united launch alliance
Welcome to the 5.23rd edition of the Rocket Report! It’s been a really fun week for US Rockets. Electron made a sensational debut on launch from Virginia, Vulcan went vertical in Florida, and Starship passed critical tests on its way to its first orbital launch. We look forward to taking another big leap with our launch later this year.
As always, we look forward to reading your contributions. If you don’t want to miss an issue, use the box below to subscribe (the form is not visible in his AMP-enabled version of the site). Each report includes information on small, medium and heavy rockets and a summary of his next three launches on the calendar.
Rocket Lab makes successful US debutFor years, the Electron rocket and the company behind it have been bogged down at a launch site in Virginia, awaiting various approvals. We were waiting for regulators to share enough paperwork with each other to convince everyone that the launch was safe. After that, the launch continued to be postponed due to weather and New Year holidays. But on Tuesday, everything went as smoothly as you could imagine, and Electron was in orbit as soon as the launch window opened, reports Ars.
important to the community … The launch was celebrated by the surrounding community in Virginia, which has relatively few launches from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. But because Electron is designed to be assembled and ready to go, it could dramatically increase the number of launches from Virginia. In fact, Rocket Lab already had his second rocket in the assembly building the day the first rocket was sent into orbit. More use can bring many benefits. More launch experience streamlines procedures, and more facility use builds ancillary services. (Posted by EllPeaTea and Ken the Bin)
NASA Validates Rotating Detonation EngineThe space agency announced this week that it has completed testing at the Marshall Space Flight Center of an advanced rocket engine design that could revolutionize how future propulsion systems are built. This full-size rotary detonator rocket engine fired him over a dozen times, taking him nearly 10 minutes in total. While running at full throttle, the engine produced over 4,000 pounds of thrust for nearly a minute, with an average chamber pressure of 622 pounds per square inch. NASA collaborated with IN Space LLC in West Lafayette, Indiana on this project.
Migrating to a larger version … NASA’s recent success with this engine led to the development of a fully reusable 10,000-pound class rotary detonator engine to identify performance advantages over conventional liquid rocket engines. Further work is being done by NASA engineers. This design differs from conventional chemical rocket engines in that it uses a supersonic combustion phenomenon known as detonation to produce thrust. This design produces more power while using less fuel than today’s propulsion systems, powering both human landers and interplanetary probes to deep space destinations such as the Moon and Mars. has the potential to supply The technology is being researched all over the world. (submitted by YetAnotherBoris)
Canada moves to regulate launchesCanada’s Minister of Transport Omar Al-Ghabra announced Friday that the federal government will develop the regulatory requirements, safety standards and licensing conditions necessary to approve commercial satellite space launches from Canada within the next three years, according to the CBC. has reported. Alghabra said the country was also ready to approve interim launches on a case-by-case basis and called on private companies to move forward with the project.
take that start-up business home … “For many years, Canadian satellites have been launched from sites in other countries,” he said at the Canadian Space Agency headquarters in Longueuil, Quebec, south of Montreal. “Now is the time for us to start them at home.” Alghabra said he is confident Canada’s first orbital launch will take place within the next three years. (submitted by Ken the Bin and brianrhurley)
