Author Topic: Australian SCRAMSPACE Project  (Read 10461 times)

Offline bolun

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Australian SCRAMSPACE Project
« on: 12/17/2011 03:43 pm »
Published: 13 May 2011

SCRAMSPACE - the next frontier

A talented new team of young scientists and engineers at The University of Queensland (UQ) is building a hypersonic scramjet which will fly at 8600 km/h in South Australia next year.

http://www.uq.edu.au/news/index.html?article=23127
« Last Edit: 12/17/2011 03:46 pm by bolun »

Offline bolun

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Re: Australian SCRAMSPACE Project
« Reply #1 on: 12/17/2011 03:45 pm »
DLR tests Australian spacecraft

08 December 2011

Can new types of engine make spaceflight easier and more economical? This question is being investigated by researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) using one of Europe's leading hypersonic wind tunnels, located in Göttingen. The engine is being tested for an Australian Scramjet-based Access-to-Space Systems (SCRAMSPACE) experimental spacecraft – SCRAMSPACE I – scheduled for launch in 2013.

http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10081/151_read-2274/

Offline bolun

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Re: Australian SCRAMSPACE Project
« Reply #2 on: 09/17/2013 07:00 pm »
Scramjet tipped for launch for any day now

15 September 2013

http://www.uq.edu.au/news/index.html?article=26702

SCRAMSPACE scramjet may fly tomorrow

16 September 2013

http://www.uq.edu.au/news/index.html?article=26710

Quote
Australia's SCRAMSPACE hypersonic scramjet did not launch today, but may launch tomorrow.

The research project led by The University of Queensland is scheduled to launch between September 15 and 21, subject to weather and testing at Andøya Rocket Range in Norway.
« Last Edit: 09/17/2013 07:27 pm by bolun »

Offline bolun

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Offline bolun

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Re: Australian SCRAMSPACE Project
« Reply #4 on: 09/17/2013 07:10 pm »
Next attemp tomorrow, on Wednesday 18th September

https://twitter.com/ScramspaceOne

Quote
The wind has led to launch efforts being called off for the day. We'll have a good night's sleep and try again tomorrow. #scramspace
« Last Edit: 09/17/2013 07:13 pm by bolun »

Offline bolun

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Re: Australian SCRAMSPACE Project
« Reply #5 on: 09/18/2013 07:13 pm »
Published: 19 September 2013

Australia’s scramjet experiment has been discontinued

Australia's SCRAMSPACE hypersonic flight experiment from the Andøya Rocket Range in Norway has been discontinued, following an unsuccessful launch.

The team can confirm the launch took place and both the first and the second stages of the launch have landed safely in the water.

However it appears at this stage that the payload did not reach the correct conditions to begin collecting data as planned.

SCRAMSPACE Director, Professor Russell Boyce said the team was disappointed that the project had been discontinued and is investigating the cause.

The research project, led by The University of Queensland, aims to improve access to critical space-based technologies such as remote sensing, satellite communications and position, navigation and timing.

http://www.uq.edu.au/news/index.html?article=26722

Online Steven Pietrobon

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Re: Australian SCRAMSPACE Project
« Reply #6 on: 09/19/2013 06:30 am »
From http://www.uq.edu.au/news/index.html?article=26724

Quote
“The rocket carrying the scramjet launched at 3pm (Norwegian time, 11pm Brisbane time), however the payload failed to achieve the correct altitude to begin the scientific experiment as planned.

“The SCRAMSPACE payload, according to our data, was operating perfectly and performed extremely well before and during the launch, and we received telemetry data all the way into the water.

“Unfortunately the failed launch meant we could not carry out the experiment as planned.”

This project was funded by the Australian Space Research Program whose funding was terminated on 30 June 2013. Unless the researchers can find a new source of funding, this may be the first and last launch of SCRAMSPACE. :-(
« Last Edit: 09/19/2013 06:31 am by Steven Pietrobon »
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline QuantumG

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Re: Australian SCRAMSPACE Project
« Reply #7 on: 09/19/2013 07:25 am »
Someone in the audience at the press conference I attended at UQ asked why we weren't launching this payload from Australia. The answer was a mumbled incoherent statement about importing solid rocket motors - as far as I can tell, he was saying there's currently laws which prohibit our own military from procuring sufficiently large solid rocket motors, or something, and there's other laws which prohibit the manufacture of large solid rocket motors inside the country.

If anyone has more accurate information, it'd be appreciated.
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Offline Soheil

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Re: Australian SCRAMSPACE Project
« Reply #9 on: 09/19/2013 09:13 am »
Someone in the audience at the press conference I attended at UQ asked why we weren't launching this payload from Australia. The answer was a mumbled incoherent statement about importing solid rocket motors - as far as I can tell, he was saying there's currently laws which prohibit our own military from procuring sufficiently large solid rocket motors, or something, and there's other laws which prohibit the manufacture of large solid rocket motors inside the country.

If anyone has more accurate information, it'd be appreciated.

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Offline simonbp

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Re: Australian SCRAMSPACE Project
« Reply #10 on: 09/19/2013 02:16 pm »
I think the simple answer is that was cheaper. They probably could have launched from Australia if they had enough money, but it was probably orders of magnitude cheaper to just hire a rocket in Norway.

Offline QuantumG

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Re: Australian SCRAMSPACE Project
« Reply #11 on: 09/19/2013 10:28 pm »
I think the simple answer is that was cheaper. They probably could have launched from Australia if they had enough money, but it was probably orders of magnitude cheaper to just hire a rocket in Norway.

As I said, that's not the case.
Human spaceflight is basically just LARPing now.

Offline Mighty-T

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Re: Australian SCRAMSPACE Project
« Reply #12 on: 09/28/2013 01:46 pm »
Someone in the audience at the press conference I attended at UQ asked why we weren't launching this payload from Australia. The answer was a mumbled incoherent statement about importing solid rocket motors - as far as I can tell, he was saying there's currently laws which prohibit our own military from procuring sufficiently large solid rocket motors, or something, and there's other laws which prohibit the manufacture of large solid rocket motors inside the country.

If anyone has more accurate information, it'd be appreciated.


From what I understand is that the rocket motors utilize asbestos in small amounts for thermal protection. During the launch this is released into the environment - something that is prohibited by law in Australia.

Offline spectre9

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Re: Australian SCRAMSPACE Project
« Reply #13 on: 09/28/2013 10:57 pm »
Can that one be confirmed? Asbestos? The stuff is still all over the country even in old buildings that people work in.

I just thought it would be hard to import any kind of solid rocket into Australia if you're not the military.

Is there somebody we can call to get information?

It sure would be useful to have a space agency even if it was a small one.

Offline baldusi

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Re: Australian SCRAMSPACE Project
« Reply #14 on: 09/28/2013 11:46 pm »
Aussies have some strange laws. For example, paintball markers are treated as fire weapons. In some parts are forbidden outright, in others you can't take it out of a fire range. And they are forbidden from production. Except for the one manufacturer that was grandfathered (MacDev). I wouldn't be surprised if they had some extremely bizantine law regarding solid rockets production and importing.

Offline QuantumG

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Re: Australian SCRAMSPACE Project
« Reply #15 on: 09/29/2013 12:03 am »
I just thought it would be hard to import any kind of solid rocket into Australia if you're not the military.

The typical place to launch from is military controlled and operated and Scramspace was DSTO-supported. So, ya know, they *are* the military.

Quote
Is there somebody we can call to get information?

Maybe next time I'm at UQ I'll drop by the good professor's office and ask him directly :)
Human spaceflight is basically just LARPing now.

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