ISRO
Welcome to the 5.26th edition of the Rocket Report! This week I would like to congratulate the Indian space agency ISRO on the successful second flight of the SSLV rocket. This is a difficult business, and success should be celebrated when it is finally achieved.
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.
India’s SSLV soars on second launchThe second test flight of India’s small satellite launch vehicle was successful last Friday, placing payloads owned by India and the US into orbit, Spaceflight Now reports. The mission, which followed his first SSLV test flight in August, failed during second stage separation about six minutes after takeoff, causing vibrations that knocked out the vehicle’s inertial navigation system. stopped.
I have two plans to go in March. The small rockets are designed to carry payloads of up to 500 kg into orbit and will complement India’s larger rockets, the Polar and Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicles. After the launch, India’s space agency said in March that he was preparing for two missions. One will use the country’s rugged GSLV Mk.3 rockets for OneWeb’s 40 internet satellites, and the other will be for commercial customers using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. (Posted by EllPeaTea and Ken the Bin)
SpaceRyde files for bankruptcyThe Canadian launch company, which makes cheap small lift rockets with balloon first stages, filed for bankruptcy last Friday, Payload reports. The company planned to use a stratospheric balloon to lift a vacuum-optimized “Lider” rocket above his 99% in the atmosphere, release the rocket, and ignite the engine. Previously, the company said he intended to begin commercial launch operations in 2024 and lift up to 150 kg into orbit.
ride or die … one of the factors that likely contributed to the bankruptcy filing was a public dispute over an engine test facility located in the municipality of Trent Hills, Ontario, about two hours from Toronto and relatively close to a populated area. . But the big picture is that the company may have been unrealistic in its business plans, long in technology development, and short on cash in a deteriorating capital-raising environment. Sadly, this won’t be the last startup to file for bankruptcy. (submitted by Ken the Bin and Rendgrish)
Virgin Orbit update on launch failureVirgin Orbit on Tuesday provided more information about a LauncherOne vehicle malfunction during a mission that departed from Cornwall, England on January 9. All LauncherOne rockets were nominal. The issue was caused by a premature second-stage shutdown, the company confirmed. “The data show that from the start of the first combustion of the second stage, the fuel filter in the fuel supply line was out of its normal position,” the company said.
Payload returned to the Atlantic Ocean … “Additional data indicates that the fuel pump downstream of the filter was operating at a reduced efficiency level, causing the Newton 4 engine to run out of fuel,” the company said. “Running in this unusual manner caused the engine to run at temperatures significantly above its rated engine temperature. It ended prematurely.” Virgin said the next launch will be for commercial customers in Mojave, California. Frankly, I’m more interested in the company’s next earnings report than the next launch. With the funding, I’m pretty sure we can safely fly LauncherOne, so it will tell the story of the company’s fate. (Posted by Ken the Bin)
