This one's going to go better, I trust (and hope).
NASA Suspends Payments on Launch Contract with Orbitalhttp://www.spacenews.com/civil/110623-nasa-suspends-payments-orbital.html
“I would go more than recertified, personally,” Michael Freilich, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, told Space News in May. “I would go demonstrated.”
Iridium?
Thompson also said Orbital has completed a review of the March failure of its smaller Taurus XL rocket, whose fairing malfunctioned for the second consecutive time. In both cases the principal payloads were NASA science satellites whose combined cost is estimated at more than $600 million.
Enable it in what way?
Thompson also said Orbital has completed a review of the March failure of its smaller Taurus XL rocket, whose fairing malfunctioned for the second consecutive time. In both cases the principal payloads were NASA science satellites whose combined cost is estimated at more than $600 million.Orbital’s June 29 flight of a Minotaur rocket, a converted ICBM, used a fairing that had been redesigned to account for the two Taurus XL failures. The launch, carrying the U.S. Defense Department’s Operationally Responsive Space-1 satellite into low Earth orbit, was a success
While NASA holds another competition for OCO 2's launch, integration and testing of the satellite will continue, officials said. Orbital Sciences is building the spacecraft in Dulles, Va.
According to SFN, OCO-2 was taken off Taurus.http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1202/10oco2/QuoteWhile NASA holds another competition for OCO 2's launch, integration and testing of the satellite will continue, officials said. Orbital Sciences is building the spacecraft in Dulles, Va. Too bad Falcon-1 is dead.
Quote from: zaitcev on 02/11/2012 03:26 amAccording to SFN, OCO-2 was taken off Taurus.http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1202/10oco2/QuoteWhile NASA holds another competition for OCO 2's launch, integration and testing of the satellite will continue, officials said. Orbital Sciences is building the spacecraft in Dulles, Va. Too bad Falcon-1 is dead.So, the available candidates:Atlas V - Too bigAthena I/IIc - UnprovenDelta IIFalcon 1 - Retired, 1e unprovenFalcon 9 - Too bigMinotaur I - RestrictedPegasus-XL - Too smallDoubt if they can piggy-back it on an Atlas or Falcon launch to SSO, and they'd be paying for a lot of excess capacity if they opt for a dedicated launch. I doubt if F1e could be ready in time even if SpaceX were actively developing it. I'm also not sure if Athena needs to be requalified given that it has been out of service for so long, and now has a different second stage. Pegasus can't carry it, and Minotaur can only be used if NASA can prove that no other rocket is capable of launching it.ULA do have a few unassembled Delta II rockets in reserve, and OCO has been linked with it in the past. A 7320 would still have plenty of room for secondary payloads, but it does seem the most likely option.
Quote from: zaitcev on 02/11/2012 03:26 amAccording to SFN, OCO-2 was taken off Taurus.http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1202/10oco2/QuoteWhile NASA holds another competition for OCO 2's launch, integration and testing of the satellite will continue, officials said. Orbital Sciences is building the spacecraft in Dulles, Va. Too bad Falcon-1 is dead.So, the available candidates:Atlas V - Too bigAthena I/IIc - UnprovenDelta IIFalcon 1 - Retired, 1e unprovenFalcon 9 - Too bigMinotaur I - RestrictedPegasus-XL - Too small
Quote from: FuseUpHereAlone on 02/10/2012 11:00 pmIf this happens, is Delta II is only launch vehicle (in this class) certified to launch NASA scientific payloads?Delta II is in Taurus class as much is Atlas V is in Delta II class
If this happens, is Delta II is only launch vehicle (in this class) certified to launch NASA scientific payloads?