Author Topic: Vector Launch (formerly Vector Space Systems)  (Read 402726 times)

Offline john smith 19

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #780 on: 03/30/2018 09:14 am »
Quote
Hot off the presses (printer), our new Vector-R first stage engine 3D printed injector...

https://twitter.com/vectorspacesys/status/979508732471029760
Looks nice.

Obvious questions. How long to make and how much post processing?
 No real indicator of the injector pattern. That hole at the top could be feeding a network of injection holes.
MCT ITS BFR SS. The worlds first Methane fueled FFSC engined CFRP SS structure A380 sized aerospaceplane tail sitter capable of Earth & Mars atmospheric flight.First flight to Mars by end of 2022 TBC. T&C apply. Trust nothing. Run your own #s "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof" R. Simberg."Competitve" means cheaper ¬cheap SCramjet proposed 1956. First +ve thrust 2004. US R&D spend to date > $10Bn. #deployed designs. Zero.

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #781 on: 03/30/2018 01:05 pm »
Quote
Hot off the presses (printer), our new Vector-R first stage engine 3D printed injector...

https://twitter.com/vectorspacesys/status/979508732471029760
Looks nice.

Obvious questions. How long to make and how much post processing?
 No real indicator of the injector pattern. That hole at the top could be feeding a network of injection holes.

The hole at the top looks like it doesn't have an o-ring sealing surface like the other ports. Spark plug port?
I tried it at home

Offline envy887

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #782 on: 03/30/2018 02:03 pm »
Quote
Hot off the presses (printer), our new Vector-R first stage engine 3D printed injector...

https://twitter.com/vectorspacesys/status/979508732471029760
Looks nice.

Obvious questions. How long to make and how much post processing?
 No real indicator of the injector pattern. That hole at the top could be feeding a network of injection holes.

The hole at the top looks like it doesn't have an o-ring sealing surface like the other ports. Spark plug port?

Might just be a mounting point for a gimbal bearing.

Offline Steven Pietrobon

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #783 on: 03/31/2018 05:54 am »
That hole at the top could be feeding a network of injection holes.

The fuel and LOX enter separately via the two flanges at the side. You can read FUEL and LOX at the top of the flanges. As suggested by envy887, this is likely the where the gimbal is mounted.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline john smith 19

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #784 on: 03/31/2018 10:49 am »
That hole at the top could be feeding a network of injection holes.

The fuel and LOX enter separately via the two flanges at the side. You can read FUEL and LOX at the top of the flanges. As suggested by envy887, this is likely the where the gimbal is mounted.
Oops. My eyesight....
MCT ITS BFR SS. The worlds first Methane fueled FFSC engined CFRP SS structure A380 sized aerospaceplane tail sitter capable of Earth & Mars atmospheric flight.First flight to Mars by end of 2022 TBC. T&C apply. Trust nothing. Run your own #s "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof" R. Simberg."Competitve" means cheaper ¬cheap SCramjet proposed 1956. First +ve thrust 2004. US R&D spend to date > $10Bn. #deployed designs. Zero.

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #785 on: 04/01/2018 02:26 am »
Quote
Hot off the presses (printer), our new Vector-R first stage engine 3D printed injector...

https://twitter.com/vectorspacesys/status/979508732471029760
Looks nice.

Obvious questions. How long to make and how much post processing?
 No real indicator of the injector pattern. That hole at the top could be feeding a network of injection holes.

The hole at the top looks like it doesn't have an o-ring sealing surface like the other ports. Spark plug port?

Might just be a mounting point for a gimbal bearing.

Based on the picture of the assembled engine that they posted recently, the gimbal attaches to the 4 threaded holes on top of the injector. The center port is the only one that doesn't have a chamfer for an o-ring, which makes me think it is for the spark plug because they don't use o-rings.
If they do have a centrally located spark torch igniter, this would help narrow down what injector they are using because it would rule out a pintle.
I tried it at home

Offline TrevorMonty

Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #786 on: 04/12/2018 03:19 am »


VECTOR (@vectorspacesys) tweeted at 6:22 AM on Thu, Apr 12, 2018:
Wishing @RocketLab best for 1st commercial launch. Few months back we donated $7k NZD ($5k) & all proceeds of mission patch to @Kiwisforkiwi conservation projects. We are all in those together to further commercial space & small launch vehicles, while having a bit of fun at it https://t.co/kUFVDIavoM
(https://twitter.com/vectorspacesys/status/984134694064209921?s=03)

Nice gesture by Vector. While RL maybe competition they are also helping to cement market that Vector wants to service. "Rising tide floats all ships".

I've no proof but suspect there are few smallsat companies have been waiting for new small LVs to start operating before ramping up their business.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #787 on: 04/12/2018 03:27 pm »
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Vector Introduces New VP of Manufacturing to Lead Production of Vector-R & H Launch Vehicles

Automotive manufacturing veteran Brian Barron to drive accelerated rate of launch vehicle production never before achieved in traditional aerospace industry



TUCSON, Ariz., April 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Vector, a microsatellite launch company comprised of new-space and enterprise software industry veterans from SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, McDonnell Douglas, Boeing, Sea Launch and VMware, today announced plans to reshape the aerospace industry by incorporating best practices from the automotive industry to mass manufacture its Vector-R and Vector-H launch vehicles. Spearheading the revolutionary endeavor will be Brian Barron, Vector's new vice president of manufacturing. Barron brings to Vector more than two decades of global automobile manufacturing experience, most recently at BMW Manufacturing and Lucid Motors, an automotive electric vehicle startup. 

Barron will oversee manufacturing at Vector's upcoming state-of-the-art rocket manufacturing facility in Arizona, where Vector will draw upon the company's widespread passion for automobile racing to revolutionize the mass production of rockets much like the assembly production of Henry Ford's Model T once changed the automotive world. Using automated manufacturing processes, such as 3D printing, on its assembly line, Vector plans to scale full production of the Vector-R up to 100 rockets per year – a rate never before achieved in the traditional aerospace industry.

"Vector was influenced and shaped by the automotive industry, and we continue to see numerous parallels between automobiles and rockets," said Jim Cantrell, CEO and co-founder of Vector. "The systems and assembly techniques used to produce high-end, luxury cars is an approach we believe can easily be applied to build Vector's family of launch vehicles. By tapping Brian's expertise in this area, Vector will build rockets analogous with the methods used to mass produce cars, a carbon fiber Model-T as it were, enabling us to deliver on our goal of producing hundreds of launch vehicles per year."

Vector will transform the paradigm of how rockets are mass produced in a low cost and reliable manner, allowing Vector to reduce overall costs for buyers, much like the modern automobile. Leveraging Barron's extensive knowledge from his career in the automotive industry, Vector will establish high-volume aerospace manufacturing operations, including solidifying the manufacturing strategy and direction, selecting the required supply chain to provide high quality components, and recruiting the team to establish and run the manufacturing operations. 

"Applying automotive manufacturing principles to the aerospace world is a vision that I share with Jim, and strongly believe in its ability to enable Vector to push the envelope for the industry," said Brian Barron, vice president of manufacturing at Vector. "I am honored to join the Vector team at such a pivotal stage in the company's growth and look forward to taking part in transforming how Vector will mass produce launch vehicles."

Before Vector, Barron spent nearly 20 years at BMW, where he held a variety of leadership roles and was responsible for thousands of employees, hundreds of workstations, and several assembly lines across the BMW Group. Prior to his latest role at Lucid Motors, Barron was director of operations at NIMR Automotive, a producer of wheeled military vehicles.  In his role at NIMR Automotive in the United Arab Emirates, he was responsible for the entire automotive manufacturing operation for military and security vehicles. Barron is also a veteran of the United States Navy, where he served six years as a sonar technician and mainframe weapons/computer systems technician.

To learn more about the Vector-R launch vehicle, please visit: https://vector-launch.com/vector-r/.

About Vector:
Founded by the original founding team of SpaceX, Vector is a disruptive company that connects space startups and innovators with dedicated, affordable and reliable launch services, enabling platforms and vehicles to access space efficiently and in a more optimized way than ever before possible. For more information, visit http://www.vector-launch.com

SOURCE Vector
Related Links

https://www.vector-launch.com

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vector-introduces-new-vp-of-manufacturing-to-lead-production-of-vector-r--h-launch-vehicles-300628639.html

Online gongora

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #788 on: 04/14/2018 03:06 pm »
As of February, Vector was applying for FCC permits to support a suborbital launch in California NET March (0162-EX-ST-2018) and an orbital launch from Wallops NET June (0164-EX-ST-2018).  The one for the orbital flight (0164) shows a timeline of flight events.  Maybe the Wallops one is switching to Kodiak?  Or they're different flights?  Vector makes SpaceX look like a bastion of stability.

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #789 on: 04/20/2018 03:20 pm »
Removed a couple posts noting Ben Brockert doesn't like Jim Cantrell.  If you really want to see people calling each other names you can look up Mr. Brockert's twitter feed.

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #790 on: 04/28/2018 05:37 am »
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Come see Vector and our new TEL & The Vector-R launch vehicle at next weeks @CalPolyCubeSat Developers Workshop in San Luis Obispo, CA  #CubeSat

https://twitter.com/vectorspacesys/status/989993454368276481

Offline ringsider

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #791 on: 04/28/2018 06:42 am »
Vector ceramic engines?

https://techport.nasa.gov/view/94200

Project Introduction

HRL Laboratories, LLC, with Vector Space Systems (VSS) as subcontractor, has a 24-month effort to develop additive manufacturing technology for reinforced ceramic rocket engine components. The technology will be specifically applied to VSS’ LOX/propylene rocket engines in the 800-lbf thrust class and will result in greater than 10 times cost reduction, greater than 10 times reduction in fabrication time and could increase payload by over 10 percent by allowing the integration of complex features that would not be manufacturable otherwise. By maturing this unique process to 3D-print high-temperature ceramics beyond the tipping point for commercialization, a range of aerospace and other applications could benefit from rapid, low-cost fabrication, including upper stage rocket engine chambers/thrusters for small launch vehicles, in-space thrusters for spacecraft, as well as high-temperature components in turbo-pump and combustion devices for larger launch vehicles.

We have invented inexpensive pre-ceramic resins that can be printed with conventional stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers [Science Vol 351, p.58 2016]. After printing, the polymer parts can be converted to ceramic by firing in inert atmosphere at 1000-degrees C, offering a 10 times faster and 10 times less expensive method to produce ceramic rocket engine components compared to conventional processing out of ceramic matrix composites. By incorporating fiber reinforcement, the ceramic engine can be toughened and strengthened, averting the brittle fracturing commonly associated with ceramics. Compared to refractory metal-based components, the cost savings are even larger.

Our breakthrough in additive manufacturing of polymer-derived ceramics combines the ease, flexibility and low-cost of polymer stereolithography with the high-temperature capabilities of SiC-based ceramics. By avoiding conventional powder-based ceramic processing routes, we will achieve fully dense ceramics with exceptionally high strength. Our most mature 3D-printed silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) ceramic composition exhibits high strength of 300 MPa and survives temperatures of 1700-degrees C for multiple hours. Printed parts can be easily joined in the polymer stage to fabricate ceramic structures that are larger than the build volume of the 3D printer.

Together with VSS, HRL will mature the technology from TRL 4 to TRL 6, and scale up fabrication, culminating in hot fire testing of high-performance 800-lbf thrust class LOX/propylene rocket engines with novel designs enabled by additive manufacturing. 

Offline ringsider

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #792 on: 04/28/2018 06:47 am »
Jim Cantrell, entrepreneur, and founder of SpaceX*, current CEO of Vector Space Systems will be speaking at the lunch on Sunday, July 1st, 2018 on “Technology Vs Tyranny”. How technology can help regain Liberty, especially related to space exploration.

https://www.lp.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-12-09_LNC_Meeting_Convention_Oversight_Committee_Report.pdf

*I love how Jimmy has positioned himself now as a "founder of SpaceX".

Offline Katana

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #793 on: 04/29/2018 02:49 pm »
Using ceramics in rocket engine are more difficult than fabricating them.

Gel casting could build ceramic parts of equal or better performance since Shuttle TPS, but ceramics are seldom used for rocket engines up to now.

Offline rsdavis9

Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #794 on: 04/30/2018 12:20 pm »
I thought I read somewhere that russian engines used ceramics in the turbos. Maybe the ORSC type engines.
With ELV best efficiency was the paradigm. The new paradigm is reusable, good enough, and commonality of design.
Same engines. Design once. Same vehicle. Design once. Reusable. Build once.

Offline Katana

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #795 on: 04/30/2018 03:19 pm »
I thought I read somewhere that russian engines used ceramics in the turbos. Maybe the ORSC type engines.
Ceramic anti-oxidation coating on nickel alloy blades

Offline ringsider

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #796 on: 05/08/2018 02:12 pm »
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/video/vector-ceo-we-want-to-mass-produce-rockets/vi-AAwTE2m

Jimmy says they are like the Model T Ford or an airline - while in the same breath he says the rockets are disposable, single use vehicles. Uhhhh..... how is that like either?

It was only a year ago they raised $21m, but I guess the fact that he is doing the financial shows means something.

Offline ringsider

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #797 on: 05/11/2018 06:24 pm »
Some almost-weekend Googling, found this in a document about Atlas Space Operations:

Launch Range Services
Vector Launch, Inc. – Contract signed ($100k/launch, $2.6 million /yr.)


There was a press release some time ago (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vector-space-systems-and-atlas-space-operations-partner-to-introduce-new-satellite-ground-architecture-offering-300356603.html), but I don't think these figures were public.

When you think the Vector-R sells at $1.5M, that is a large chunk of the price. They will have to fly a ton of those vehicles to make money. I predict they will move to Vector-H very quickly...
« Last Edit: 05/11/2018 07:01 pm by ringsider »

Offline ringsider

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #798 on: 05/13/2018 08:54 pm »
Interesting to see what Vector is patenting - nothing to do with rockets:

https://patents.justia.com/assignee/vector-launch-inc

Offline FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Vector Space Systems
« Reply #799 on: 06/01/2018 05:33 pm »
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This is what happens when you hire racers @vectorspacesys ... off-road racing suspensions for rocket transport.  New cradle to send rockets from factory to launch site inside C containers.  Engineering model ready for maiden voyage to Alaska next week for tests

https://twitter.com/jamesncantrell/status/1002540572719005697

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