tiSpace-Taiwanese commercial launch company

[Steven Pietrobon]

"After inspection of the Hapith I vehicle, post the September 16th launch attempt, @SouthernLaunch and TiSPACE @LaunchService have concluded that we won’t continue with any further launch attempts of this particular vehicle."

That's a bit of an understatement, as the vehicle exploded (as heard by witnesses) and is now in bits and pieces! What I would like to know is how damaged the launch stand is. Here's a video of it on the pad before the launch attempt.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/611303672

[CameronD]

"After inspection of the Hapith I vehicle, post the September 16th launch attempt, @SouthernLaunch and TiSPACE @LaunchService have concluded that we won’t continue with any further launch attempts of this particular vehicle."

That's a bit of an understatement, as the vehicle exploded (as heard by witnesses) and is now in bits and pieces! What I would like to know is how damaged the launch stand is.

And I think that's a bit of an overstatement... since I have it on good authority that the vehicle didn't "explode" - what witnesses heard (not that there would have been any at close range anyway) was most likely the emergency release of nitrous from the vehicle which would have only added to the fire.  Serious damage to the launch stand seems unlikely because, well, a rocket launch usually creates a lot more fire than that!  My reading between the lines is that the VS01 vehicle is fried beyond repair - not "in bits and pieces".

As https://www.southernlaunch.space/news/vs01-launch-updates says (in a line missing from Conexion Espacial's previous quote):

The Southern Launch team are now underway preparing for the next two proposed test launch campaigns from the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex.

More details to come on VS02 and VS03 test launch campaigns, proposed to be completed by 31 December 2021.

{emphasis mine} AFAIK, they could have been ready to go with the "spare" vehicle (VS02) almost immediately, but ASA's knee-jerk over-reaction halted any chance of that.

Please don't forget that this is a test of a completely new, untried, launch system and, much like the first launch failures we've seen from RocketLab, Firefly, SpaceX and many others, I'm guessing that the teams expectations for this one were pretty low - also explaining why there no Livestream of the event.

Hopefully they'll get approval to try again soon - with VS02 this time.

[Conexion Espacial]

I also think the same, maybe the rocket did not explode as we all think but the fire caused a lot of damage and left the vehicle useless, I think that if perhaps, the vehicle had exploded completely, there would be more news reports or things like that, photos, videos or something as it usually happens with launches that end badly.


Regarding VS02 I would also think that it could be soon in the launch area, I understand that TiSPACE has "several" vehicles ready, but until they investigate what caused this incident, we will not see a vehicle on the launch pad.

[PM3]

Looks good!  Tiny update:  As announced, Hapith V launch from Southern Launch's facility in South Australia was supposed to happen before 31 December this year, but is currently held up awaiting approvals from various powers that be.

Was that Hapith V, or a second attempt at Hapith I?

VS02 = Hapith I, VS03 = Hapith V - both (maybe) before their permit expires

Source for VS03 = Hapith V?

[PM3]

Second Hapith I launch attempt still planned for 2021. Hapith V “around the third quarter of 2022”, which translates to NET late 2023 IMHO.

https://spacenews.com/taiwans-tispace-to-try-again-after-launch-attempt-ends-in-flames/

[CameronD]

Looks good!  Tiny update:  As announced, Hapith V launch from Southern Launch's facility in South Australia was supposed to happen before 31 December this year, but is currently held up awaiting approvals from various powers that be.

Was that Hapith V, or a second attempt at Hapith I?

VS02 = Hapith I, VS03 = Hapith V - both (maybe) before their permit expires

Source for VS03 = Hapith V?

Looks to have been hopeful rumour, based on a successful launch campaign with Hapith I - my bad.  Plans change..

[Steven Pietrobon]

Many thanks to SpaceNews for getting info on what happened at the launch attempt! Confirmation that the vehicle did not explode.

"TiSPACE CEO Yen-Sen Chen told SpaceNews via email that Hapith-I caught fire and fell on the starboard side of the launch pad. The rocket’s first-stage tank ruptured when it fell but the rocket did not explode. Tank pressure remained at about 9 bar after the rupture, which Chen said may have been “caused by structural damage as a result of pipework breaking apart when the rocket fell.”"

The fix appears to be simple.

"The damaged rocket won’t be used again, but Chen said Hapith-I launch campaigns will resume by the end of the year after making a “minor material change” to two remaining rockets."

[CameronD]

From Southern Launch's LinkedIn:  Thank you for hosting us at your new facilities YenSen Chen and the team from ATSpace Pty Ltd. Looking forward to seeing many more rockets populate your new facility in the months and years to come!

Located in Wingfield, South Australia, ATSpace is designing and manufacturing the world's best and first commercial 3D printed hybrid rocket engine combustion chamber.  Printing in a single piece reduces costs and enables the highest-performance regenerative cooling design.  The Lelien engine leverages 3D printing technology with high-performance copper alloy and uses ultra safe and lightweight hybrid propellant to get to orbit... {Emphasis mine}
https://www.linkedin.com/company/hybrid-rocket-atspace/about/

Their web-site is still under construction, but there's quite a bit of eye-candy:
https://atspace.com.au/

[Liss]

It seems their next attempt is today:

https://orbit.ing-now.com/

(NET) Hapith I • Test Flight
Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex - Launch Site A, Unnamed Road, Sleaford SA 5607, Australien
2021-12-15T20:30:00Z

A TiSPACE Hapith I (Flying Squirrel - u98dbu9f20) rocket will launch on its first suborbital test flight (designated VS01) for Taiwan's National Space Organisation (NSPO). It will carry an Ionosphere Scintillation Package (ISP) payload to an apogee altitude of 250 kilometers. Hapith I consists basically of the second and third stage of the orbital Hapith V. Hapith is powered by clusters of composite-case hybrid motors using N2O as oxidiser and high energy SBR (Styrene Butadiene Rubber) solid grain fuel. The main stage of Hapith I uses four motors and the upper stage a single motor.-Scrubbed on Feb. 12 2020. Delayed from June 2020. Scrubbed on Sep. 9 and 14.Possible webcast: youtube.com/channel/UCryQ...[/qoute]

[CameronD]

It seems their next attempt is today:

Maybe.  If it is, they aren't saying.. and it's certainly not going to be webcast. 

[Fmedici]

On the Southern Launch website there is still a generic "Q4 2021" as date for the next Hapith I launch attempt.

[CameronD]

On the Southern Launch website there is still a generic "Q4 2021" as date for the next Hapith I launch attempt.

Yes.. that's because the Hapith I Launch Permit expires December 31st.  I believe the team has gone home for Christmas with their families and will be back next year to (with the ASA's permission) try again.

With all things rocket launch, if you don't want to play the long game you might as well pick up your bat and ball and go home.

[CameronD]

Here's a bit more info from ATSpace from LinkedIn:

We are very excited to announce the grand opening of ATSpace Pty Ltd new office headquarter at 27 Johansson Rd, Wingfield SA 5013, Australia.
 
The new office is just 12km from Adelaide CBD and Adelaide airport, 10km from Adelaide Convention Centre, and 10km~13km from the Semaphore Beach and Grange Beach.

The new office includes two large warehouses for manufacturing, assembly, and R&D. It is in a brand-new Aerospace Defense Level 3 industrial park where the team can focus on creating some of the most exciting Hybrid-Rocket technologies and Space Launch Vehicles. We aim to grow the Space Industry in Australia to a whole new level providing dedicated and responsive space launch services.

I'll see if I can drop in to see them next time I'm in Adelaide..

[Steven Pietrobon]

Here's the Google Maps view.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/27+Johansson+Rd,+Wingfield+SA+5013/@-34.8429721,138.5700322,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x6ab0c811b7d930b1:0x2fbc712f61686290!8m2!3d-34.8429526!4d138.5694079?hl=en-AU

[zuilon2000]

SouthernLaunch and TiSPACE have today released footage from our maiden test launch attempt of the Hapith I launch vehicle from the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex.

 https://t.co/fdrydDpIJn

[Conexion Espacial]

SouthernLaunch and TiSPACE have today released footage from our maiden test launch attempt of the Hapith I launch vehicle from the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex.

 https://t.co/fdrydDpIJn

On their Twitter account they have said that they expect to live stream the next launch attempt.

https://twitter.com/SouthernLaunch/status/1488102591905300480

[CameronD]

From LinkedIn: 

Thank you to ATSpace Pty Ltd for hosting our team at their facilities last week.

The newest Southern Launch recruits got to check out the rockets that will be a part of the next two proposed launches from the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex.

[CameronD]

I'm happy to report the TiSpace team are back in the country and preparing for another try.  The biggest hold-up appears to be renewal of their launch permits by the Australian Space Agency.

Apparently one of the reasons they chose to launch from South Australia was the risk that a test launch from Taiwan might be mis-read by Mainland China!

[CameronD]

Not sure why the delay until now, but this was just posted on LinkedIn:

Advanced Rocket Technologies at ATSpace — Rocket technology advancement is an important aspect of ATSpace’s business development. As we are striving for the launch campaigns of our truly cost-effective hybrid rocket launch vehicle systems, new technologies are continuously been demonstrated in parallel.

On 21 Dec 2021, the first long burn time regeneratively cooled hybrid rocket engine demontrator was successfully tested in QLD for 120 sec. Without nozzle erosion, the overall high performance of this 1000kgf class engine has been realized. Stay tuned…..

[CameronD]

From YenSen Chen on LinkedIn:

As an important step in delivering the performance of ATSpace’s hybrid rocket technology of Australia, we have conducted our first landmark hot fire test for one of the first-stage engines with maximum thrust over 130 kN and burn time of 72 sec on 4 February 2022. This series of engine qualification tests will continue as part of our launch vehicle development efforts. Join us to enjoy the exciting journey into space.