Author Topic: JP Aerospace  (Read 101337 times)

Offline R7

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #20 on: 06/24/2015 12:17 pm »
Yes. Absolutely. Still, if he wants to try something new and it:s self-funding. Who cares?

Having a bit too high hopes for atmospheric boyancy is not exactly a new thing (Francesco Lana de Terzi and his copper spheres with vacuum inside creating flying boats comes to mind). But you're right, if the money keeps coming then go for it. The Dark Sky Station could actually happen and be useful, this ascender ship is needed to get to it.

AD·ASTRA·ASTRORVM·GRATIA

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #21 on: 09/13/2016 06:11 am »
Quote
Ascender 36 flew to 13,512 feet on her 1st shakedown flight.

https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/775507858414718976

15 months since Ascender 26 flew (to half the altitude of this flight).

Edit: JP's blog entry

Quote
Last Sunday the Ascender 36 airship took off from our new launch facility in Northern Nevada.

The first flight of Ascender 36 was a real shake down. It took two hours more than planned to get her into the air. Instead of the forecasted calm morning, we had windy condition with the wind howling from the opposite direction. However when we got her into the air she put her nose up and screamed in to the sky. Our minimum goal was to fly to 7,000 feet. If all went well we would push bit by bit to 10,000 feet. Our goal climb rate was 400 feet per minute. In the end we climbed an average 582 feet per minute and flew all the way to 13,512 feet. We landed her 11 miles down range.
« Last Edit: 09/13/2016 06:14 am by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline Archibald

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #22 on: 09/13/2016 07:32 am »
How strange ! Half UFO sighting, half Pink Floyd flying pig :)
Han shot first and Gwynne Shotwell !

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #23 on: 09/13/2016 08:25 am »
Here are a couple of recent infographics from JP Aerospace.

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #24 on: 02/08/2017 06:23 am »
Quote
Ascender 36 bring readied for launch at Area 42

https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/829139660920074240

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Ascender 36 mission patch $20.   Help keep us flying! 
On Amazon: http://a.co/1ehiysz

https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/829143940829884416

Offline Danderman

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #25 on: 02/08/2017 06:39 am »
Is that JP's submarine in the poster?

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #26 on: 02/08/2017 06:52 am »
Is that JP's submarine in the poster?

Yes (assuming you mean the picture above 'Integration')

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #27 on: 02/12/2017 05:30 am »
Quote
Kevin with first inner helium cell for Ascender 9 airship.

https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/830602971100491776

As the number usually represents length in feet I think the '9' is a typo and should be '90'.

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #28 on: 02/13/2017 07:09 pm »
Hmm, seems the 9 isn't a typo after all

Quote
Sunday the team was working away on Ascender 9 airship. Here's a pic of the left wing.
https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/831230942106693635

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Left tail of the Ascender 9 airship.
https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/831231070955712513

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Test fitting a helium inner cell inside the Ascender 9 airship.
https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/831231245661175814

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Inside the Ascender 9 airship outer envelope. Here's were inspecting the shell before anything is installed inside.
https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/831231843483545600

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #29 on: 02/13/2017 07:51 pm »
Missed one! Gives better idea of scale.

Quote
JP Aerospace, Sewing our way to space.

https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/831232772018614273

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #30 on: 03/15/2017 04:37 pm »
JP was on The Space Show again yesterday: http://thespaceshow.com/show/14-mar-2017/broadcast-2882-john-powell-jp-aerospace

Update on current/near-term:

- Their (small) hypersonic wind tunnel is operating at Mach 3.8 (was designed for Mach 4 but can't reach it)
- Over 100 firings now of their (tiny) plasma engines
- Looking to use air beam structures as the internal struss for an airship this fall
- Ascender 36 to fly again in about a month
- 100 ft airship [must be Ascender 9?]  this June, currently half-way through construction
- This airship will ultimately go to 45,000 ft
- Will start construction of 175ft Ascender later this year (may be September), which will ultimately fly to 65k – 70k ft
- Next dark star station flight probably not until late 2018
- Still making progress and no show stoppers yet. Now 4 full-time staff on board.

Longer-term:

- Will be 18+ months until an Ascender crosses 100k ft
- Plan for dark station at 140k ft is not to use exotic materials but to just replace components as required (eg internal floatation cells every 30 days). That way they can use cheap, readily available plastics and instead take the hit on maintenance
- JP Aerospace will look to do space tourism, but only once they have airships carrying people regularly
- The huge airship that climbs from the dark station to space wouldn’t break Mach 1 until past 200k, maybe 240k ft

Offline Proponent

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #31 on: 03/16/2017 01:31 pm »
Nothing about the airship-to-orbit idea?

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #32 on: 03/16/2017 05:43 pm »
Nothing about the airship-to-orbit idea?

It's nearly all airship-to-orbit! AtO is a 3 part system, Ascender is the first part, dark star station the second, the hypersonic wind tunnel supports research into active drag reduction for the third part etc.

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #33 on: 03/18/2017 11:07 am »
Quote
We just finished the first truss section for Ascender 9.
Fifteen of these make up the keel.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1224940220888486&id=164912363557949

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #34 on: 03/30/2017 08:11 pm »
A series of tweets by JP yesterday that give an overview of some of the different elements of what they are doing and how it fits into airship to orbit.

Only the first tweet had text:

Quote
How the research fits together.
https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/847195937717895168
https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/847196417000996864
https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/847196492410503168
https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/847196572366458881

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #35 on: 04/11/2017 06:59 pm »
One picture per tweet:

Quote
The Mach Glider program is a test series for Airship to Orbit development. Here's a block 4 Mach Glider being launched from a Tandem airship
https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/851862264697167872

Quote
Block 4 Mach Glider
https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/851862706458025984

Quote
Photo looking down on one of our early Mach Glider test flights.
https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/851866677524389888

Offline ChrisWilson68

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #36 on: 04/20/2017 09:34 am »
Nothing about the airship-to-orbit idea?

It's nearly all airship-to-orbit! AtO is a 3 part system, Ascender is the first part, dark star station the second, the hypersonic wind tunnel supports research into active drag reduction for the third part etc.

Too bad the "active drag reduction" bit is the only part that really matters.  They need to reduce drag by a factor of a million.  In the real world, people go to great lengths to reduce drag by a few percentage points.

If they could actually achieve "active drag reduction" by the factor of a million they need to reach orbital speed, then they would revolutionize lots of much, much bigger industries than space launch.

They've provided no evidence so far to support the extraordinary claim they are able to pull off such a feat.

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #37 on: 04/21/2017 06:40 pm »
First time I remember seeing a size for Ascender 9:

Quote
The new keel truss for the Ascender 9 airship (the hundred footer). The truss weights only 21 pounds.
#jpaerospace

https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/855479045961654272

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #38 on: 04/21/2017 06:50 pm »
They need to reduce drag by a factor of a million. 

Why a million? IIRC JP has claimed the amount of drag reduction they need is similar to what was achieved in lab tests in the 60s/70s(?).  Obviously a lab is very different from an operational vehicle but it certainly didn't sound like JP thinks it's anything like a factor of a million.

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Re: JP Aerospace updates
« Reply #39 on: 05/02/2017 05:58 pm »
Quote
The team did a full vehicle assemble and test on Ascender 36 on Sunday.
Getting her ready for the second flight.
#jpaerospace

https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/859464244269428736

Quote
Inside the tail of the Ascender 36 airship.
#jpaerospace.

https://twitter.com/johnmpowell1/status/859465986302291968

 

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