Author Topic: The suborbital thread! (Read 1055736 times)

russianhalo117 · « **Reply #2140 on:** 08/11/2022 09:34 pm »

RockSat-X Day 4 (first day scrubbed before countdown so third broadcast launch attempt)

Polling for terminal count.. T-15 minutes and holding. Standing by to release the hold. Tracking aircraft need 15 more minutes to clear the hazard area to their hold points. Green board per final poll. T-15 minutes and counting. Targeting 223-22:08:30.000Z. Liftoff at 223-22:08:32.000Z. Nominal flight with autophase radar tracking switched to manual mode. Payloads nominal. All experiments power off and LOS. Heatshield tracking. Parachute deployment phase. Splashdown.

Next Wallops launch AN 9pm ET on August 22nd with a TIM flying the Speed Demon mission.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #2141 on:** 08/12/2022 08:10 am »

Some screen grabs of the RockSat-X launch.

Fmedici · « **Reply #2142 on:** 08/16/2022 11:07 am »

Successful Minuteman III test flight took place today at 07:49 UTC from Vandenberg. No info about launch pad.

https://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3128925/minuteman-iii-test-launch-showcases-readiness-of-us-nuclear-forces-safe-effecti/

edkyle99 · « **Reply #2143 on:** 08/16/2022 12:36 pm »

Quote from: Fmedici on 08/16/2022 11:07 am

Successful Minuteman III test flight took place today at 07:49 UTC from Vandenberg. No info about launch pad.

https://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3128925/minuteman-iii-test-launch-showcases-readiness-of-us-nuclear-forces-safe-effecti/

Makes this the 55th consecutive year with a Minuteman 3 launch and the 62nd year with a Minuteman launch. This is the oldest serving big rocket in the U.S. to use essentially the same first stage over that period of time.

- Ed Kyle

russianhalo117 · « **Reply #2144 on:** 08/22/2022 03:17 pm »

SpEED Demon livestream:
Attempt 1 (SCRUB with 24 hour recycle):

Attempt 2 (scheduled):

Fmedici · « **Reply #2145 on:** 08/23/2022 08:06 am »

The suborbital launch of a Black Brant IX carrying the Micro-X mission (info here) took place in the night between the 21 and 22 August from White Sands. The team announced mission success on their Instagram profile (which also contains a lot of pictures about the project), but I couldn't find any info about launch time/apogee so far.

EDIT: some info had been added in the mission page: launch took place at 05:30 UTC reaching an apogee of 254 km. Also, a launch video is available here: https://www.instagram.com/p/ChnS31kF-yh/

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #2146 on:** 08/24/2022 06:23 am »

SpEED Demon was launched on 24 August at 01:16 UTC.

Fmedici · « **Reply #2147 on:** 09/27/2022 10:15 am »

The tREXS 1 suborbital mission was successfully launched on 26 September 2022 at 04:10 UTC from White Sands using a Black Brant IX rocket, and it reached an apogee of 252.2 km.

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/sun/high-precision-x-ray-instrument-will-make-its-first-trip-to-space

russianhalo117 · « **Reply #2148 on:** 10/01/2022 01:46 am »

TEXUS 57 suborbitial mission livestream:

Fmedici · « **Reply #2149 on:** 10/01/2022 09:18 am »

Quote from: russianhalo117 on 10/01/2022 01:46 am

TEXUS 57 suborbitial mission livestream:

Launched at 06:26 UTC

Star One · « **Reply #2150 on:** 10/02/2022 08:27 am »

Russia’s new strategic nuclear weapons: a technical analysis and assessment

Quote

Russia announced on 20 April 2022 that its Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN) had conducted the first test-launch of the RS-28 Sarmat (RS-SS-X-29), an under-development three-stage liquid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Following the test, Russian media provided rare insights about Sarmat and the Avangard hypersonic boost-glide vehicle, the weapon the missile will eventually carry.

https://www.iiss.org/blogs/analysis/2022/06/russias-new-strategic-nuclear-weapons-a-technical-analysis-and-assessment

Liss · « **Reply #2151 on:** 10/05/2022 07:01 am »

Taiwan to launch a sounding rocket on Oct 16/17:

A5495/22 NOTAMN
Q) RCAA/QWMLW/IV/BO/W/000/980/2211N12102E011
A) RCAA B) 2210162200 C) 2211072359
D) OCT 16 17 NOV 06 07 2200-2359
E) SOUNDING ROCKET WILL BE LAUNCHED:
1.LCA: MUDAN TOWNSHIP, PINGTUNG COUNTY
2.AIRSPACE BLOCKED.
3.THE AREA OVERLAPS PART OF VFR CORRIDOR C22 BTN LUDAO AND
GANGZIHBI, C8 BTN DAREN AND ELUANBI, PART OF AWY W4, B591,
AWY G581, Q11, Q12, Q13 PROTECTION AREA, PART OF J5, J7 AND
V14 TRANSITION PROTECTION AREA, PART OF PROTECTION AREA OF
RCKH STAR YANMA 1A RNAV ARRIVAL AND YANMA 2B RNAV ARRIVAL,
PART OF PROTECTION AREA OF RCFN IAP LDA RWY04.
4.TFC MAY BE DELAYED DUE TO SOUNDING ROCKET ACTIVITY.
5.COOR TEL: 0929-259110
6.AREA AS FLW:
GEO:
221253N 1205314E
221632N 1211125E
220527N 1211125E
220822N 1205314E
221253N 1205314E
F) SFC G) FL980
CREATED: 03 Oct 2022 09:12:00
SOURCE: RCTPYNYX

A5496/22 NOTAMN
Q) RCAA/QARLT/IV/NBO/E/000/999/2502N12039E298
A) RCAA B) 2210162100 C) 2211072359
D) OCT 16 17 NOV 06 07 2100-2359
E) REF NOTAM A5495/22, ROUTE RESTRICTIONS ARE AS FLW:
1.AFFECTED RTE DRG 2200-2359Z
AWY B591 BTN GID AND HCN,
AWY W4 BTN ARLEN AND HCN,
AWY Q11 BTN GID AND POTIB,
AWY Q12 BTN TACLE AND ZUBAT,
AWY Q13 BTN TULTO AND GLOOM,
AWY G581 BTN TULTO AND HCN,
2.TFC DEP FM RCTP VIA AWY M646 USING T5 RNAV TRANSITION
WILL CHANGE RTE FM PARPA DCT POTIB.
3.TFC VIA AWY M646 W4 WILL CHANGE RTE VIA AWY Q14 AND VICE VERSA.
4.TFC FROM SALMI OR BULAN VIA AWY B591/Q11 WILL CHANGE RTE
VIA THE WEST COAST USING A1 W4 TO TNN JOIN AWY A577/Q14.
5.THE SUGGESTED BLOCKED TIME AT EACH POINT OF BDRY FOR INBD TFC VIA
SOUNDING ROCKET AREA AS FLW:
ELATO, ENVAR AND KAPLI:2100-2345Z
IGURU:2120-2359Z
GUMBO:2140-2359Z
CREATED: 03 Oct 2022 09:16:00
SOURCE: RCTPYNYX

russianhalo117 · « **Reply #2152 on:** 10/21/2022 01:16 am »

MAPHEUS-12 SSC livestream:

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #2153 on:** 10/21/2022 08:07 am »

https://twitter.com/andrewparsonson/status/1583363977194917888

Quote

LAUNCH: The suborbital @DLR_en MAPHEUS 12 mission has been launched from the @SSCspace Esrange Space Center in Sweden. The rocket will carry several experiments to an altitude of 250 kilometres for a total of around six minutes of weightlessness.

twitter.com/andrewparsonson/status/1583363981481500672

Quote

One of the experiments aboard the rocket will test the effects of microgravity on a marine invertebrate with the aim of revealing insights into the origins of cancer.

https://twitter.com/andrewparsonson/status/1583363988435656704

Quote

A look at the golden rocket being prepared for launch. Credit: @latrobe

Fmedici · « **Reply #2154 on:** 10/21/2022 09:12 am »

More info about the mission and onboard payloads can be found here:

https://www.dlr.de/blogs/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-5893/9577_read-1236/

Btw, can anyone confirm that an Improved Malemute/Improved Malemute rocket has been used as for the previous MAPHEUS launches? It should be that one, but Esrange removed the pdf with the launch programme (that included also the rockets to be used) from its website and I couldn't find any other source mentioning it

Yiosie · « **Reply #2155 on:** 10/21/2022 10:44 pm »

Quote from: Fmedici on 10/21/2022 09:12 am

More info about the mission and onboard payloads can be found here:

https://www.dlr.de/blogs/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-5893/9577_read-1236/

Btw, can anyone confirm that an Improved Malemute/Improved Malemute rocket has been used as for the previous MAPHEUS launches? It should be that one, but Esrange removed the pdf with the launch programme (that included also the rockets to be used) from its website and I couldn't find any other source mentioning it

Looks like Esrange put the Launch Programme pdf back up:

https://sscspace.com/wp-content/uploads/Launching-Programme.pdf

Archived version just in case:

https://web.archive.org/web/20221021224238/https://sscspace.com/wp-content/uploads/Launching-Programme.pdf

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #2156 on:** 10/22/2022 05:21 am »

Screen grabs of the launch of Mapheus 12.

VLN · « **Reply #2157 on:** 10/25/2022 02:42 am »

This is a current Hazardous Operations warning from the NGA:

Quote

232350Z OCT 22
NAVAREA XII 794/22(18,19).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
CALIFORNIA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 251730Z TO 260042Z OCT,
ALTERNATE 1730Z TO 0042Z DAILY 26 THRU 28 OCT
IN AREAS BOUND BY:
A. 34-37.00N 121-24.00W, 34-40.00N 122-13.00W,
34-02.00N 122-58.00W, 32-12.00N 125-14.00W,
31-34.00N 125-29.00W, 31-04.00N 124-45.00W,
31-26.00N 124-07.00W, 34-02.00N 121-13.00W.
B. 23-17.00N 135-50.00W, 21-37.00N 137-03.00W,
19-58.00N 133-59.00W, 22-07.00N 132-44.00W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA XII 778/22.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 290142Z OCT 22.

I speculate that this is a test of Firefly Aerospace under its new SSC VICTUS NOX contract, a.k.a. the Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS-3) Launch Service Task Order under the Orbital Services Program 4 (OSP-4) Contract. It calls for launching a payload to orbit with very short notice, perhaps only 24 hr.

The NGA warning by itself indicates a launch will occur between 10:30am and 5:42pm PDT any day this week, from Oct 25-Oct 28. Now this was already a busy week, with a SpaceX/Starlink launch expected on Oct 27, and a ULA launch on Nov 1. How could there be a third Vandenberg launch within the same week? If my speculation is correct, the launch would be performed by Firefly from SLC-2. Unfortunately, I can't be there to watch for it.

Comments?

Trypto · « **Reply #2158 on:** 10/25/2022 05:17 am »

Quote from: VLN on 10/25/2022 02:42 am

This is a current Hazardous Operations warning from the NGA:
Quote
232350Z OCT 22
NAVAREA XII 794/22(18,19).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
CALIFORNIA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 251730Z TO 260042Z OCT,
ALTERNATE 1730Z TO 0042Z DAILY 26 THRU 28 OCT
IN AREAS BOUND BY:
A. 34-37.00N 121-24.00W, 34-40.00N 122-13.00W,
34-02.00N 122-58.00W, 32-12.00N 125-14.00W,
31-34.00N 125-29.00W, 31-04.00N 124-45.00W,
31-26.00N 124-07.00W, 34-02.00N 121-13.00W.
B. 23-17.00N 135-50.00W, 21-37.00N 137-03.00W,
19-58.00N 133-59.00W, 22-07.00N 132-44.00W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA XII 778/22.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 290142Z OCT 22.

I speculate that this is a test of Firefly Aerospace under its new SSC VICTUS NOX contract, a.k.a. the Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS-3) Launch Service Task Order under the Orbital Services Program 4 (OSP-4) Contract. It calls for launching a payload to orbit with very short notice, perhaps only 24 hr.

The NGA warning by itself indicates a launch will occur between 10:30am and 5:42pm PDT any day this week, from Oct 25-Oct 28. Now this was already a busy week, with a SpaceX/Starlink launch expected on Oct 27, and a ULA launch on Nov 1. How could there be a third Vandenberg launch within the same week? If my speculation is correct, the launch would be performed by Firefly from SLC-2. Unfortunately, I can't be there to watch for it.

Comments?

Can't speak to the NGA warning, but TacRS-3 is supposed to fly in 2023. Firefly's next flight (FLTA003) will be a NASA VCLS-2 mission (ELaNa 43)

VLN · « **Reply #2159 on:** 10/25/2022 02:24 pm »

Quote from: VLN on 10/25/2022 02:42 am

This is a current Hazardous Operations warning from the NGA:
Quote
232350Z OCT 22
NAVAREA XII 794/22(18,19).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
CALIFORNIA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 251730Z TO 260042Z OCT,
ALTERNATE 1730Z TO 0042Z DAILY 26 THRU 28 OCT
IN AREAS BOUND BY:
A. 34-37.00N 121-24.00W, 34-40.00N 122-13.00W,
34-02.00N 122-58.00W, 32-12.00N 125-14.00W,
31-34.00N 125-29.00W, 31-04.00N 124-45.00W,
31-26.00N 124-07.00W, 34-02.00N 121-13.00W.
B. 23-17.00N 135-50.00W, 21-37.00N 137-03.00W,
19-58.00N 133-59.00W, 22-07.00N 132-44.00W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA XII 778/22.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 290142Z OCT 22.

Comments?

An apparently knowledgeable person suggested to me that this is a military launch from offshore. That could explain why the eastern boundary is more than 40 miles from land.