Taurus II Development News

[edkyle99]

Here's an informative press release from Applied Aerospace Structures Corporation (AASC) of Stockton, California.  AASC will build "up to five shipsets" per year of Taurus II payload fairings, fairing adapters, 2nd stage motor adapters, 2nd stage interstages, payload adapters, and avionics cylinders.  All are composite parts.  Deliveries to Orbital are set to begin in late 2009.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/aasc-to-manufacture-taurus-ii-composite-structures,667527.shtml

Some dimensional information is in this release. 

In addition, several weeks ago came news that the Taurus II AJ26 engines would be tested at NASA's Stennis Space Center, in the E-1 test stand.  The first AJ26 engines are expected to arrive at Stennis by mid-2009.  The first tests won't occur until late summer 2009 at the earliest, if I am interpreting the press release correctly.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/dec/HQ_08326_SSC_ROCKET_TEST.html

 - Ed Kyle

[edkyle99]

Here's a copy of the February 2008 Yuzhnoye/Yuzmash press release on its Taurus II work. 

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-8845054/Interfax-Ukraine-Business-Daily.html
http://priority-finance.com.ua/eng/news/2008/10/02/yuzhnoye_design_bure_1566.html

"... the Ukrainian side will develop and produce the first stage of the launch vehicle, and the U.S. side is responsible for the second stage, the launch complex and the project marketing. "

""It is interesting that the Ukrainian space engineering designer, famous throughout the world, Dnipropetrovsk-based Yuzhnoye design bureau, has become the first foreign partner of the United States of America in programs to create launch vehicles," Moshnenko* said."" 

*Yuriy Moshnenko, the head of information communications center in Yuzhnoye design bureau.

 - Ed Kyle

[edkyle99]

Here is ATK's product catalog, including a description of the Castor 30 motor that will serve as the Taurus II second stage.

http://www.atk.com/Customer_Solutions_MissionSystems/documents/ATK_Catalog_May_2008.pdf

 - Ed Kyle

[edkyle99]

Here is a link to Dave Steffy's AIAA 2008 conference paper on Taurus II.

http://www.aiaa.org/pdf/conferences/Steffy_NRO-AIAA_Conference_Paper--Steffy.pdf

This paper includes a schedule that shows the following significant milestones occurring during 2009.

1.  AJ-26 Qualification Testing (10/1)
2.  Castor 30 Static Test (5/9)
3.  Hardware/Software Qualification (all year)
4.  Launch Site Buildup (all year)

The plan called for 18 to 21 Taurus II launches during the first six years of operation.  Orbital had immediate access to 36 NK33 (AJ26) engines and planned with Aerojet to purchase 30 more from NDK, Samara - enough engines for 33 vehicles if all engines were flown.

 - Ed Kyle

[bad_astra]

Thanks for these updates.

[Jose]

Your Internets-fu is strong.  Thanks!

[simonbp]

Here is a link to Dave Steffy's AIAA 2008 conference paper on Taurus II.

http://www.aiaa.org/pdf/conferences/Steffy_NRO-AIAA_Conference_Paper--Steffy.pdf

This paper includes a schedule that shows the following significant milestones occurring during 2009.

...and has a great set of model-making-ready drawings. Thanks Ed!

Simon

[antonioe]

Here is a link to Dave Steffy's AIAA 2008 conference paper on Taurus II.

http://www.aiaa.org/pdf/conferences/Steffy_NRO-AIAA_Conference_Paper--Steffy.pdf

This paper includes a schedule that shows the following significant milestones occurring during 2009.

...and has a great set of model-making-ready drawings. Thanks Ed!

Simon

Note: the location of the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) has been moved about a mile to the right (North) of the picture in page 9 of the presentation.

[ugordan]

Any chance we'll get to see some videos of those AJ-26 qualification firings?

[zaitcev]

Far it be for me to challenge design and engineering at OSC, this is just my curiosity: why does Taurus II use Castor-30 after all? At best as I can discern by reading the presentation linked in the "news" thread, this is done to leverage heritage hardware with a track record. Is that correct, or there's more to it? It's difficult to imagine that nobody in the industry can build an upper stage engine, so the stage would restart. Moreover, the flight history of Falcon 1 suggests that Kestrel is unproblematic, so perhaps the heritage issues are overblown.
-- Pete

{Edit: as Jose pointed out below, Dr. Elias has outlined the "High Energy Second Stage" at forum previously.}

[Jose]

Read these:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=11980.msg309609#msg309609
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=11980.msg309648#msg309648

And also these:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=11980.msg309891#msg309891
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=11980.msg309745#msg309745

[madscientist197]

In general, solids are cheap and reliable -- I don't think you can get a much better argument for a commercial contractor. I don't think OSC wants to invest any more money than they have to, because it is a particularly risky enterprise after all. It's not like there is a truely viable non-government/commercial market for small launchers.

[simonbp]

The presentation mentions performance with a third stage; is that with the Orbit Raising Kit (which is a Cygnus SM, right?) or a Star 48/similar?

Would it make any sense to stack two Castor 30's on top on each other (as a third stage)?

Is the High-Energy Second Stage in the works at all?

Simon

[antonioe]

1.- Yes (Star 48)  The ORK and Cygnus SM have a lot in common (mostly in the propulsion system), but are NOT identical; for starters, the SM has a quad-redundant avionics system - the ORK uses the basic LV avionics.  The SM has solar panels - the ORK only the LV batteries; etc. etc.

2.- Yes

3.- Yes

[antonioe]

Was use of a high energy second stage presented to the CRS SEB?

I'm afraid you would have to ask NASA for any SEB questions...