial space activities in Georgia. Camden County has been working closely with Vector to put Spaceport Camden back on the map, not only because of its rich history of space innovation, but also to assert Camden as a top player in the competition for commercial launches. Vector conducted an initial set of ground operations at Spaceport Camden in March, 2017 to showcase the Vector-R launch system in anticipation of this groundbreaking launch.

"Vector's successful tests prove that it is an innovator in this dynamic field. Georgia looks forward to working with commercial space companies, like Vector, as we begin the next chapter of space exploration and innovation," said David Ralston, Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives.

"By investing in Camden County to create the first commercial spaceport in Georgia - the only exclusively vertical, non-federal range on the East Coast - we are making a significant investment in our future. Georgia is ready to lead the nation, and the world, in building a workforce and an economy that is second to none", added Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle.

This most recent test of the Vector-R launch vehicle comes on the heels of a $21M Series A funding round led by Sequoia Capital, with participation from Shasta Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners. With this most recent round of funding, Vector will accelerate the company's flight test series, develop its first GalacticSky satellites, open its Silicon Valley Headquarters and break ground on a rocket factory in Pima County, Arizona.

About Vector

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Founded by the original SpaceX founding team, Vector is a disruptive company that connects space startups and innovators with affordable and reliable launch services, enabling platforms and vehicles to access space at a price never before possible. For more information, visit http://www.vectorspacesystems.com/.

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About Astro Digital

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Astro Digital is enabling big data analytics from space. We monitor Earth from space with our constellation of multi-spectral Landmapper satellites and a dedicated software platform for imagery analysis and distribution.  With 20 engineers based on NASA's Moffett Field, we're monitoring commercially active land use to model global change and analyze local activity for a variety of business needs. For more information, visit: www.astrodigital.com

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About the Center for Applied Space Technology (CAST)

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Operating out of Orange Park and Cape Canaveral, Florida, the CAST mission is to promote the innovative application of space-enabled and space-enabling technologies. In this capacity, CAST facilitates space medicine research in the environment of microgravity. Ongoing projects are focused on regenerative medicine, non-invasive crew monitoring, and long duration space flight. For more information, visit: https://www.c-ast.org/

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About NASA

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NASA is seeking partnerships with U.S. companies focused on industry-developed space technologies that can advance the commercial space sector and benefit future NASA missions through the "Announcement of Collaborative Opportunity (ACO)" solicitation released by NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate. An STMD program, Flight Opportunities managed by NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, provides technical expertise and test facilities to aid industry partners in maturing key space technologies.

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About Spaceport Camden

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Our Vision is to develop a successful world class spaceport through a public-private partnership that establishes Camden County as the Commercial Space Center of the United States. Our Mission is to create the premier spaceport strategically positioned to provide economic diversity with a competitive advantage for the space sector, Camden County, the State of Georgia and the United States of America. For more information, please view our website at http://spaceportcamden.us/

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SOURCE Vector

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[tnt22]

Старый пишет:
Кабаны, крокодилы

А змеи-то, змеи...    . Да всё не далее 20 км от транспортных артерий - тут тебе и чугунка, и хайвэй по всему восточному побережью, и порты на Атлантике, да и база АПЛ Кингс Бей... Куды ж нам, лапотным-то, со лосями-ведмедями... ГЫ-ЫЫЫ