Author Topic: Astra Space (Read 534490 times)

Comga · « **Reply #260 on:** 02/15/2020 04:30 am »

San Nicholas looks pretty neat, but the existing rocket pad hasn’t been used in a long time, is completely without infrastructure, and is poorly situated for polar launches. (Low inclination launches would go over the coast of California which is probably not allowed.)

On the other hand, it’s weather may be the exact opposite of Kodiak: It has never gone below freezing.

Has the Navy ever discussed sharing San Nicholas?

I would think their second launch site would be for moderate inclinations.

Didn’t we hear Kwaj mentioned?
Great low inclination but miserably isolated.

gongora · « **Reply #261 on:** 02/15/2020 03:07 pm »

The whole point of the DARPA competition is to do it without fixed infrastructure. The DARPA launch sites can be completely independent of where Astra and DoD plan to launch future missions. Personally, I think it would make a lot more sense just to launch it from Vandenberg. The DARPA requirements may have sounded like a cool idea at the time, but with no competitors really ready to complete the competition (including Astra) they just need to wrap it up.

starbase · « **Reply #262 on:** 02/15/2020 05:05 pm »

Launch will be livestreamed!
https://twitter.com/Kemp/status/1228738806892781568

Bananas_on_Mars · « **Reply #263 on:** 02/15/2020 07:07 pm »

Quote from: Comga on 02/15/2020 04:30 am

San Nicholas looks pretty neat, but the existing rocket pad hasn’t been used in a long time, is completely without infrastructure, and is poorly situated for polar launches. (Low inclination launches would go over the coast of California which is probably not allowed.)

On the other hand, it’s weather may be the exact opposite of Kodiak: It has never gone below freezing.

Has the Navy ever discussed sharing San Nicholas?

I would think their second launch site would be for moderate inclinations.

Didn’t we hear Kwaj mentioned?
Great low inclination but miserably isolated.

I think we haven‘t heard about Camden Spaceport a lot, but they’re in the licensing process with the FAA and a decision is already overdue (was due middle of december 2019, i think they have delays on the EIS (environmental impact study) side).
Vector wanted to launch there.

TrevorMonty · « **Reply #264 on:** 02/15/2020 08:12 pm »

Quote from: Comga on 02/15/2020 04:30 am

San Nicholas looks pretty neat, but the existing rocket pad hasn’t been used in a long time, is completely without infrastructure, and is poorly situated for polar launches. (Low inclination launches would go over the coast of California which is probably not allowed.)

On the other hand, it’s weather may be the exact opposite of Kodiak: It has never gone below freezing.

Has the Navy ever discussed sharing San Nicholas?

I would think their second launch site would be for moderate inclinations.

Didn’t we hear Kwaj mentioned?
Great low inclination but miserably isolated.

Quote from: Comga on 02/15/2020 04:30 am

Didn’t we hear Kwaj mentioned?
Great low inclination but miserably isolated.

I wouldn't call Kwaj miserably, lovely place to be based unless you are staying in Ebeye.

PM3 · « **Reply #265 on:** 02/15/2020 09:26 pm »

Thread for the DARPA launch challenge and the two upcoming Astra launches:

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=50156.0

brussell · « **Reply #266 on:** 02/18/2020 12:33 am »

https://twitter.com/astra/status/1229575401892007936

(I'm trying and failing to actually post the picture)

zubenelgenubi: Fixed link, attached image

PM3 · « **Reply #267 on:** 02/18/2020 09:04 am »

Quote from: brussell on 02/18/2020 12:33 am

https://twitter.com/astra/status/1229575401892007936

Nice logo.

edzieba · « **Reply #268 on:** 02/18/2020 10:42 am »

That's a neat fit in that ISO container!

gongora · « **Reply #269 on:** 02/18/2020 08:22 pm »

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1229877163702333451

Quote

Interesting note from the DARPA Launch Challenge during an ongoing media briefing: both launches will take place from the same spaceport at Kodiak, Alaska, but different pads (about 300 meters apart). Original plan was for two different sites.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #270 on:** 02/19/2020 10:29 pm »

Tweet about a job opening has a nice factory photo (attached)

https://twitter.com/astra/status/1230269134249717761

Ben · « **Reply #271 on:** 02/19/2020 10:49 pm »

https://twitter.com/DARPA/status/1230227022636634118

https://twitter.com/DARPA/status/1230229691329646592

edzieba · « **Reply #272 on:** 02/25/2020 03:36 pm »

I may have missed it, but has their upper stage been depicted anywhere? We've got plenty of photos of the complete stack, the first stage, the fairing, and the interstage cone, but not even a render of anything that could be an upper stage.

Kryten · « **Reply #273 on:** 02/25/2020 03:43 pm »

Quote from: edzieba on 02/25/2020 03:36 pm

I may have missed it, but has their upper stage been depicted anywhere? We've got plenty of photos of the complete stack, the first stage, the fairing, and the interstage cone, but not even a render of anything that could be an upper stage.

AFAIK no photos, depictions, and even no plausible upper stage engines in engine test footage.

HeartofGold2030 · « **Reply #274 on:** 02/25/2020 04:06 pm »

Quote from: Kryten on 02/25/2020 03:43 pm

Quote from: edzieba on 02/25/2020 03:36 pm
I may have missed it, but has their upper stage been depicted anywhere? We've got plenty of photos of the complete stack, the first stage, the fairing, and the interstage cone, but not even a render of anything that could be an upper stage.
AFAIK no photos, depictions, and even no plausible upper stage engines in engine test footage.

All conventional wisdom suggests the upper stage is located in the white-painted cone structure before the payload fairing. But to fit in there along with the avionics bay, it must be very small.

Bananas_on_Mars · « **Reply #275 on:** 02/25/2020 04:09 pm »

Just to discuss what we‘re seeing (and not wake up any sleeping dogs)...

IMO it looks like their first stage engines only gimbal around one axis, or have we seen something else that warrants these asymmetric openings on the bottom?

Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 02/25/2020 02:56 pm

https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1232332315344490496

Quote
Here are a few great shots of Rocket 3.0 on the pad in Kodiak Alaska ahead of the DARPA launch challenge.

@Astra's first orbital launch attempt is scheduled for no earlier than Feb. 27 at 3:30 pm Eastern, per DARPA's website.

Updates: forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topi…

@DARPA

Star One · « **Reply #276 on:** 02/25/2020 04:31 pm »

Update by Scott Manley:

illectro · « **Reply #277 on:** 02/25/2020 04:44 pm »

I wish I had something in that video which wasn't already discussed here.
However I did get a confirmation via twitter that the pink/purple/gold anodized structures on the first rockets are apparently no longer on the production versions:
https://twitter.com/kellyghering/status/1232121375772426240

Comga · « **Reply #278 on:** 02/25/2020 09:34 pm »

Quote from: Mammutti on 02/25/2020 11:03 am

A few screenshots from the first video:

Would the second stage stage have to fit in that frustum in astra_004.jpg?
Can we estimate the dimensions?
What could fit in there?
While they are out of focus in the background, the red things sticking up from the top of the first stage could be for holding the second stage engine bell.
It seems it would only be enough diameter for a vacuum optimized engine much smaller than the first stage engine. (1:5 would be a particularly large 2nd to 1st stage thrust ratio so it should be much smaller.)

QuantumG · « **Reply #279 on:** 02/25/2020 10:09 pm »

Quote from: HeartofGold2030 on 02/25/2020 04:06 pm

All conventional wisdom suggests the upper stage is located in the white-painted cone structure before the payload fairing. But to fit in there along with the avionics bay, it must be very small.

Agreed. Why is it white, ya think?