Quote from: sstli2 on 04/30/2025 11:02 pmI don't think anyone is flying non-test satellites on NG-2. Definitely not Kuiper. They can't produce 1 satellite a day and aren't going to fill up New Glenn with a bunch they could lose on a not-fully-proven rocket.EscaPADE was non-test hardware.
I don't think anyone is flying non-test satellites on NG-2. Definitely not Kuiper. They can't produce 1 satellite a day and aren't going to fill up New Glenn with a bunch they could lose on a not-fully-proven rocket.
Quote from: tottaway22 on 04/30/2025 05:37 amQuote from: sstli2 on 04/28/2025 06:54 pmQuote from: Skye on 04/28/2025 11:54 amRecently BO static fired their new upper stage, and that got me thinking about the next NG flight - what’ll happen? Will the booster land? Will the upper stage reach orbit again? Will the payload be another Blue Ring? (I think so, but can’t quite remember). What does everyone think?I don't know what the payload will be. I don't think their full-scale Blue Ring prototype is ready, nor do I think their MK1 lander is ready. It also doesn't seem like a great launch window for Escapade. For what it's worth, seems like launching a test satellite for AST SpaceMobile would make sense, but they already contracted ISRO for that purpose.I think the baseline is a successful orbital insertion and I have no reason to doubt they will achieve that here.But the bad news for Blue is that recovering the booster is now going from a nice-to-have to somewhat of an expectation. They can't afford to fail as many times as SpaceX did on Starship. If they failed later in the landing on the first flight I would have given them greater odds, but they failed quite early - the first engine relight. There's a whole phase of the landing that remains untested.It sure seems like the payload for NG2 is likely Kuiper or AST. From what ive read BlueMoon or BlueRing II won't be ready & Escapade seems better to push into 2026. Even with AST going the first test on ISRO, doesn't rule out BO as they said they are making several concurrently. Id think that Jeff B would prefer Kuiper though? Unless they are getting hefty late fees from ULA? Interestingly, a space reporter the other day said that they thought NG2 could be pushed back so a payload could be ready vs a mass simulator. Also on your later comment on mass, AST is also counting on the full 45kg NG capacity as they intended to put 8 satellites on each one. The first one is listed at 5800kg, but have said it's heavier than the rest, but 8 of those would be 46,400kg, so they will have to work to do.I don't think anyone is flying non-test satellites on NG-2. Definitely not Kuiper. They can't produce 1 satellite a day and aren't going to fill up New Glenn with a bunch they could lose on a not-fully-proven rocket.I also don't think New Glenn in its current state is ever flying a 45 ton payload. A hypothetical future variant, perhaps. The payload guide described center-of-mass and payload adapter constraints that limited the vehicle to something like 36 tons iirc, and they way they were described did not imply it's something that could be changed given the vehicle's specs.
Quote from: sstli2 on 04/28/2025 06:54 pmQuote from: Skye on 04/28/2025 11:54 amRecently BO static fired their new upper stage, and that got me thinking about the next NG flight - what’ll happen? Will the booster land? Will the upper stage reach orbit again? Will the payload be another Blue Ring? (I think so, but can’t quite remember). What does everyone think?I don't know what the payload will be. I don't think their full-scale Blue Ring prototype is ready, nor do I think their MK1 lander is ready. It also doesn't seem like a great launch window for Escapade. For what it's worth, seems like launching a test satellite for AST SpaceMobile would make sense, but they already contracted ISRO for that purpose.I think the baseline is a successful orbital insertion and I have no reason to doubt they will achieve that here.But the bad news for Blue is that recovering the booster is now going from a nice-to-have to somewhat of an expectation. They can't afford to fail as many times as SpaceX did on Starship. If they failed later in the landing on the first flight I would have given them greater odds, but they failed quite early - the first engine relight. There's a whole phase of the landing that remains untested.It sure seems like the payload for NG2 is likely Kuiper or AST. From what ive read BlueMoon or BlueRing II won't be ready & Escapade seems better to push into 2026. Even with AST going the first test on ISRO, doesn't rule out BO as they said they are making several concurrently. Id think that Jeff B would prefer Kuiper though? Unless they are getting hefty late fees from ULA? Interestingly, a space reporter the other day said that they thought NG2 could be pushed back so a payload could be ready vs a mass simulator. Also on your later comment on mass, AST is also counting on the full 45kg NG capacity as they intended to put 8 satellites on each one. The first one is listed at 5800kg, but have said it's heavier than the rest, but 8 of those would be 46,400kg, so they will have to work to do.
Quote from: Skye on 04/28/2025 11:54 amRecently BO static fired their new upper stage, and that got me thinking about the next NG flight - what’ll happen? Will the booster land? Will the upper stage reach orbit again? Will the payload be another Blue Ring? (I think so, but can’t quite remember). What does everyone think?I don't know what the payload will be. I don't think their full-scale Blue Ring prototype is ready, nor do I think their MK1 lander is ready. It also doesn't seem like a great launch window for Escapade. For what it's worth, seems like launching a test satellite for AST SpaceMobile would make sense, but they already contracted ISRO for that purpose.I think the baseline is a successful orbital insertion and I have no reason to doubt they will achieve that here.But the bad news for Blue is that recovering the booster is now going from a nice-to-have to somewhat of an expectation. They can't afford to fail as many times as SpaceX did on Starship. If they failed later in the landing on the first flight I would have given them greater odds, but they failed quite early - the first engine relight. There's a whole phase of the landing that remains untested.
Recently BO static fired their new upper stage, and that got me thinking about the next NG flight - what’ll happen? Will the booster land? Will the upper stage reach orbit again? Will the payload be another Blue Ring? (I think so, but can’t quite remember). What does everyone think?
0511-EX-CN-2025QuoteUFO-Odyssey will demonstrate rapid response to requirements for on-orbit testing and verification of optical and computational experiments. The experiments include imaging of other spacecraft during and immediately after deployment, data communications, and computer networking & edge processing.The spacecraft will be launched aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station NET 1 August 2025. It will be inserted into a 470 km circular orbit with an inclination of 54 degrees. It will be deployed concurrently with two NASA R5 spacecraft (R5-S3 and R5-S5) and immediately begin imaging their deployment for RPOD and mission assurance purposes. After this testing of onboard processing and data communications will begin, and will continue for the duration of the mission.
UFO-Odyssey will demonstrate rapid response to requirements for on-orbit testing and verification of optical and computational experiments. The experiments include imaging of other spacecraft during and immediately after deployment, data communications, and computer networking & edge processing.The spacecraft will be launched aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station NET 1 August 2025. It will be inserted into a 470 km circular orbit with an inclination of 54 degrees. It will be deployed concurrently with two NASA R5 spacecraft (R5-S3 and R5-S5) and immediately begin imaging their deployment for RPOD and mission assurance purposes. After this testing of onboard processing and data communications will begin, and will continue for the duration of the mission.
Scheduled:Date - Satellite(s) - Rocket - Launch Site - Time (UTC)NET August 1 - DarkSky-1 (DS-1), DarkSky-2 (DS-2), UFO-Odyssey, ELaNa 42: DARLA, OrCa2, R5-S3, R5-S5, TechEdSat-16 - New Glenn NG-2 (GS1-SN002 Jacklyn LPV1) - Canaveral SLC-36B
How confirmed is this? That seems like a clear indication of timeline and payload for NG-2. "Late spring" apparently is now late summer. Also, if I'm understanding that correctly, there are going to be many different payloads on this a la Transporter? Seems like a pretty fleshed out Blue Ring demo.
Please explain the purpose of operation:This STA will be used for ground testing in support of the second launch of New Glenn as well as the launch itself. All activities will occur at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral, FL, Port Canaveral, FL, and the Blue Origin Manufacturing Complex at Merritt Island, FL.
Requested Period of OperationOperation Start Date: 07/01/2025Operation End Date: 01/01/2026
Quote from: Salo on 05/09/2025 11:10 amScheduled:Date - Satellite(s) - Rocket - Launch Site - Time (UTC)NET August 1 - DarkSky-1 (DS-1), DarkSky-2 (DS-2), UFO-Odyssey, ELaNa 42: DARLA, OrCa2, R5-S3, R5-S5, TechEdSat-16 - New Glenn NG-2 (GS1-SN002 Jacklyn LPV1) - Canaveral SLC-36B
0883-EX-ST-2025The mentioned LPV1 landing location suggests it'll be flying due east, so these cubesats are not on NG-2 as those are heading to ~55 degrees.
North 27 55 52 West 74 22 53 Blue Origin Command Support VesselNorth 28 0 47 West 74 21 54 Blue Origin Landing Platform Vessel
In a talk about the mission at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union here Dec. 11, Rob Lillis, principal investigator for ESCAPADE at the University of California Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory...<snip>Lillis said the mission is now examining launch opportunities in 2025 and 2026. “Now, Mars arrival will be in September 2027,” he said, two years later than previously planned.Those new launch opportunities involve complex trajectories compared to the direct flight to Mars available during traditional launch windows. He showed several options for launch opportunities in late 2025 and early 2026 that involved what he described as a “kidney bean-shaped dance” around the Earth-sun L-2 Lagrange point before doing an Earth gravity assist to head off to Mars.Those alterative trajectories do provide some advantages, allowing for observations of the space weather environment beyond the L-2 point to distances as far as 3.5 million kilometers from Earth. That region, he noted, had not been studied since the Wind mission in the 1990s. “There’s some opportunity for some great space weather observations,” he said.
Have the Mars via ESL-2 and delta-VEGA trajectories been released?
The primary goal of the DARLA mission is to train undergraduate students at Saint Louis University in the spacecraft design lifecycle (from concept through design & analysis to assembly, integration & test and eventually to flight operations). This goal is accomplished through a flight experiment in event detection. On-board software will control a radio receiver to scan the UHF bands for “events”: signals much stronger than the background measured in previous orbits. These events will be catalogued for later analysis and refining of the event-detection algorithm. Similar demonstrations will be run with an on-board visible-light imager, looking for such natural space phenomena as auroras and meteors. Students run the entire project, supported by faculty and industry partners.The satellite will be launched aboard Blue Origin New Glenn launch vehicle, from Cape Canaveral, FL, NET July 1, 2025. It will be inserted into an orbit at 470 km apogee and 470 km perigee, on an inclination from the equator of 54 degrees. Transmission will begin 45 minutes after deployment and cease upon demise. Atmospheric friction will slow the satellite and reduce the altitude of the orbit, until de-orbiting occurs less than a year after launch. See the Orbital Debris Assessment Report for details.The DARLA spacecraft conforms to the 3U CubeSat design specifications with dimensions of 10 cm X 10 cm X 34 cm and a mass not to exceed 2.5 kg.
DARLA cubesat (Demonstration of artificial reasoning, learning, and analysis) has switched from the Firefly Elytra-1 launch (0123-EX-CM-2025). [May 28]Quote from: Technical DescriptionThe primary goal of the DARLA mission is to train undergraduate students at Saint Louis University in the spacecraft design lifecycle (from concept through design & analysis to assembly, integration & test and eventually to flight operations). This goal is accomplished through a flight experiment in event detection. On-board software will control a radio receiver to scan the UHF bands for “events”: signals much stronger than the background measured in previous orbits. These events will be catalogued for later analysis and refining of the event-detection algorithm. Similar demonstrations will be run with an on-board visible-light imager, looking for such natural space phenomena as auroras and meteors. Students run the entire project, supported by faculty and industry partners.The satellite will be launched aboard Blue Origin New Glenn launch vehicle, from Cape Canaveral, FL, NET July 1, 2025. It will be inserted into an orbit at 470 km apogee and 470 km perigee, on an inclination from the equator of 54 degrees. Transmission will begin 45 minutes after deployment and cease upon demise. Atmospheric friction will slow the satellite and reduce the altitude of the orbit, until de-orbiting occurs less than a year after launch. See the Orbital Debris AssessmentReport for details.The DARLA spacecraft conforms to the 3U CubeSat design specifications with dimensions of 10 cm X 10 cm X 34 cm and a mass not to exceed 2.5 kg.
The primary goal of the DARLA mission is to train undergraduate students at Saint Louis University in the spacecraft design lifecycle (from concept through design & analysis to assembly, integration & test and eventually to flight operations). This goal is accomplished through a flight experiment in event detection. On-board software will control a radio receiver to scan the UHF bands for “events”: signals much stronger than the background measured in previous orbits. These events will be catalogued for later analysis and refining of the event-detection algorithm. Similar demonstrations will be run with an on-board visible-light imager, looking for such natural space phenomena as auroras and meteors. Students run the entire project, supported by faculty and industry partners.The satellite will be launched aboard Blue Origin New Glenn launch vehicle, from Cape Canaveral, FL, NET July 1, 2025. It will be inserted into an orbit at 470 km apogee and 470 km perigee, on an inclination from the equator of 54 degrees. Transmission will begin 45 minutes after deployment and cease upon demise. Atmospheric friction will slow the satellite and reduce the altitude of the orbit, until de-orbiting occurs less than a year after launch. See the Orbital Debris AssessmentReport for details.The DARLA spacecraft conforms to the 3U CubeSat design specifications with dimensions of 10 cm X 10 cm X 34 cm and a mass not to exceed 2.5 kg.
OrCa2 is a 12U CubeSat – see Figure 1 for an overview. The spacecraft dimensions are 239 mm (W) x 229 mm (H) x 366 mm (L), and has a mass of approximately 20 kg. There are no deployable components.This Technical Description supports an application for a modification to the license, because of a launch change. The previous launch was on the Firefly Alpha LV. This modification to the license will support the new launch, on Blue Origin New Glenn LV, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, no earlier than July 1, 2025.It will be placed into a circular orbit with an altitude of 470 km and inclination of 54 degrees. The mission will complete in 2 years. It is expected that the spacecraft will naturally demise less than 3.2 years after launch.
Another cubesat has jumped ship from Firefly's Elytra-1. Georgia Tech Research Institute's Orbital Calibration 2 (OrCa2) is now launching NET August 29th. (0122-EX-CM-2025) [May 30]Quote from: Technical DescriptionOrCa2 is a 12U CubeSat – see Figure 1 for an overview. The spacecraft dimensions are 239 mm (W) x 229 mm (H) x 366 mm (L), and has a mass of approximately 20 kg. There are no deployable components.This Technical Description supports an application for a modification to the license, because of a launch change. The previous launch was on the Firefly Alpha LV. This modification to the license will support the new launch, on Blue Origin New Glenn LV, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, no earlier than July 1, 2025.It will be placed into a circular orbit with an altitude of 470 km and inclination of 54 degrees. The mission will complete in 2 years. It is expected that the spacecraft will naturally demise less than 3.2 years after launch.
Firefly is no longer mentioning a launch on Alpha on the mission page, which could be an indication that it might have switched to another launch vehicle: https://fireflyspace.com/missions/elytra-mission-1/
DARLA no longer on this flight. 0123-EX-CM-2025FCC request to Firefly:QuoteOn March 15, 2024, Firefly Aerospace, Inc. (Firefly) filed the above-referenced application requesting authority to launch and operate the Elytra-1 satellite for a period of up to one year.1 We are writing to request additional information about this application to ensure it remains accurate as required by our rules.2Based on correspondence between Firefly and the Space Bureau we are aware that the information currently on file may not accurately reflect Firefly’s planned operations. On July 16, 2024, the Space Bureau contacted Firefly via email with several questions, including a question about the Elytra-1’s reentry analysis. Firefly responded to the questions that day, and provided the demisability assessment via ICFS on November 8, 2024. Firefly also said that it would provide an updated Orbital Debris Assessment Report (ODAR) as soon as possible. On January 28, 2025, and again on April 15, 2025, the Space Bureau contacted Firefly requesting an update on the ODAR for Elytra-1. On April 15, 2025, Firefly stated that due to a potential change in Elytra-1’s launch vehicle, certain information in the application may change.3Please respond to this letter by either:1) Withdrawing the application (without prejudice to refiling when ready); or2) Providing the Space Bureau with a concrete date—no later than July 11, 2025—by which you will be updating the application with all necessary information to ensure it reflects Firefly’s proposed operations, including the updated ODAR and the anticipated launch or need-by date, as well as any updated orbit or ground station information for the Elytra-1.
On March 15, 2024, Firefly Aerospace, Inc. (Firefly) filed the above-referenced application requesting authority to launch and operate the Elytra-1 satellite for a period of up to one year.1 We are writing to request additional information about this application to ensure it remains accurate as required by our rules.2Based on correspondence between Firefly and the Space Bureau we are aware that the information currently on file may not accurately reflect Firefly’s planned operations. On July 16, 2024, the Space Bureau contacted Firefly via email with several questions, including a question about the Elytra-1’s reentry analysis. Firefly responded to the questions that day, and provided the demisability assessment via ICFS on November 8, 2024. Firefly also said that it would provide an updated Orbital Debris Assessment Report (ODAR) as soon as possible. On January 28, 2025, and again on April 15, 2025, the Space Bureau contacted Firefly requesting an update on the ODAR for Elytra-1. On April 15, 2025, Firefly stated that due to a potential change in Elytra-1’s launch vehicle, certain information in the application may change.3Please respond to this letter by either:1) Withdrawing the application (without prejudice to refiling when ready); or2) Providing the Space Bureau with a concrete date—no later than July 11, 2025—by which you will be updating the application with all necessary information to ensure it reflects Firefly’s proposed operations, including the updated ODAR and the anticipated launch or need-by date, as well as any updated orbit or ground station information for the Elytra-1.
One ESCAPADE/New Glenn tidbit buried in the budget: "NASA is in the process of establishing an updated schedule and cost profile to enable this mission to ride on the second launch of New Glenn."
Another cubesat has jumped ship from Firefly's Elytra-1.
EscaPADE also still an option:QuoteOne ESCAPADE/New Glenn tidbit buried in the budget: "NASA is in the process of establishing an updated schedule and cost profile to enable this mission to ride on the second launch of New Glenn."
And "The ESCAPADE launch readiness date is expected in Q4 FY 2025", which is Q3 of calendar year 2025.https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fy-2026-budget-technical-supplement-002.pdf?emrc=683acc3fd7dd2, PDF page 309
Those new launch opportunities involve complex trajectories compared to the direct flight to Mars available during traditional launch windows. He showed several options for launch opportunities in late 2025 and early 2026 that involved what he described as a “kidney bean-shaped dance” around the Earth-sun L-2 Lagrange point before doing an Earth gravity assist to head off to Mars.
So based on what we know recently. It appears there is some form of RideShare - maybe on Blue Ring? Because those wouldn't rideshare with Escapade right? Escapade has to be fully launched on its own? NG2 -> Escapade in Q3 (July - September) NG3 -> Blue Ring Ride Share NET SeptemberNG4 -> Blue Moon - end of year or early next year?
