Quote from: HMXHMX on 03/17/2019 04:05 pmWe addressed the slosh issue at AirLaunch a dozen years go – since the tanks are essentially full at drop, slosh really doesn't happen. Every vehicle is different, however, and I don't know how VG directly address topping and final fill. In simulations we dropped fully topped off with essentially no ullage.They don't currently have propellant fill capability between the 747 and LauncherOne. They subcool the LOX prior to loading on the ground to help control the boiloff. I don't know what ullage level they are using.
We addressed the slosh issue at AirLaunch a dozen years go – since the tanks are essentially full at drop, slosh really doesn't happen. Every vehicle is different, however, and I don't know how VG directly address topping and final fill. In simulations we dropped fully topped off with essentially no ullage.
LauncherOne's first stage lit up our Mojave test site on Friday for the first hot-fire in our final series of full-scale, integrated system tests.
PAN A/B cubesats, 45 degree inclination from KSC NET May 1 (as of Dec. 2018).2127-EX-ST-2018 (Cornell University filing for PAN)0415-EX-ST-2019 (Iridium comms)
https://spacenews.com/small-launch-vehicle-companies-see-rideshare-as-an-opportunity-and-a-threat/QuoteVirgin Orbit’s Hart said he expects to begin commercial LauncherOne operations in the middle of this year, with launches following initially every two to three months before ramping up its launch rate.
Virgin Orbit’s Hart said he expects to begin commercial LauncherOne operations in the middle of this year, with launches following initially every two to three months before ramping up its launch rate.
Modified License Number 0074-EX-CM-2019Exhibit for Modification to license 0094-EX-CM-2018, QPACE CubesatThe modification is requested because the launch was rescheduled to launch NET August 1, 2019. We request the modified license be issued to begin the period of operation July 1, 2019 to cover any contingency that the launch be rescheduled earlier.The orbit Inclination is changed to 61 degrees. All other technical information in application 0094-EX-CM-2018 remains unchanged, and may be considered to apply to this renewal application
We built #LauncherOne to open up access to space for smallsats around the globe—and sometimes it takes two to make a thing go right. Our newest customer @EXOLAUNCH will help further extend our services to the cutting-edge European smallsat market. https://virg.in/EXOLAUNCH
We are thrilled to announce that we have signed a memorandum of understanding with California based launch vehicle provider Virgin Orbit. For our customers predominantly based in Europe, Virgin Orbit will provide frequent and easy access to space out of the US to reach a wide range of orbits. Simultaneously, we will provide diverse SmallSat clusters adapted through our separation systems to the upcoming missions of LauncherOne.Along with our shared belief in unparalleled customer service and our combined overall expertise in the small satellite NewSpace industry, we welcome this new partnership and can’t wait to get started on our first mission.
During a recent integration exercise, we verified that in addition to our already vetted order of operations, we are *also* able to mate the payload fairing to LauncherOne while the rocket is attached to Cosmic Girl’s wing. So why is this important?
Well, we've now demonstrated that we can have LauncherOne mated and ready to go even if we need access to the satellite until shortly before launch. Proving out this additional baseline of operations grants us greater flexibility and responsiveness to meet our customers' needs.
Stephen Eisele, Virgin Orbit: agreement with Guam to host launches from there a blueprint for future agreements, like Cornwall in UK; a few more coming. #SATShow
Eisele: one more test to button down on LauncherOne and a few more captive carry flights of plane, so in “final, final, final” phases of testing. #SATShow
I’ve heard some talk of what Virgin Orbit is working through, and from the sounds of it, it’s bad. Nearing potentially-losing-an-important-mission bad.On the extreme ends of things, if they get beaten to commercial launches by Firefly, and Firefly is able to keep their price and payload as stated, Virgin Orbit could be in for some trouble.
We’ve now kicked off the final phase of our test flight campaign, completing our 1st taxis with a heavy LauncherOne! As this test series progresses, we’ll take to the skies again, flying higher & faster, before the drop test grand finale.
These taxi tests went really, really well. At 40, 70, and even 100 knots with a rejected takeoff, slosh and loads data were well within limits, and our chief test pilot reported Cosmic Girl handled like a dream. Onward and upward! ✈️
EXPLORING 3-D PRINTING ALONGSIDE NASA MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTREMAY 16, 2019The satellite world is undergoing a massive upheaval. Thanks to advancements in computing and new manufacturing techniques, even spacecraft with the most critical responsibilities are becoming smaller and more inexpensive. As a result, satellite owners are building them faster and in greater quantities than ever before. Launch service providers like us, then, have a responsibility to build vehicles that can match this rapid evolution — which means we too must explore and implement new techniques, tools and materials. We’ve been printing key parts of our engines for some time: early on we recognized additive manufacturing, otherwise known as 3-D printing, as a great enabler. The great minds at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight think so too, which is why we’ve been putting our heads together for a mutually beneficial project partnership, or Space Act Agreement.Our joint goal was to study the use of additive manufacturing to build multimetallic combustion chambers. Spoiler alert: this technology will change the way humankind designs and builds rockets altogether.Combustion chambers are a crucial component of all rocket engines. It’s here that the propellants mix and ignite, generating incredibly high pressure and temperature before accelerating past the speed of sound as they exit the nozzle. The punishing operating environment makes combustion chambers one of the most difficult engine parts to develop while keeping manufacturing time short and cost low.The benefit of developing multimetallic parts, as we are for our own engines, is that you can take advantage of their distinct properties (such as strength or thermal conductivity) to create a more robust, higher performing end product. The problem is developing such parts can be an excruciatingly slow process… that is, unless you have powerful tools like our hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing machine.For this partnership, Virgin Orbit engineers used this hybrid machine to modify combustion chambers designed by NASA. The chamber’s geometry was unchanged from the traditionally manufactured design, but we were able to build it more quickly and out of different materials.An extensive hotfire test campaign then proved that the unit could hold up under realistic operational conditions, and in fact matched the performance of a traditionally manufactured unit.We’re taking the lessons learned from this partnership and incorporating them into our own manufacturing development. When we hit our production goals, we’ll see an order of magnitude reduction in both cost and lead time for our engines — and it will be thanks in part to the work we’ve done here with the Marshall Space Flight Center.
MAIN STAGE HOTFIRE: OUR BIGGEST TEST YETMAY 21, 2019In the rocket business, every test is an important opportunity to learn — but certain tests stand out. We’re proud to announce that we completed perhaps the most challenging, most important, and most successful test in the history of our LauncherOne program: Last week, we lit up our Mojave site with our final full duration, full scale, full thrust – hell, full everything – test firing of LauncherOne’s main stage. That’s more than three minutes of controlled rocket thrust, using all of the same equipment we’ll use on our actual flights to orbit later this year.Here’s one fun way to think about it: the data proved that if this stage wasn’t physically bolted down, it had the oomph to make the journey into space.The sheer complexity of this test means its success was a big deal for all hands involved. Its real significance, though, is that it signals the end of a major part of our program. Simply put, there are no “firsts” remaining for us on the ground. Every single part of the system — whether that’s hardware, software, or processes — has now been demonstrated on our test stands.Now, all that stands between us and our space shot is final assembly of our first orbital rocket and some key testing in the air with Cosmic Girl, building on the great flights we’ve already completed using a fully integrated-but-empty rocket. We’ve now loaded that rocket with fluid to simulate its weight when fully fueled — so stay tuned for updates as we progress through this final phase of our test flight campaign. This isn’t the end of the road, but we’re proud to have completed some of the most difficult steps along the way. With just a handful of critical milestones to go, we’re within arm’s reach of our first orbital flight test, and we couldn’t be more excited. To stay in the loop as work on LauncherOne continues, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, or sign up to get technical updates in our monthly newsletter.
LauncherOne Main Stage Mission Duty Cycle Hotfire<snipping video as it's just above>
Our pilots and launch engineers are all smiles after another successful test flight, this one with a fully-loaded #LauncherOne rocket under the wing of our 'flying launch pad.' Here's a taste of the beautiful views today in the skies above @MojaveAirport