Author Topic: FAILURE: Electron - Fl 20 Running out of toes - LC-1 - NET 15 May 2021  (Read 78314 times)

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1380220739140390921

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Rocket Lab says it will attempt to recover the first stage from its next Electron launch, scheduled for May from New Zealand. This will be the company’s second recovery attempt, after getting the first stage from an Electron launch last November.

Edit to add:

https://twitter.com/wapodavenport/status/1380221145451012102

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Rocket Lab is going to attempt to recover its next Electron rocket by landing it softly in the ocean under a parachute. As Peter Beck told me yesterday: "I think reusability is fundamental to any any rocket program these days."
« Last Edit: 05/15/2021 11:49 am by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline PM3

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Re: Electron - Fl 20 - NET May 2021
« Reply #1 on: 04/08/2021 06:13 pm »
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Scheduled for launch in May 2021 from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, the ‘Running Out of Toes’, mission will be Rocket Lab’s 20th Electron launch overall and the second of three planned ocean splashdown recovery missions. The mission will see Electron deploy two Earth-observation satellites for BlackSky’s global monitoring constellation. While Electron’s second stage delivers the satellites to orbit, Electron’s first stage will undertake a series of complex maneuvers designed to enable the stage to survive the extreme heat and forces of atmospheric re-entry on the way back to Earth.
https://www.rocketlabusa.com/about-us/updates/rocket-lab-to-recover-electron-booster-on-next-mission/
"Never, never be afraid of the truth." -- Jim Bridenstine

Offline trimeta

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Re: Electron - Fl 20 - LC-1 - NET May 2021
« Reply #2 on: 04/08/2021 06:25 pm »
This launch seems to be part of a deal announced on March 25th of this year. If the deal was actually inked anywhere close to then, that would be a remarkably short turnaround between procurement and launch.

Since this will be BlackSky's fourth flight with Rocket Lab, not surprising that they've got a good working relationship, but still.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Electron - Fl 20 - LC-1 - NET May 2021
« Reply #3 on: 04/08/2021 10:03 pm »
https://twitter.com/peter_j_beck/status/1380278067092881408

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We will have the recovery camera aboard the next flight. Keep posted for some more cool footage of Electron coming home.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Electron - Fl 20 - LC-1 - NET May 2021
« Reply #4 on: 04/12/2021 06:47 am »
https://twitter.com/peter_j_beck/status/1381461858406699009

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Hold on tight....These separation locks hold back the many tons of force from the drogue chute as it deploys on the next Electron reusability test.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1382430479509463043

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Electron is in for quite the ride on our next mission as we work toward reusability

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"Never, never be afraid of the truth." -- Jim Bridenstine

Online Prettz

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I'm guessing they're planning to splash the booster again because... they need to characterize how it parachutes down more? I would've thought they'd attempt a catch after the first splash.

Offline trimeta

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I'm guessing they're planning to splash the booster again because... they need to characterize how it parachutes down more? I would've thought they'd attempt a catch after the first splash.

This is the first booster to use their upgraded heat shielding. They want to see how well it worked and what other changes may be necessary to let the booster survive reentry, before going through the effort of plucking the booster out of the air with a helicopter.

Online TrevorMonty

I'm guessing they're planning to splash the booster again because... they need to characterize how it parachutes down more? I would've thought they'd attempt a catch after the first splash.

This is the first booster to use their upgraded heat shielding. They want to see how well it worked and what other changes may be necessary to let the booster survive reentry, before going through the effort of plucking the booster out of the air with a helicopter.
The chopper and ship are expensive commitment need to be sure its worth it.
Most likely Seaworks will lease ship and RL  pay them annual retainer plus booster recovery cost.

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Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1384657628295352323

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The @SpaceflightInc team for the two @BlackSky_Inc smallsats onboard our next launch have arrived at LC-1! In the coming days they'll integrate the sats with Electron's Kick Stage ready for our 20th mission next month. bit.ly/2QnjAdH

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-mission/

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MISSION OVERVIEW

Scheduled for launch in May 2021 from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, the ‘Running Out of Toes’, mission will be Rocket Lab’s 20th Electron launch overall and the second of three planned ocean splashdown recovery missions. The mission will see Electron deploy two Earth-observation satellites for BlackSky’s global monitoring constellation.

While Electron’s second stage delivers the satellites to orbit, Electron’s first stage will undertake a series of complex maneuvers designed to enable the stage to survive the extreme heat and forces of atmospheric re-entry on the way back to Earth.

Running Out Of Toes is the first in a series of dedicated launches this year through Spaceflight Inc. for BlackSky, a leading provider of real-time geospatial intelligence and global monitoring services. Two of BlackSky’s 130 kg class satellites will be launched on this mission in support of the aggressive scaling of BlackSky’s satellite constellation to meet the demand for real-time global monitoring and analysis services for public and private organizations. These satellites will join three existing BlackSky satellites launched by Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle across 2019 and earlier this year.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1386822565126041603

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Get ready. We're bringing another rocket back from space. The launch window for our next recovery mission opens mid-May. https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/next-mission/

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1387140134357766145

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The @BlackSky_Inc payloads for our next mission have arrived in the cleanroom at Launch Complex 1. The team will meticulously go over spacecraft components & systems before the two satellites are integrated to Electron for launch in mid-May.

More info: bit.ly/3tPOHgB

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https://twitter.com/peter_j_beck/status/1388246916148854784

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This makes me happy! 2 Electrons sitting down at the launch site ready to fly. Satellite check outs and encapsulation are under way for a busy month.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1389318182683480073

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Rocket Lab's next launch, its 20th flight to date called "Running out of Toes," is scheduled for a 14-day window beginning May 15.

This will be the second time Rocket Lab attempts to recover an Electron rocket booster after ocean splashdown:
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/08/rocket-lab-may-launch-booster-recovery-aiming-for-spacex-reusability.html
« Last Edit: 05/03/2021 08:39 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/1389316653150720000

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Our next mission is a major step toward making Electron a reusable rocket. So how are we going to bring a rocket back from space?

Check out the full mission info: bit.ly/3teAmt3

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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https://spaceflight.com/spaceflight-inc-readies-the-next-of-four-dedicated-electron-launches-for-blacksky/

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SPACEFLIGHT INC. READIES THE NEXT OF FOUR DEDICATED ELECTRON LAUNCHES FOR BLACKSKY
By Jodi Sorensen
MAY 4, 2021

By providing a mix of both traditional rideshare and dedicated options, launch services provider delivers maximum flexibility for BlackSky’s growing constellation

SEATTLE – May 4, 2021 — Global launch services provider Spaceflight Inc. recently secured four dedicated Rocket Lab launches on behalf of its customer, BlackSky, a leading provider of real-time geospatial intelligence and global monitoring services. Spaceflight will provide the integration and launch services for eight BlackSky smallsats across four dedicated Electron missions throughout 2021. The agreement also includes options for an additional two dedicated missions on Electron in Q4 2021.

The first of these four dedicated missions is scheduled to launch in May 2021 from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The mission, called “Running Out of Toes” by Rocket Lab and “RL-7” by Spaceflight to signify its seventh mission with Rocket Lab, will carry two 55-kilogram class BlackSky smallsats to low Earth orbit. The following three dedicated launches under contract will each take two more BlackSky satellites, furthering BlackSky’s goal to launch nine satellites in 2021.

Following the successful deployment of one BlackSky smallsat on Rocket Lab’s “They Go Up So Fast” rideshare mission (RL-6) on March 22, 2021, the new dedicated launches provide BlackSky additional scheduled launches and orbital control to get its constellation on orbit in an accelerated timeline.

“Organizations may have a strategic business reason to choose a dedicated launch — they need to have spacecraft reach a specific orbit not served by traditional rideshare, or at a specific time when a traditional rideshare option is unavailable,” said Curt Blake, CEO and president of Spaceflight. “Spaceflight arranges a mix of both traditional rideshare and dedicated launches across our large vehicle portfolio to deliver maximum flexibility for organizations and ensure they get to space, exactly when and where they want. Plus, with the purchase of an entire launch vehicle, Spaceflight’s rideshare expertise continues to come into play as we’re often able to help offset the premium price by ‘filling up’ any additional capacity with other smallsats.”

In addition to the upcoming dedicated launches, Spaceflight has managed many rideshare missions for BlackSky over the past years, including ISRO’s PSLV-C43 mission and Spaceflight’s SSO-A dedicated Falcon 9 rideshare mission in 2018, Rocket Lab’s “Make It Rain” and “Look Ma, No Hands” missions in 2019, a SpaceX Starlink rideshare mission in 2020, and most recently Rocket Lab’s “They Go Up So Fast” mission earlier this year.

“For our customers, it’s the combination of the launch options that’s powerful — traditional rideshare, dedication launches, or last mile delivery via one of our Sherpa transportation vehicles,” added Grant Bonin, senior vice president of business development for Spaceflight. “We work closely with each customer to find the most cost-effective option to address their mission needs each and every time they need a launch, leveraging our years of experience and long-standing relationships with a wide variety of launch vehicle providers.

Spaceflight is preparing several ESPA-class OTVs complete with electric and chemical propulsion for missions later this year along with many traditional rideshare and dedicated missions for a total of approximately 10 launches in 2021.

Celebrating 10 years of providing innovative launch services, Spaceflight has launched nearly 350 satellites across 38 missions on eight different launch vehicles, including the Falcon 9, Electron, PSLV, and Vega. It has orchestrated several industry firsts including the first fully dedicated rideshare with 64 smallsats aboard the historic SSO-A mission and the first-ever rideshare mission to GTO with a lunar lander.

About Spaceflight Inc.

As the premier global launch services provider, Spaceflight is revolutionizing the business of space transportation through its comprehensive suite of launch services and Sherpa® orbital transfer vehicles. The company provides unprecedented launch flexibility to ensure customers’ smallsats get to orbit exactly when and where they want through a combination of long-standing relationships with a diverse portfolio of launch partners, innovative satellite integration capabilities, including flight and ground support hardware, licensing and logistics management, and extensive mission management expertise. Based in Seattle, Spaceflight has successfully launched hundreds of satellites and is a part of the Mitsui & Co., Ltd. portfolio, operating as an independent, U.S.-based company. For more information, visit http://www.spaceflight.com.

###

Online TrevorMonty

I thought 2x 55kg satellites was bit light for this launch, sounds like Spaceflight mighting being using surplus performance for other payloads.



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Offline trimeta

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I thought 2x 55kg satellites was bit light for this launch, sounds like Spaceflight mighting being using surplus performance for other payloads.



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Odd that they wouldn't call that out explicitly: previous Spaceflight rideshares with BlackSky primaries ("Make It Rain," "Look Ma, No Hands," and "They Go Up So Fast") weren't shy about having secondary CubeSat payloads. All three of those carried only a single BlackSky Global satellite, though, while "Running Out Of Toes" will carry two.

Perhaps there's a payload hit for the recovery systems, including the beefed-up heat shield on the first stage? Although allegedly the "Return To Sender" mission (the previous one with a parachute, but without the newer heat shield) carried 200 kg to orbit, so perhaps not.

Alternately, maybe Spaceflight Inc. doesn't want to fill the BlackSky Global orbital plane with random secondary satellites: for "They Go Up So Fast," they specifically deposited everything except the BlackSky Global satellite into one altitude, then lowered the orbit for the final deployment. That doesn't explain why Spaceflight didn't toss a third BlackSky Global satellite on the mission though -- or even a fourth, since with a target orbit of 430 km and a 50 degrees inclination, 220 kg plus deployment systems may be within reach (and 165 kg definitely should be).

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