there hasn't been a rail-launched orbital launcher from the US since a long time ago! (Apparently it will even make use of a left-over rail launcher for the Scout rocket that last flew almost 20 years ago!)
Here is the environmental assessment (Nov. 2012)http://www.govsupport.us/ORSSSEA/Documents/DEA.pdfSome interesting facts:* 1st flight is planned for September 2013 with Hiakasat and several cubsats (ORS-4 mission)* 2nd flight is planned for 2014, no payload assigned yet* the 3rd stage is no longer the "Spark-30" (a.k.a. Star-30BP), but a "LEO-1" (likely an Orbus-1)
Spark-30 is only to be flown on first flight according to past reply's I have received because it allows for space on top for additional instrumentation to be flown to gather data for the flight.
Quote from: russianhalo117 on 11/23/2012 08:13 pmSpark-30 is only to be flown on first flight according to past reply's I have received because it allows for space on top for additional instrumentation to be flown to gather data for the flight.That's interessting. The environmental assessment is the most recent document on the Super-Strypi project, which i have found, but i does not mention the Spark-30 anymore. Perhaps they have changed the configuration meanwhile. From when is your info?
I just got some new info on this. I'll try to post.The weird thing is that this rocket seems to have a bunch of different names. I think I saw it at the Aerojet booth listed as "Leonides" but nobody at a press conference used that name.First flight is scheduled for later this year.
What kind of market is this aimed at?
Quote from: Blackstar on 04/26/2013 03:04 amI just got some new info on this. I'll try to post.The weird thing is that this rocket seems to have a bunch of different names. I think I saw it at the Aerojet booth listed as "Leonides" but nobody at a press conference used that name.First flight is scheduled for later this year.There was a press conference about this rocket? What kind of market is this aimed at? There can't be that many US cubesats flying to support it at more than 1-2 launches per year....
Yeah, a few weeks ago at the National Space Symposium. The press conference was about the upcoming launch, not specifically the rocket. The rocket is sponsored by the USAF's Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) office. Cheap, rapid launch small rocket.I have to admit to being totally surprised by the whole thing. I was sitting at lunch next to someone who told me that they were doing a press conference about it in a few hours and I was free to attend. I did and suddenly discovered that there was a rocket under development--and a planned Hawaii orbital launch--that I had never heard of. And I read a lot of stuff! So I went and got their press packet and the information. Limited info on the rocket itself, more on the payload. I'll scan and post here.
So, like Lambda L4-S? But for very different reasons...