The discussion of SS2 is also curious. It almost sounds like this part of the company is running away from SS2 and WK2. They don't seem to share anything except name and owner.
They are a lot further along than Stratolaunch, that we can be sure.
Interesting read and it's exciting to see another stragety with resources behind it.Anyone willing to speculate on whether the N3 and N4 engines have turbo pumps or are pressure fed?N4 at 5000 lbf would likely seem pressure fed.
Slide photos via Derrick and used some of Nate Moeller's photos (for astro95media and NSF) photos from the Cosmic Girl event. Attaching two slides that aren't amazingly easy to read in the article:
Quote from: wannamoonbase on 07/01/2016 02:52 pmInteresting read and it's exciting to see another stragety with resources behind it.Anyone willing to speculate on whether the N3 and N4 engines have turbo pumps or are pressure fed?N4 at 5000 lbf would likely seem pressure fed.No need to speculate. The graphic above says pump-fed for both engines.
Boy, that video clip was 90's supercar porn - Ferrari Testarossa, F-40, and Lamborghini Diablo. 1500 hp !
Quote from: Chris Bergin on 06/30/2016 12:40 pmSlide photos via Derrick and used some of Nate Moeller's photos (for astro95media and NSF) photos from the Cosmic Girl event. Attaching two slides that aren't amazingly easy to read in the article:Both of these slides are taken from VG's service guide for LauncherOne (attached).
Quote from: Kryten on 07/01/2016 02:59 pmQuote from: Chris Bergin on 06/30/2016 12:40 pmSlide photos via Derrick and used some of Nate Moeller's photos (for astro95media and NSF) photos from the Cosmic Girl event. Attaching two slides that aren't amazingly easy to read in the article:Both of these slides are taken from VG's service guide for LauncherOne (attached).Curiously on slide 3 this presentation lists launch sites as the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC, Mojave Air and Space Port, and NASA Wallops Flight Facility.Why Wallops? The only orbits unique to Wallops are 55 to 60 degrees.What prevents the 747 from flying eastward from KSC to where a 60 degree inclination launch doesn't overfly land?Or far enough west from Mojave to reach 55 deg?And again, they exclude polar orbits from the East coast, even though the 747 could fly out far enough over the Atlantic.There are also no inclinations below 28.5 degrees, (KSC) even though Cosmic Girl should be able to fly southward.All in all, this seems to ignore one of the big advantages or air launching, launch location flexibility.
Might that be due to range dependence?
All in all, this seems to ignore one of the big advantages or air launching, launch location flexibility.