edkyle99 - 19/7/2007 9:18 AM
More cash, even though the company only performed two orbital space launches. It seems, oddly enough, that the fewer space launches Orbital performs, the more revenue it generates. One reason is that the profits in its launch business are coming from suborbital missile defense targets.
It seems that "suborbital" is where the money is. Is Elon paying attention?
Maybe Orbital Sciences Corporation should change its name to "Suborbital Sciences Corporation."
- Ed Kyle
vt_hokie - 19/7/2007 2:38 PM
Hmm, maybe I should shoot my resume over to them! ;) Actually, I'm starting the grad school application process, hoping to escape the real world for a couple of years, but that would be a cool company to work for!
Jim - 19/7/2007 2:45 PM
You would be working on weapon systems, gasp!
Andy L - 20/7/2007 3:14 PM
Are these companies making lots of money because of the war, rather than space, like ATK, Lockheed Martin etc.
edkyle99 - 20/7/2007 4:09 PM
The missile defense program accounts for much of it. The missile defense budget is something like $10+ billion per year right now, and is projected to hit $14 billion in a few years. That is more than NASA's spaceflight budget.
- Ed Kyle
edkyle99 - 20/7/2007 5:09 PM
The missile defense budget is something like $10+ billion per year right now, and is projected to hit $14 billion in a few years. That is more than NASA's spaceflight budget.
vt_hokie - 21/7/2007 1:14 PMQuoteedkyle99 - 20/7/2007 5:09 PM
The missile defense budget is something like $10+ billion per year right now, and is projected to hit $14 billion in a few years. That is more than NASA's spaceflight budget.
Wow, I didn't realize that! Kind of puts things in perspective...
Personally, I don't see how a missile defense system is more important than safeguarding our ports and securing our borders. The Cold War relics continue to draw insane funding while we have to worry about lunatics blowing themselves up on subways, attacking us in our own home towns, etc.
edkyle99 - 19/7/2007 9:18 AM
More cash, even though the company only performed two orbital space launches. It seems, oddly enough, that the fewer space launches Orbital performs, the more revenue it generates. One reason is that the profits in its launch business are coming from suborbital missile defense targets.
It seems that "suborbital" is where the money is. Is Elon paying attention?
Maybe Orbital Sciences Corporation should change its name to "Suborbital Sciences Corporation."
- Ed Kyle
Andy L - 20/7/2007 3:14 PM
Are these companies making lots of money because of the war, rather than space, like ATK, Lockheed Martin etc.
yinzer - 20/8/2007 7:27 PM
Isn't Orbital's NMD booster pretty much a Pegasus XL without wings?
spacey9 - 20/8/2007 3:06 PM
If a 'space' company can build a rocket, they can build a missile. It is good to be able to be in the defense business these days and then transition to a more space pure-play company as the private/commercial space business really takes off in the next few years. Startup as a defense company, transition to a space company.
Ken Schweitzer
http://www.PlanetSpace.com
aero313 - 20/8/2007 5:06 PMQuoteyinzer - 20/8/2007 7:27 PM
Isn't Orbital's NMD booster pretty much a Pegasus XL without wings?
Nope. The rocket motors are similar, but propulsion only makes up a small piece of the total system. Different environments, different aeroheating, silo launch, TVC first stage, hot fire second stage with blow out ports in the interstage, different avionics, different fairing, different I&T flow...
Need I go on?
spacey9 - 20/8/2007 4:06 PM
It is good to be able to be in the defense business these days and then transition to a more space pure-play company as the private/commercial space business really takes off in the next few years. Startup as a defense company, transition to a space company.
yinzer - 20/8/2007 9:06 PMQuoteaero313 - 20/8/2007 5:06 PMQuoteyinzer - 20/8/2007 7:27 PM
Isn't Orbital's NMD booster pretty much a Pegasus XL without wings?
Nope. The rocket motors are similar, but propulsion only makes up a small piece of the total system. Different environments, different aeroheating, silo launch, TVC first stage, hot fire second stage with blow out ports in the interstage, different avionics, different fairing, different I&T flow...
Need I go on?
Not at all. Is it more similar to the Taurus, or are they all completely different from each other?
Jim - 20/8/2007 9:45 PMQuoteyinzer - 20/8/2007 9:06 PMQuoteaero313 - 20/8/2007 5:06 PMQuoteyinzer - 20/8/2007 7:27 PM
Isn't Orbital's NMD booster pretty much a Pegasus XL without wings?
Nope. The rocket motors are similar, but propulsion only makes up a small piece of the total system. Different environments, different aeroheating, silo launch, TVC first stage, hot fire second stage with blow out ports in the interstage, different avionics, different fairing, different I&T flow...
Need I go on?
Not at all. Is it more similar to the Taurus, or are they all completely different from each other?
no, A Taurus is a Pegasus with no wings and the launch aircraft is replaced by a Castor 120
aero313 - 20/8/2007 9:24 PMYou forgot their concern about the quantity of gaseous nitrogen that we were using... what would happen if all that nasty gaseous nitrogen were to be suddenly released into the delicate Santa Barbara County environment?
getting approval from the people's republic of Santa Barbara County to use portable diesel generators...
antonioe - 20/8/2007 5:22 PM
Except, in our case, we started as a pure space company in 1982 (commercial, then NASA) and only transitioned to significant defense business after 2000, with the GMD program (we had a couple of small USAF Science and Technology small sats before GMD, but, combined, they never amounted to even 10% of our revenue. Pegasus, ORBCOMM and ORBIMAGE were the big programs during the 90's...)
Propforce - 23/8/2007 2:24 PM
Back in 2003, I struggled briefly with an ethical dilema on whether to purchase OSC stock shortly before the official announcement of OSC winning the GMD BV+ contract. As an "insider", I knew the contract was awarded to OSC but has not yet made public, and I knew this would be a significant revenue infusion into OSC. I decided not to buy the stock for fear of 'complications' with ethics, but obviously that ethical issue didn't bother many as the ORB stock jumped from $6/share to $9/share and eventually to $14/share !! :laugh:
You did the right thing; money helps, don't get me wrong, but there are more important things in life.
antonioe - 23/8/2007 3:03 PMQuoteaero313 - 20/8/2007 9:24 PMYou forgot their concern about the quantity of gaseous nitrogen that we were using... what would happen if all that nasty gaseous nitrogen were to be suddenly released into the delicate Santa Barbara County environment?
getting approval from the people's republic of Santa Barbara County to use portable diesel generators...
Propforce - 26/8/2007 6:20 PM
Where is the OSC pad at VAFB? Is that the SLC 8 ?
Propforce - 26/8/2007 5:20 PMPegasus does not use a "Launch Complex" - the L-1011 simply lands at the old shuttle runway, the LV is trailered in, and mating and final pre-takeoff preparations occur at the taxiway near the RW30 departure end.
Where is the OSC pad at VAFB? Is that the SLC 8 ?