Author Topic: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)  (Read 63362 times)

Offline mlindner

  • Software Engineer
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2908
  • Space Capitalist
  • Silicon Valley, CA
  • Liked: 2204
  • Likes Given: 818
Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #140 on: 04/22/2013 08:03 am »
The Economist (typically lukewarm on space) covers Antares launch:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2013/04/private-spaceflight

Orbital is publicly traded. They're lukewarm on space because space doesn't interest public investors usually.
LEO is the ocean, not an island (let alone a continent). We create cruise liners to ride the oceans, not artificial islands in the middle of them. We need a physical place, which has physical resources, to make our future out there.

Offline ugordan

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8520
    • My mainly Cassini image gallery
  • Liked: 3543
  • Likes Given: 759
Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #141 on: 04/22/2013 08:49 am »
What was the purpose of the slow roll that lasted for much of the 1st stage burn?

Online Galactic Penguin SST

Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #142 on: 04/22/2013 09:52 am »
Interesting old documentary about the strange history of the NK-15/33 (and also the RD-180!): http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=31715.0

What was the purpose of the slow roll that lasted for much of the 1st stage burn?

Are you sure that is intentional?  ???
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

Offline ugordan

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8520
    • My mainly Cassini image gallery
  • Liked: 3543
  • Likes Given: 759
Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #143 on: 04/22/2013 10:22 am »
It was a constant, slow rate that stopped a while before staging so yes, I think it was intentional.

Offline Mapperuo

  • Assistant Webmaster
  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1684
  • Yorkshire
  • Liked: 533
  • Likes Given: 68
Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #144 on: 04/22/2013 10:44 am »
Whats the big object on the scissor lift in this photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/8670672096/in/photostream
- Aaron

Offline renclod

  • Extreme Veteran
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1671
  • EU.Ro
  • Liked: 17
  • Likes Given: 2
Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #145 on: 04/22/2013 10:48 am »
What was the purpose of the slow roll that lasted for much of the 1st stage burn?

It may be keeping an antenna pointing a certain way.


« Last Edit: 04/22/2013 10:55 am by renclod »

Offline plank

  • Full Member
  • *
  • Posts: 105
  • Liked: 4
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #146 on: 04/22/2013 11:13 am »
Was yesterday nominal enough for everyone?   :D

Offline renclod

  • Extreme Veteran
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1671
  • EU.Ro
  • Liked: 17
  • Likes Given: 2
Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #147 on: 04/22/2013 11:18 am »
Whats the big object on the scissor lift in this photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/8670672096/in/photostream

Could be accoustics capture equipment, microphones.


Online robertross

  • Canadian Member
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 17939
  • Westphal, Nova Scotia
  • Liked: 659
  • Likes Given: 7691
Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #148 on: 04/22/2013 11:46 am »
What you saw MIGHT be the "Baumgartner Maneuver" - an initial pitch AWAY from the TEL makes the TAIL of the rocket actually get CLOSER to the TEL ... but then the resulting (small) lateral acceleration carries the rocket AWAY from it ... this maneuver had to be very carefully designed, a trade between the initial tail movement towards the obstacle which is the inevitable result of the pitch, and the desired effect...

I was told (by Paul B. himself) that the pitch-away and the resulting tail-towards-TEL motion would be so small that they would not be perceptible ... maybe he was not counting on telephoto lenses and HD video (and sharp NASASpaceflight subscribers...)  ;D

That explains what I saw...though it certainly came mighty close.

Thanks Antonioe.

Offline plank

  • Full Member
  • *
  • Posts: 105
  • Liked: 4
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #149 on: 04/22/2013 01:17 pm »
edit nvm.
« Last Edit: 04/22/2013 01:26 pm by plank »

Offline CardBoardBoxProcessor

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 240
  • Liked: 176
  • Likes Given: 2
Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #150 on: 04/22/2013 01:48 pm »
Slightly off topic. but Is a modified Antares going to be used for the the Stratolaunch rocket?

also, will the mass simulator ever deorbit? Or is it up there forever?

Online Galactic Penguin SST

Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #151 on: 04/22/2013 01:53 pm »
Slightly off topic. but Is a modified Antares going to be used for the the Stratolaunch rocket?


Not known at this moment - though our common wisdom is that it probably isn't - it may have solid lower stages.

also, will the mass simulator ever deorbit? Or is it up there forever?

The orbit is quite low (~250 km altitude) such that all objects from this launch should decay within a few weeks.
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

Offline catdlr

  • Member
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11169
  • Enthusiast since the Redstones
  • Marina del Rey, California, USA
  • Liked: 8786
  • Likes Given: 7815
Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #152 on: 04/22/2013 06:40 pm »
April 22, 2013
 
RELEASE : 13-107
 
 
NASA Successfully Launches Three Smartphone Satellites
 
 
WASHINGTON -- Three smartphones destined to become low-cost satellites rode to space Sunday aboard the maiden flight of Orbital Science Corp.'s Antares rocket from NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia.

The trio of "PhoneSats" is operating in orbit, and may prove to be the lowest-cost satellites ever flown in space. The goal of NASA's PhoneSat mission is to determine whether a consumer-grade smartphone can be used as the main flight avionics of a capable, yet very inexpensive, satellite.

Transmissions from all three PhoneSats have been received at multiple ground stations on Earth, indicating they are operating normally. The PhoneSat team at the Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., will continue to monitor the satellites in the coming days. The satellites are expected to remain in orbit for as long as two weeks.

"It's always great to see a space technology mission make it to orbit -- the high frontier is the ultimate testing ground for new and innovative space technologies of the future," said Michael Gazarik, NASA's associate administrator for space technology in Washington.

"Smartphones offer a wealth of potential capabilities for flying small, low-cost, powerful satellites for atmospheric or Earth science, communications, or other space-born applications. They also may open space to a whole new generation of commercial, academic and citizen-space users."

Satellites consisting mainly of the smartphones will send information about their health via radio back to Earth in an effort to demonstrate they can work as satellites in space. The spacecraft also will attempt to take pictures of Earth using their cameras. Amateur radio operators around the world can participate in the mission by monitoring transmissions and retrieving image data from the three satellites. Large images will be transmitted in small chunks and will be reconstructed through a distributed ground station network. More information can found at:
 

http://www.phonesat.org


NASA's off-the-shelf PhoneSats already have many of the systems needed for a satellite, including fast processors, versatile operating systems, multiple miniature sensors, high-resolution cameras, GPS receivers and several radios.

NASA engineers kept the total cost of the components for the three prototype satellites in the PhoneSat project between $3,500 and $7,000 by using primarily commercial hardware and keeping the design and mission objectives to a minimum. The hardware for this mission is the Google-HTC Nexus One smartphone running the Android operating system.

NASA added items a satellite needs that the smartphones do not have -- a larger, external lithium-ion battery bank and a more powerful radio for messages it sends from space. The smartphone's ability to send and receive calls and text messages has been disabled.
Each smartphone is housed in a standard cubesat structure, measuring about 4 inches square. The smartphone acts as the satellite's onboard computer. Its sensors are used for attitude determination and its camera for Earth observation.

For more about information about NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology Program and the PhoneSat mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/smallsats


The PhoneSat mission is a technology demonstration project developed through the agency's Small Spacecraft Technology Program, part of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate. The directorate is innovating, developing, testing and flying hardware for use in future science and exploration missions. NASA's technology investments provide cutting-edge solutions for our nation's future. For more information about NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, visit:
 

http://www.nasa.gov/spacetech


 
- end -
Tony De La Rosa, ...I'm no Feline Dealer!! I move mountains.  but I'm better known for "I think it's highly sexual." Japanese to English Translation.

Online Galactic Penguin SST

Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #153 on: 05/03/2013 03:09 am »
One question about the heat shield on the AJ-26 engines: previously we have seen photos of the heat shield being pink in color during the roll-out. Can anyone confirm if that is a layer removed before launch or not? If so, what color are the heat shields of during launch?
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

Offline Mapperuo

  • Assistant Webmaster
  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1684
  • Yorkshire
  • Liked: 533
  • Likes Given: 68
Re: Antares A-One General Discussion Thread (2)
« Reply #154 on: 05/03/2013 06:36 am »
One question about the heat shield on the AJ-26 engines: previously we have seen photos of the heat shield being pink in color during the roll-out. Can anyone confirm if that is a layer removed before launch or not? If so, what color are the heat shields of during launch?

They are visible on one of three videos of launch in the L2 section. Still attached and pinkish.
- Aaron

Tags:
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
0