Quote Rocket LabVerified account @RocketLabUSA 3m3 minutes agoMission Control (MCC) is the technological hive of Rocket Lab where more than 25,000 data channels are processed during a launch #ItsaTesthttps://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/865130082356146176
Rocket LabVerified account @RocketLabUSA 3m3 minutes agoMission Control (MCC) is the technological hive of Rocket Lab where more than 25,000 data channels are processed during a launch #ItsaTest
I love how this is a "US" launch......founders are NZ. Factory is in NZ. Launchsite is in NZ.
Quote from: TrevorMonty on 05/17/2017 06:48 pmQuote from: edkyle99 on 05/17/2017 06:36 pmUgh. U.S. paperwork didn't build this rocket. Kiwi's did! - Ed KyleWith lot of US funding.Yeah, well, that's okay.. There is a lot of money in the US and a lot of US-funded projects in NZ (James Cameron's hangout for one), but no matter how much money (and paperwork) they happen to pour in, it's still New Zealand - and still a Kiwi rocket, designed by Kiwis, built by Kiwis (mostly) and launched by Kiwis. Fingers crossed.. EDIT: I should also add "ignored by Kiwis".. but maybe a handful will take notice if/when it's successful launch.
Quote from: edkyle99 on 05/17/2017 06:36 pmUgh. U.S. paperwork didn't build this rocket. Kiwi's did! - Ed KyleWith lot of US funding.
Ugh. U.S. paperwork didn't build this rocket. Kiwi's did! - Ed Kyle
Yeah but what about all these new propulsion jobs opening up at RL's new factory in California? Does this mean that RL is moving their entire propulsion segment to the U.S.? Or are they merely establishing another propulsion group based in the U.S. to prepare for RL launches from Cape Canaveral/Alaska, while maintaining the NZ propulsion group for NZ based launches?
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 05/18/2017 09:04 amQuote Rocket LabVerified account @RocketLabUSA 3m3 minutes agoMission Control (MCC) is the technological hive of Rocket Lab where more than 25,000 data channels are processed during a launch #ItsaTesthttps://twitter.com/RocketLabUSA/status/865130082356146176To add some context, Rocketlab MCC is directly adjacent their HQ in Airpark Drive, Mangere, NZ.This pic Looks like Just Another Control Room (JACR) and contains all the standard components:1. The room is all dark... lots of blues and blacks.2. View of the back of >1 person's head staring intently at the screen in front.3. The foreground intentionally or unitentionally fuzzed out so no proprietary info is given away.4. Big screen on the wall in the background, often showing the same information as one of the screens in the foreground....but I do find them interesting, nonetheless. Some points I note about this one:1. Unusually, the wall-screen is in sharp focus and actually shows telemetry and not just someone's Outlook inbox.2. Data points for temps are all flat-lined at 2047.75degC (really? ), others show 20.0degC there are a couple of 515's and few zeroes and what looks to be a tank pressure of 100.17kPa My conclusion is they're running telemetry tests.. but the presence of more than one head in the pic means it could also simply be staged for public consumption.
All you good folks who are argu-- I mean discussing whether Rocketlab is a US or NZ entity are missing one glaring bit of information:They tweet as: @RocketLabUSA On Twitter they describe themselves as from: USA and New Zealand And their website is: https://www.rocketlabusa.com/On which is an FAQ answer which says:Where is Rocket Lab based? Rocket Lab is an American company with headquarters in Los Angeles and a wholly-owned New Zealand subsidiary. So I think we can take it as settled. By Rocketlab themselves.
In that case, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a democracy and a republic. It is settled by Kim Jong Un himself. They want U.S. government business so they have a U.S. PO box. Nothing more.
If we get a favourable met report the day before, we'll prepare to launch."That means the green-light decision could be made today, as MetService staff work with Beck's crew to try and figure out the conditions - an extremely complex equation that involves radar and weather balloons to measure wind velocities and air pressures at both ground and high level."Things are looking much more settled for Sunday and the first part of next week, it's looking pretty good in that sense," John Law of MetService said."The winds should be pretty light particularly Sunday, Monday and towards Tuesday as well. It's a little more changeable in the second half of that week."
Quote from: savuporo on 05/20/2017 11:56 pmI think it's just a matter of trying to maintain laser focus. Anyone in the team worrying about appearances instead of performing their job increases the likelihood of screwing up. Even if that's a tiny part of the team, just not doing it will take a part of the pressure off.Oh come on! They will have video cameras pointed at the rocket recording the launch. Someone has to monitor this and that someone could easily live stream it. SpaceX did it with their first launches. If something goes wrong and you don't want to be embarrassed, just put in a delay and then punch the button when it goes kablooey!
I think it's just a matter of trying to maintain laser focus. Anyone in the team worrying about appearances instead of performing their job increases the likelihood of screwing up. Even if that's a tiny part of the team, just not doing it will take a part of the pressure off.
Another article with one interesting little snippet.https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/05/20/small-satellite-launcher-set-for-first-orbital-test-flight/"The initial flights of the Electron will be expendable, or single-use, but officials have not ruled out modifying the booster for multiple launches."First real indication that the Electron could evolve into an RLV. With cubesats as its main payload, halving payload to recover booster is not big deal as long as cost per kg to orbit drops. They will still need a low cost expendable for heavier payloads. If long term plans are a RLV then move to methane engines would make sense.
Quote from: HVM on 05/21/2017 09:12 amQuote from: Chris Bergin on 05/21/2017 07:33 amFeature Article - by Chris Gebhardt:https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/05/rocket-labs-electron-inaugural-flight-new-zealand/The flow chart is quite bad, Rutherford have clearly two electric motors, one for each pump. And such thing as "electric engine" doesn't exist. ...The company's own website calls it an "electric Rutherford engine."
Quote from: Chris Bergin on 05/21/2017 07:33 amFeature Article - by Chris Gebhardt:https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/05/rocket-labs-electron-inaugural-flight-new-zealand/The flow chart is quite bad, Rutherford have clearly two electric motors, one for each pump. And such thing as "electric engine" doesn't exist. ...
Feature Article - by Chris Gebhardt:https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/05/rocket-labs-electron-inaugural-flight-new-zealand/
Just a friendly question/critique for Chris G... what is the utility of converting ISP to minutes and seconds? Also noticed that kg/lb dual units are used for mass figures, but thrust is only in lbs.Sorry, used to a tech writer! (Not a very good one, really.) Thanks!