Interesting presser just turned up from Yuzhnoye!
However, the people there would take a seriously dim view of hypergolic fuels potentially contaminating fishing grounds in the area. On the West Coast of Canada, it would most likely have to face indigenous people's spiritual lands, for which I wouldn't blame them from blocking development. They have largely been ignored for generations, but with our new Liberal government in power, who is attempting to empower them with self government & treated with proper respect, I'm sure they would not wish to threaten the waterways there, or risk sensitive habitat.
If hypergolics are unlikely even for payloads, that cuts down the possible lifts such a rocket could do.
Quote from: Lar on 09/02/2016 02:30 amIf hypergolics are unlikely even for payloads, that cuts down the possible lifts such a rocket could do.Almost any launcher will carry some on payloads, but that's a very different story from a several hundred ton first stage. Hard to see a hypergolic first stage LV getting approval, and if it did, operations would likely be extremely expensive under US or Canadian regulations.
Looking at the stats (http://www.yuzhnoye.com/en/technique/launch-vehicles/rockets/cyclone-4/) it is close to 200 tons of lift-off mass; most of that would be NTO/UDMH. Has anything close to that ever flown out of Kodiak?
When I tweeted the link, a few Canadians responded with the potential of Churchill?
Doubt that this rocket can gain any market share anyway - this rocket is around Delta II - Antares class.If it can't get any customers while based in Brazil, why would it have a chance in Canada/US?
but it begs the question any China interests in Cyclone launches?
Quote from: Prober on 09/02/2016 05:39 pmbut it begs the question any China interests in Cyclone launches?Why would China be interested in another hypergolic launcher that's towards the lower end of LM2-family performance?Especially since they're in the middle of a fairly concerted switch to new kerolox launchers.
Quote from: dasmoth on 09/02/2016 07:36 pmQuote from: Prober on 09/02/2016 05:39 pmbut it begs the question any China interests in Cyclone launches?Why would China be interested in another hypergolic launcher that's towards the lower end of LM2-family performance?Especially since they're in the middle of a fairly concerted switch to new kerolox launchers.Answer is a mix of politics and business. China could do it for investment and get into the lower end launch market. Atm don't think many north American small payloads will ship to China for launching, yet many small new small launchers/companies have started a business.Agree that hypergolic wouldn't be the way to go, but we have this announcement, how would you address it?