Author Topic: LIVE: Electron 2nd Test Flight "Still Testing" - 3 Cubesats - January 21, 2018  (Read 185744 times)

Offline Lar

  • Fan boy at large
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13463
  • Saw Gemini live on TV
  • A large LEGO storage facility ... in Michigan
  • Liked: 11864
  • Likes Given: 11086
They are showing signs of success...   Let a hundred flowers bloom.
"I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just hopefully not at the point of impact." -Elon Musk
"We're a little bit like the dog who caught the bus" - Musk after CRS-8 S1 successfully landed on ASDS OCISLY

Offline waf102

  • Full Member
  • *
  • Posts: 110
  • Cleveland, OH USA
  • Liked: 4
  • Likes Given: 17
Confirmed.
http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/organizations/rocket-lab/rocket-lab-prepares-electron-second-test-flight/
Quote
“Still Testing” will ferry at least three small satellites to a highly inclined elliptical orbit.

Riding to orbit on this flight are at least two Lemur-2 satellites as well as a single Dove satellite.

I think this is very intelligent. They are basically doing demo flights for key customers with a small number of sats, to minimize risk, and not guaranteeing to circularize. Honestly it's hard to fault the way Rocket Lab thinks and works. They are are really a good example. I wish more people followed their approach.

Given that they are shooting for a highly elliptical orbit, has anyone seen it mentioned anywhere what the apogee and perigee will be???

Also, is this the plan for the next two test flights in 2018?


Offline Steven Pietrobon

  • Member
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 39218
  • Adelaide, Australia
    • Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive
  • Liked: 32738
  • Likes Given: 8196
Also, is this the plan for the next two test flights in 2018?

If this test is successful, I believe they would cancel the third test flight and start shifting their backlog.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline ringsider

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 714
  • Liked: 506
  • Likes Given: 97

Offline CameronD

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2374
  • Melbourne, Australia
    • Norton Consultants
  • Liked: 868
  • Likes Given: 548
Interesting that Rocket Lab is not required to recover the debris:-

http://www.epa.govt.nz/Publications/Pre_activity_notice_space_launch%20Rocket%20Lab%20ITSATEST%2020170515_Redacted.pdf

It's also interesting that, because they are receiving government funding via a Callaghan Innovation Growth Grant
there are no costs involved either.. although exactly how their operation fits into "domestic or international marine scientific research" is less clear.

I'm impressed that the EPA have developed a form specifically for the "Deposit of material on seabed from launch of space vehicle"!
With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine - however, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are
going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead.

Online gongora

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10205
  • US
  • Liked: 13885
  • Likes Given: 5933
Quote
MEET DOVE PIONEER

Mike Safyan | November 21, 2017

Last month, the Planet team successfully integrated one of our Dove satellites into a Rocket Lab Maxwell deployer to be flown on the 2nd orbital flight (aka “Still Testing”) of Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle. The launch is currently scheduled for December of this year and the rocket will drop off the Dove into a 300 x 500 km, 83 degree inclination orbit.
 
This Dove has been officially designated “Dove Pioneer,” and the name has several points of significance for us. On the one hand, it’s a nod to the awe-inspiring series of Pioneer missions conducted by NASA in the 50s, 60s and 70s. There is often a lot of buzz about NewSpace and how small satellites and small launch vehicles are changing the industry, but we owe a great deal of our success to the amazing space pioneers that preceded us. We stand on the shoulders of giants.

On the other hand, Planet and Rocket Lab really are on the precipice of pioneering something historic in the space industry. Planet has been launching and operating record-breaking numbers of satellites for the last several years, and Rocket Lab is at the forefront of providing low-cost, frequent, and mission-tailored access to space, further enabling game-changing small satellite architectures such as Planet’s.

Our brave Dove Pioneer will be on the first Rocket Lab launch to carry commercial payloads, paving the way for more missions to come. Stay tuned to @planetlabs and @rocketlab on Twitter for further mission updates.

[Picture] Planet’s Michael Soulage integrates Dove Pioneer into the Maxwell deployer

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 48174
  • UK
    • Plan 28
  • Liked: 81684
  • Likes Given: 36941
Quote
On December 8 NZST, Rocket Lab will open a 10 day window in which our team will attempt a to launch our second Electron rocket, Still Testing.

https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/935916490716364800

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 48174
  • UK
    • Plan 28
  • Liked: 81684
  • Likes Given: 36941
Yes!

Quote
#StillTesting will be the first #Electron launch to be live streamed. We can't wait to share it with you. Stream will become available at http://www.rocketlabusa.com  minutes before a launch attempt.

https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/935923479794159617

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 48174
  • UK
    • Plan 28
  • Liked: 81684
  • Likes Given: 36941
Quote
Four hour window, opens daily from 2.30 pm NZST.

https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/935924192456802304

Which I make 02:30 (ie am) UTC.

Offline NathanR

  • Member
  • Posts: 6
  • Liked: 9
  • Likes Given: 0
Press release
Press kit

The tweets give the wrong time zone. NZDT (UTC+13) will be observed then and both the press release and press kit say NZDT. So the launch window is 01:30-05:30 UTC.

Offline IanThePineapple

9:30PM-1:30AM EST, 6:30PM-10:30PM PST for my fellow Americans

Offline shooter6947

  • Full Member
  • *
  • Posts: 123
  • Idaho
  • Liked: 115
  • Likes Given: 891
But is that on December 7 for us then in the USA?

Offline Steven Pietrobon

  • Member
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 39218
  • Adelaide, Australia
    • Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive
  • Liked: 32738
  • Likes Given: 8196
But is that on December 7 for us then in the USA?

Yes.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline Kosmos2001

  • Full Member
  • *
  • Posts: 191
  • CAT
  • Liked: 66
  • Likes Given: 172
Can't wait to see the zebra-like launcher in action again. Successfully, of course.

Offline TrevorMonty

Finally a launch in local time. But to make life easier for international viewers including UTC in press release would be nice. I just wish all launches quoted UTC along with launch site's local time, would make timezone conversion so much easier.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 48174
  • UK
    • Plan 28
  • Liked: 81684
  • Likes Given: 36941
Quote
Yesterday we successfully completed a wet dress rehearsal for #StillTesting at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1. Preparations for launch coming along nicely.

https://twitter.com/rocketlab/status/936710334710034432

Online Galactic Penguin SST

Any reports out there that can confirm if the launch is still targeting tomorrow?
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

Offline Steven Pietrobon

  • Member
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 39218
  • Adelaide, Australia
    • Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive
  • Liked: 32738
  • Likes Given: 8196
Nothing that I can find. Here's the link to the live stream. Showing "Page Not Found".

http://www.rocketlabusa.com/livestream
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline Satori

  • Moderator
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 14425
  • Campo do Geręs - Portugal
  • Liked: 1969
  • Likes Given: 1156
Electron will be rolled onto the pad at Launch Complex 1 today for final #StillTesting prep. Targeting no earlier than 2.30 pm, Saturday 9 December NZDT for a launch attempt. Weather also not looking good for Sunday, so an attempt could still be pushed to Monday NZDT.

https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/938853871190814720

Offline Satori

  • Moderator
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 14425
  • Campo do Geręs - Portugal
  • Liked: 1969
  • Likes Given: 1156
Electron will be rolled onto the pad at Launch Complex 1 today for final #StillTesting prep. Targeting no earlier than 2.30 pm, Saturday 9 December NZDT for a launch attempt. Weather also not looking good for Sunday, so an attempt could still be pushed to Monday NZDT.

https://twitter.com/RocketLab/status/938853871190814720

This is 0130UTC on December 9.

Tags:
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
1