Author Topic: Stratolaunch: General Company and Development Updates and Discussions  (Read 1020755 times)

Offline jabe

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curious,
boil off issues while getting to launch altitude?
jb

Offline Chris Bergin

Paul Allen mentions he watched Columbia on STS-1 :)

Mentions CxP cancellation. Mentions no US access to space.

Cargo and crew missions via air launch. End of the decade for debut.

Nothing on destinations etc.
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Offline Jim

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Jim, is this a viable concept?

Do you mean technically or financially?

Offline Robotbeat

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(and they seem to want to get away from gov't launch sites).

How many airports have 12,000 ft runways?
Not many... But still a lot easier to take-off from an airport than launch from a launch site, private or not. One of the strengths of airlaunch.

How many airports can support spacecraft processing and propellant loading?

KSC and Vandenberg come to mind.  Not much else.
That would make sense... Pegasus is based out of Vandenberg and does integration there; SpaceX's headquarters are quite nearby. They'll need one on the west coast, since the orbital mission range is 1300 nautical miles (i.e. when the rocket is fueled).
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

Offline strangequark

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curious,
boil off issues while getting to launch altitude?
jb

Shouldn't be a big problem. Just LOX, no LH2.

Offline Jim

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curious,
boil off issues while getting to launch altitude?
jb

Replenishment from carrier aircraft like X-15 did.

Offline Jason1701

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Jim, is this a viable concept?

Do you mean technically or financially?

Both. Does the business have a bright future? Will it get payloads?

Offline edkyle99

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Launch everyday from everywhere: stratolaunch.com! The new project by Mr. Allen.

http://Http://www.stratolaunch.com

Flying with a cryo bomb, first of all, gives me pause.  Will they have to dump propellant to land in case of abort?  There will be aborts.   

The cost seems dicey.  SpaceX will have to build and prep a two stage rocket nearly as costly as a full-up Falcon 9, but then will only be able to get 60% of a Falcon 9 payload to orbit. 

Maybe someone sees other needs for a supergiant aircraft.  How else could this pay off?

 - Ed Kyle

Offline Chris Bergin

Heh, Burt doesn't like the video as it doesn't show the perspective of the size of the plane.

Talks about the history of the plane.
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Offline Rocket Guy

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This notion of "anytime, any orbit, any place" is ridiculous. This is no different from any other rocket here. They will not be launching this thing over land in the US, and they still can't go polar from the east coast or east from the west coast. And as Jim said, facilities.

What happens with this thing if the engine doesn't ignite? And I'll be curious about how they fuel, top off, pressurize etc.

Offline edkyle99

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This notion of "anytime, any orbit, any place" is ridiculous. This is no different from any other rocket here. They will not be launching this thing over land in the US, and they still can't go polar from the east coast or east from the west coast. And as Jim said, facilities.

Shouldn't this be able to do polar after taking off from the Cape?  It can go very long range before drop-launch, so should be able to line it up mid-ocean aiming for the Arctic.

 - Ed Kyle
« Last Edit: 12/13/2011 06:29 pm by edkyle99 »

Offline M_Puckett

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Better hope it can make orbit on 4 engines or at least abort gracefully.

Offline Chris Bergin

Mike Griffin is there! :o I missed him on the wide shot! ;D

Burt comes across as a very likable chap.
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Offline Robotbeat

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curious,
boil off issues while getting to launch altitude?
jb

Shouldn't be a big problem. Just LOX, no LH2.
Sure, but LH2 will give it a much larger payload to orbit while keeping within the carrier aircraft's capabilities. Many orbital airlaunch concepts assume hydrogen for this reason.
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

Offline Space Junkie

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If nothing else, Burt gets to build a huge airplane...

Offline deltaV

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6 747 engines?

Or you could say 6 787 engines, Or 6 General Electric Genx, Or 6 Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines. Saying 747 is just trying to puff it up and make it look bigger.

The 747 is far better known than the 787, GE Genx, or Rolls Trent 1000. The way they described it is therefore a much clearer way to communicate with laymen then the alternatives you proposed.

Offline jongoff

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curious,
boil off issues while getting to launch altitude?
jb

Shouldn't be a big problem. Just LOX, no LH2.

One potential solution I wrote about on Selenian Boondocks: http://selenianboondocks.com/2011/11/tooting-someone-elses-horn-quest-product-development-corps-advanced-mli-technologies/

These guys are developing two products (LR-MLI and LV-MLI) that could do the trick.

~Jon

Offline Chris Bergin

Here he is.

Notes the dominance of gov involvement with commercial space. Makes a dig at that, over efficiency.

Hopes this will all be before the end of the decade.

Notes that 30 percent of the first 10 flights of a new rocket fails historically. Chancey business.

That was short.
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Offline Rocket Guy

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Shouldn't this be able to do polar after taking off from the Cape?  It can go very long range before drop-launch, so should be able to line it up mid-ocean aiming for the Arctic.

 - Ed Kyle

I guess that is true. Seems like a "why would they go 1,300 miles out into the Atlantic" where it is riskier, when you can go right off California as they do.

Offline Chris Bergin

Lots of people in the audience from the company, which explains all the applause going on.
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