Author Topic: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?  (Read 99881 times)

Offline Skyrocket

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Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« on: 01/04/2012 11:48 am »
Hi,

i've just stumbled about the SPARK (Spaceborne Payload Assist Rocket Kauai) three-stage solid propellant launch vehicle, which is apparently planned to fly in 2013 from Kauai to lift payloads upt o 200 kg into low orbit. It appears to be an upgraded Strypi sounding rocket.

The project is conducted by the University of Hawaii, Sandia National Labs and Aerojet.

The rocket itself consists of three solid rocket motors and is spin stabilzed.

http://www.hawaii.edu/offices/op/innovation/taylor.pdf

http://events.eoportal.org/get_announce.php?an_id=10003879

Has anyone more info on this?

Which solid rocket motors are planned to be used?

And is this indeed a project with a chance to fly?
« Last Edit: 10/30/2012 06:43 am by Skyrocket »

Offline Salo

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Offline Galactic Penguin SST

Re: SPARK launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #2 on: 10/30/2012 01:43 am »
Aerojet has apparently test-fired the second stage of this under-the-radar rocket (the Orbus-7S) in late August: http://www.aerojet.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=335

I hope Aerojet or UHA offers a webcast for the launches starting from fall 2013: there hasn't been a rail-launched orbital launcher from the US since a long time ago! (Apparently it will even make use of a left-over rail launcher for the Scout rocket that last flew almost 20 years ago!) And Kauai island offers probably one of the best scenes for a launch site around the world. I wonder why this project went completely under the radar: this project was first proposed by a Sandia National Laboratories team back in 2000, but at that time there was no funding. Did DARPA fund it? (the second flight will launch the ORS-4 payloads for them)

Some information here:

https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/op/innovation/taylor.pdf

http://www.g2mil.com/stage.htm
« Last Edit: 10/30/2012 02:02 am by Galactic Penguin SST »
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Offline Skyrocket

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #3 on: 10/30/2012 06:43 am »

there hasn't been a rail-launched orbital launcher from the US since a long time ago! (Apparently it will even make use of a left-over rail launcher for the Scout rocket that last flew almost 20 years ago!)

There hasn't been an US rail-launched orbital launcher at all. The left-over Scout launch will be converted to a rail launcher for the Super Strypi (or SPARK) project.

BTW, the illustration in the last post shows an older incarnation of the Super Strypi vehicle. The Castor-4 stage and the 2 Terrier boosters have now been replaced with a GEM-46 (a.k.a. LEO-46) first stage without boosters.

Offline Skyrocket

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #4 on: 10/30/2012 06:50 am »
The second flight (ORS-4 mission) will carry HiakaSat-1 (formerly HawaiiSat 1) as the main payload and several cubesats (including 8 EDSN cubesats for NASA).
« Last Edit: 10/30/2012 06:52 am by Skyrocket »

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #5 on: 11/23/2012 08:13 pm »
Here is the environmental assessment (Nov. 2012)

http://www.govsupport.us/ORSSSEA/Documents/DEA.pdf

Some interesting facts:

* 1st flight is planned for September 2013 with Hiakasat and several cubsats (ORS-4 mission)
* 2nd flight is planned for 2014, no payload assigned yet

* the 3rd stage is no longer the "Spark-30" (a.k.a. Star-30BP), but a "LEO-1" (likely an Orbus-1)

Spark-30 is only to be flown on first flight according to past reply's I have received because it allows for space on top for additional instrumentation to be flown to gather data for the flight.

Offline Skyrocket

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #6 on: 11/23/2012 09:02 pm »
Spark-30 is only to be flown on first flight according to past reply's I have received because it allows for space on top for additional instrumentation to be flown to gather data for the flight.

That's interessting. The environmental assessment is the most recent document on the Super-Strypi project, which i have found, but i does not mention the Spark-30 anymore. Perhaps they have changed the configuration meanwhile. From when is your info?

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #7 on: 11/23/2012 10:58 pm »
Spark-30 is only to be flown on first flight according to past reply's I have received because it allows for space on top for additional instrumentation to be flown to gather data for the flight.

That's interessting. The environmental assessment is the most recent document on the Super-Strypi project, which i have found, but i does not mention the Spark-30 anymore. Perhaps they have changed the configuration meanwhile. From when is your info?
My info comes from University of Hawaii personnel. What date do you have on your info. The info I have mentions both, but clearly states Spark-30 for only first flight. My info is up to 25 October 2012. Maybe there is another test flight without payload that i am not aware of, but this is what I have at the moment. Their has been a few test flights flown (orbital/suborbital) to date and Spark-30 is not as powerful to my knowledge as the other stage. I will sleuth around the sites a bit more and see if I can find anything else. Please keep me updated with what else you find.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #8 on: 04/26/2013 03:04 am »
I just got some new info on this. I'll try to post.

The weird thing is that this rocket seems to have a bunch of different names. I think I saw it at the Aerojet booth listed as "Leonides" but nobody at a press conference used that name.

First flight is scheduled for later this year.

Offline Galactic Penguin SST

Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #9 on: 04/26/2013 03:08 am »
I just got some new info on this. I'll try to post.

The weird thing is that this rocket seems to have a bunch of different names. I think I saw it at the Aerojet booth listed as "Leonides" but nobody at a press conference used that name.

First flight is scheduled for later this year.

There was a press conference about this rocket?  :o

What kind of market is this aimed at? There can't be that many US cubesats flying to support it at more than 1-2 launches per year....
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Offline savuporo

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #10 on: 04/26/2013 03:13 am »
What kind of market is this aimed at?
Payload wise, seems like market that the original Falcon I was supposed to address.
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Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #11 on: 04/26/2013 05:01 am »
I just got some new info on this. I'll try to post.

The weird thing is that this rocket seems to have a bunch of different names. I think I saw it at the Aerojet booth listed as "Leonides" but nobody at a press conference used that name.

First flight is scheduled for later this year.

There was a press conference about this rocket?  :o

What kind of market is this aimed at? There can't be that many US cubesats flying to support it at more than 1-2 launches per year....
University of Hawaii and Scandia National Laboratory state that it is a U.S. government launcher for lite class satellites from USA/NATO Governments and USA/Canada Universities. Canada apparently invested quite a bit in project in exchange for rides of hitchhiker payloads following end of Space Shuttle flying them a few years back.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #12 on: 04/26/2013 11:05 am »
I just got some new info on this. I'll try to post.

The weird thing is that this rocket seems to have a bunch of different names. I think I saw it at the Aerojet booth listed as "Leonides" but nobody at a press conference used that name.

First flight is scheduled for later this year.

There was a press conference about this rocket?  :o

What kind of market is this aimed at? There can't be that many US cubesats flying to support it at more than 1-2 launches per year....

Yeah, a few weeks ago at the National Space Symposium. The press conference was about the upcoming launch, not specifically the rocket. The rocket is sponsored by the USAF's Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) office. Cheap, rapid launch small rocket.

I have to admit to being totally surprised by the whole thing. I was sitting at lunch next to someone who told me that they were doing a press conference about it in a few hours and I was free to attend. I did and suddenly discovered that there was a rocket under development--and a planned Hawaii orbital launch--that I had never heard of. And I read a lot of stuff! So I went and got their press packet and the information. Limited info on the rocket itself, more on the payload. I'll scan and post here.

Offline Skyrocket

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #13 on: 04/26/2013 11:39 am »
Yeah, a few weeks ago at the National Space Symposium. The press conference was about the upcoming launch, not specifically the rocket. The rocket is sponsored by the USAF's Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) office. Cheap, rapid launch small rocket.

I have to admit to being totally surprised by the whole thing. I was sitting at lunch next to someone who told me that they were doing a press conference about it in a few hours and I was free to attend. I did and suddenly discovered that there was a rocket under development--and a planned Hawaii orbital launch--that I had never heard of. And I read a lot of stuff! So I went and got their press packet and the information. Limited info on the rocket itself, more on the payload. I'll scan and post here.

Great! I am looking forward to see this stuff.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #14 on: 04/26/2013 01:43 pm »
I'll convert to jpegs shortly.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #15 on: 04/26/2013 01:45 pm »
Here you go.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #16 on: 04/26/2013 01:46 pm »
Should mention that the rocket is spin stabilized.
« Last Edit: 04/26/2013 01:46 pm by Blackstar »

Offline simonbp

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #17 on: 04/26/2013 02:45 pm »
So, like Lambda L4-S? But for very different reasons...

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #18 on: 04/26/2013 03:03 pm »
So, like Lambda L4-S? But for very different reasons...
similar but not on all stages.

Offline simonbp

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Re: Super Strypi (SPARK) launch vehicle - any info?
« Reply #19 on: 04/27/2013 01:32 am »
The page 1 that Blackstar posted says that it is spin-stabilized through the entire flight?

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