Quote from: vaporcobra on 02/12/2019 05:43 amA bit of extra detail and context for the photo. Not exactly sure what "Phase 1" consists of.I believe that is the intermediate configuration shown below, possibly without any boosters.
A bit of extra detail and context for the photo. Not exactly sure what "Phase 1" consists of.
That is a lot of payload to GTO.I wonder if Northrop Grumman would consider doing dual-satellite launches if OmegA does start flying.
However the OmegA XL could be an alternative to the Falcon Heavy for direct injection to GEO as shown with the 7800 kg payload capacity to GEO in the performance table up thread. As Falcon Heavy launch slots at the LC-39A pad is constrained by commercial crew and CRS missions.
The NGIS MEV is made to be launched with another GEO bird. So there could be savings for NGIS by launching an MEV with a GEO satellite its building for someone else or by launching two MEVs.As for direct inject to GEO, there is a time savings of several months to get to its final station for a satellite that has all electric propulsion system. But for a satellite using chemical for orbit raising, there could be a time savings or it could end up taking longer depending on how far it has to drift from the injection location to the final location. The biggest savings in either case is in mass, which could be used to add more fuel for longer orbital life and/or more payload.
Are there any news about upper stage? Would somebody help them to design and produce it or NG has strong expertise to do it?
Quote from: blaze79 on 02/22/2019 06:06 amAre there any news about upper stage? Would somebody help them to design and produce it or NG has strong expertise to do it?NGIS has there sibling NGAS which used to be TRW. In terms of building rocket stages and engines it's been a while since they built any.
If the US needs standby ready to go rockets to get a military satellite up quickly, the solids would be a good way. However, why don't they build a hypergolic upper stage so it too can standby for a quick launch?
Summarising from the video, they are casting three segments this year. Two-segment test fire in April 2020 and single segment test fire in August 2020.
I went to the NG web site and their fact sheet says April 2019 and August 2019.First and second flight will be all solid (C600 1st stage and C300 second stage plus strap ons for the second flight).
Quote from: spacenut on 02/22/2019 02:55 pmIf the US needs standby ready to go rockets to get a military satellite up quickly, the solids would be a good way. However, why don't they build a hypergolic upper stage so it too can standby for a quickly launch? AIUI you can only stacked the the OmegA at the VAB and launch from LC-39B with current operational facilities. Using a Mobile Launch Platform on a Crawler-Transporter is not a quick standby way of launching anything.As for hypergolic upper stages. AFAIK the only one in the US building large hypergolic motors in quantity is the folks from Hawthorne. Don't think AJR's AJ10 production line is building more than the occasional AJ10-190 motor for the Orion. Somehow don't see NGIS funding the development of a new low production run upper stage on their own.Never mind that the AJ-10 engine uses Aerozine 50 as the fuel for non-HSF applications.
If the US needs standby ready to go rockets to get a military satellite up quickly, the solids would be a good way. However, why don't they build a hypergolic upper stage so it too can standby for a quickly launch?