Author Topic: Orbital's Antares Development Update Thread  (Read 1065042 times)

Offline Lurker Steve

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1180 on: 06/27/2011 04:04 pm »
Looks like this will definitely impact their schedule.

"The other engine already at Wallops was to have been paired with the now-damaged engine for the Taurus 2’s maiden launch, targeted for October.

That launch — a demonstration flight meant to help qualify the vehicle to launch cargo capsules bound for the international space station — now appears likely to slip at least a month since the next available engine still must undergo acceptance testing at Stennis, according to the source."

So they have successfully 3 tested engines so far.

2 engines are being installed into a first stage that will used for a hold-down test at the pad. After the hold-down test, is that first stage done ? How long are the engines going to be fired, that they need refurbishing ?

How long to repair the test stand, so they can mount and start testing another engine ?

Offline edkyle99

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1181 on: 06/27/2011 06:28 pm »

So they have successfully 3 tested engines so far.

2 engines are being installed into a first stage that will used for a hold-down test at the pad. After the hold-down test, is that first stage done ? How long are the engines going to be fired, that they need refurbishing ?

How long to repair the test stand, so they can mount and start testing another engine ?

The first two engines, and the Number 1 first stage, will be refurbished after the static test for use during Flight No. 2.  I'm not sure what "refurbish"' means exactly.

The report mentioned a delay of  "at least" one month to test another engine for the Number 2 first stage.

 - Ed Kyle
« Last Edit: 06/27/2011 06:30 pm by edkyle99 »

Offline alexw

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1182 on: 06/28/2011 05:06 am »
It was due to the N-1's issues that they ground tested the hell out of these things.
Ahh, one of my favorite technical terms for amount of testing... "the hell out of...", right up there with "a s**tload". :)
    Neither of which, one suspects, you regard as a synonym for "adequate". Or "thoroughly, over a sufficiently broad range of conditions" ;)
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Offline simonbp

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1183 on: 06/28/2011 06:06 am »
I've observed that there is a "look" – for want of a better term – to rocket engines that have been designed by aero-engine firms... But then again, have a look at an Aerojet Titan engine; they also have the same sort of "look and feel."

Oh yeah. I remember once walking through the museum in Huntsville with a friend who fixed P&W F100s for a living, and he took one look at an Aerojet LR-87 and said "I could rebuild that engine". He had a very different reaction when we got to the SSME...

Offline Downix

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1184 on: 06/28/2011 06:22 am »
I've observed that there is a "look" – for want of a better term – to rocket engines that have been designed by aero-engine firms... But then again, have a look at an Aerojet Titan engine; they also have the same sort of "look and feel."

Oh yeah. I remember once walking through the museum in Huntsville with a friend who fixed P&W F100s for a living, and he took one look at an Aerojet LR-87 and said "I could rebuild that engine". He had a very different reaction when we got to the SSME...
It's funny looking at old engines, you can tell immediately who developed which, some companies just have this style about them.
chuck - Toilet paper has no real value? Try living with 5 other adults for 6 months in a can with no toilet paper. Man oh man. Toilet paper would be worth it's weight in gold!

Offline clongton

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1185 on: 06/28/2011 10:41 pm »
I've observed that there is a "look" – for want of a better term – to rocket engines that have been designed by aero-engine firms... But then again, have a look at an Aerojet Titan engine; they also have the same sort of "look and feel."

Oh yeah. I remember once walking through the museum in Huntsville with a friend who fixed P&W F100s for a living, and he took one look at an Aerojet LR-87 and said "I could rebuild that engine". He had a very different reaction when we got to the SSME...

LR-87's were sweet engines.
« Last Edit: 06/28/2011 10:42 pm by clongton »
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I started my career on the Saturn-V F-1A engine

Offline Downix

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1186 on: 06/28/2011 10:52 pm »
I've observed that there is a "look" – for want of a better term – to rocket engines that have been designed by aero-engine firms... But then again, have a look at an Aerojet Titan engine; they also have the same sort of "look and feel."

Oh yeah. I remember once walking through the museum in Huntsville with a friend who fixed P&W F100s for a living, and he took one look at an Aerojet LR-87 and said "I could rebuild that engine". He had a very different reaction when we got to the SSME...

LR-87's were sweet engines.

Seen one of the ones modified for LH2?
chuck - Toilet paper has no real value? Try living with 5 other adults for 6 months in a can with no toilet paper. Man oh man. Toilet paper would be worth it's weight in gold!

Offline clongton

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1187 on: 06/28/2011 11:11 pm »
I've observed that there is a "look" – for want of a better term – to rocket engines that have been designed by aero-engine firms... But then again, have a look at an Aerojet Titan engine; they also have the same sort of "look and feel."

Oh yeah. I remember once walking through the museum in Huntsville with a friend who fixed P&W F100s for a living, and he took one look at an Aerojet LR-87 and said "I could rebuild that engine". He had a very different reaction when we got to the SSME...

LR-87's were sweet engines.
Seen one of the ones modified for LH2?

No, have you?
Chuck - DIRECT co-founder
I started my career on the Saturn-V F-1A engine

Offline Downix

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1188 on: 06/28/2011 11:25 pm »
I've observed that there is a "look" – for want of a better term – to rocket engines that have been designed by aero-engine firms... But then again, have a look at an Aerojet Titan engine; they also have the same sort of "look and feel."

Oh yeah. I remember once walking through the museum in Huntsville with a friend who fixed P&W F100s for a living, and he took one look at an Aerojet LR-87 and said "I could rebuild that engine". He had a very different reaction when we got to the SSME...

LR-87's were sweet engines.
Seen one of the ones modified for LH2?

No, have you?
I knew where one was at one time, but that was years ago.
chuck - Toilet paper has no real value? Try living with 5 other adults for 6 months in a can with no toilet paper. Man oh man. Toilet paper would be worth it's weight in gold!

Offline antonioe

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1189 on: 06/30/2011 04:07 am »
Here's a picture of Pad 0A I took yesterday (I flew to KWAL in an attempt to watch the ORS-1 launch, but we had big thurderbumpers all night and had to scrub - I could not stay for tonight's launch, unfortunately, but was able to see stages 2 and 3 from my front yard in McLEAN!!!)
« Last Edit: 06/30/2011 04:09 am by antonioe »
ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS...

Offline antonioe

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1190 on: 06/30/2011 04:12 am »
And here's what the VAB... pardon me, the HIF (Horizontal Integration Facility) looks like:
ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS...

Offline kevin-rf

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1191 on: 06/30/2011 02:19 pm »
And here's what the VAB... pardon me, the HIF (Horizontal Integration Facility) looks like:

Lunar, eeer Freudian slip ;)
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Online robertross

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1192 on: 07/01/2011 12:28 am »
And here's what the VAB... pardon me, the HIF (Horizontal Integration Facility) looks like:

Lunar, eeer Freudian slip ;)

hehe. I like it.

Always aim for the stars (in this line of business)  ;)

Offline simonbp

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1193 on: 07/01/2011 10:45 pm »
but was able to see stages 2 and 3 from my front yard in McLEAN!!!)

Will the not-so-high-energy (solid) second stage for T-II put on a similar display?
« Last Edit: 07/01/2011 10:45 pm by simonbp »

Offline antonioe

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1194 on: 07/06/2011 07:42 pm »
but was able to see stages 2 and 3 from my front yard in McLEAN!!!)

Will the not-so-high-energy (solid) second stage for T-II put on a similar display?

No... T-II is a two-stager, which means Stage 2 will light after the long coast (below the D.C. horizon).  OTOH the much longer-burning first stage should be quite visible from D.C.
ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS...

Offline edfishel

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1195 on: 07/06/2011 07:55 pm »
How about Baltimore?  Will we be able to see the Taurus II going uphill?

Hope you are well antonioe:)

Do you still have a connection to Orbital?  If so, any word on the followup to the engine fire?

Thanks, Ed

Offline Lurker Steve

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1196 on: 07/19/2011 08:02 pm »
Any news on finding a cause of the AJ-26 test stand fire, and if they need to rework a bunch of engines ?

Perhaps it was just a flaw on that one engine, and they can resume testing once the test stand is repaired ?

Online ugordan

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1197 on: 07/21/2011 07:07 pm »
Via @jeff_foust:

Quote
Frank Culberson, Orbital: now planning Taurus 2 test firing on pad in November, demo launch late December, COTS flight next February.

Offline Prober

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1198 on: 07/21/2011 09:05 pm »
Via @jeff_foust:

Quote
Frank Culberson, Orbital: now planning Taurus 2 test firing on pad in November, demo launch late December, COTS flight next February.

Looking forward to this.
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Online jabe

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Re: Taurus II Development News
« Reply #1199 on: 07/21/2011 09:14 pm »
Via @jeff_foust:

Quote
Frank Culberson, Orbital: now planning Taurus 2 test firing on pad in November, demo launch late December, COTS flight next February.


Looking forward to this.

end of this year start of next will be an exciting time..too bad we have to wait that long :)
jb

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