Great stuff Chris!For a moment there I thought ATK was using my recipe for Pistachio ice cream!
Thanks again, Chris.I am puzzled, though, by an apparent contradiction between the text and the artist's concept showing the wing and fin locations. The article says, "The wing will be located on the top of the first stage, while the inverted-V tails share a commonality with Pegasus, albeit at a different angle, so as not to be blanketed by the wings during high angles of attack."But the artist's concept shows the wing on the *underside* of Stage 1, with a V-tail that is *not* inverted, but upright.So the artist's concept shows the exact opposite of what the text describes. If the vehicle shown in the concept were rolled 180 degrees, then it would seem to match the text description, with wing on top and V-tails inverted.Chris, do you have any insight into this apparent discrepancy?
Quote from: Kabloona on 08/13/2013 08:10 pmThanks again, Chris.I am puzzled, though, by an apparent contradiction between the text and the artist's concept showing the wing and fin locations. The article says, "The wing will be located on the top of the first stage, while the inverted-V tails share a commonality with Pegasus, albeit at a different angle, so as not to be blanketed by the wings during high angles of attack."But the artist's concept shows the wing on the *underside* of Stage 1, with a V-tail that is *not* inverted, but upright.So the artist's concept shows the exact opposite of what the text describes. If the vehicle shown in the concept were rolled 180 degrees, then it would seem to match the text description, with wing on top and V-tails inverted.Chris, do you have any insight into this apparent discrepancy?Yeah! The info is bang up to date (per the first article), but the graphics are not. Makes sense as it probably took them a long time to create that video the slides are taken from.
Quote from: robertross on 08/13/2013 08:16 pmGreat stuff Chris!For a moment there I thought ATK was using my recipe for Pistachio ice cream! Yeah, that greenish cast is strange. I suspect it's just a color balance issue with the digital camera, as fluorescent lighting will make things look green if the color balance option on a digital camera isn't set correctly. Normally solid propellants in that condition look grayish due to the aluminum powder, and I doubt it was St Patrick's day at ATK when the photo was taken. ;-)
Quote from: Kabloona on 08/13/2013 08:26 pmQuote from: robertross on 08/13/2013 08:16 pmGreat stuff Chris!For a moment there I thought ATK was using my recipe for Pistachio ice cream! Yeah, that greenish cast is strange. I suspect it's just a color balance issue with the digital camera, as fluorescent lighting will make things look green if the color balance option on a digital camera isn't set correctly. Normally solid propellants in that condition look grayish due to the aluminum powder, and I doubt it was St Patrick's day at ATK when the photo was taken. ;-)You'd be surprised then, that color is accurate. Shuttle propellant is actually red-brown. It all depends on the ingredients.
Quote from: Calphor on 08/14/2013 04:19 amQuote from: Kabloona on 08/13/2013 08:26 pmQuote from: robertross on 08/13/2013 08:16 pmGreat stuff Chris!For a moment there I thought ATK was using my recipe for Pistachio ice cream! Yeah, that greenish cast is strange. I suspect it's just a color balance issue with the digital camera, as fluorescent lighting will make things look green if the color balance option on a digital camera isn't set correctly. Normally solid propellants in that condition look grayish due to the aluminum powder, and I doubt it was St Patrick's day at ATK when the photo was taken. ;-)You'd be surprised then, that color is accurate. Shuttle propellant is actually red-brown. It all depends on the ingredients.What is the green ingredient? I worked with solid propellants for ten years (in the nineties) and saw colors range from black to gray to reddish (iron oxide burn rate catalyst) but never green.
Quote from: Kabloona on 08/14/2013 01:14 pmQuote from: Calphor on 08/14/2013 04:19 amQuote from: Kabloona on 08/13/2013 08:26 pmQuote from: robertross on 08/13/2013 08:16 pmGreat stuff Chris!For a moment there I thought ATK was using my recipe for Pistachio ice cream! Yeah, that greenish cast is strange. I suspect it's just a color balance issue with the digital camera, as fluorescent lighting will make things look green if the color balance option on a digital camera isn't set correctly. Normally solid propellants in that condition look grayish due to the aluminum powder, and I doubt it was St Patrick's day at ATK when the photo was taken. ;-)You'd be surprised then, that color is accurate. Shuttle propellant is actually red-brown. It all depends on the ingredients.What is the green ingredient? I worked with solid propellants for ten years (in the nineties) and saw colors range from black to gray to reddish (iron oxide burn rate catalyst) but never green.likely the binding agent has caused this colour cast?
I'm trying to figure out where this vehicle sits given Antares. Is this designed to replace Antares if the Antares first stage has to be retired when the engines run out and they can't find a suitable substitute? Is there another reason to do this of which I am unaware?
I asked this on an L2 thread, but this is a better place:What about a kerolox first stage filled via aerial refueling (assuming we can make Stratolaunch and the rocket use the same fuel)? By also allowing the Stratolaunch aircraft to launch nearly dry, this could allow a significantly greater payload to orbit.
Quote from: Robotbeat on 08/14/2013 07:06 pmI asked this on an L2 thread, but this is a better place:What about a kerolox first stage filled via aerial refueling (assuming we can make Stratolaunch and the rocket use the same fuel)? By also allowing the Stratolaunch aircraft to launch nearly dry, this could allow a significantly greater payload to orbit.First someone have to set up a fleet of Jumbo jet size tankers and test if you can get Birdzilla & Jumbo to do close proximity formation flying. Smaller size aerial tankers might have turbulence issues along with excessive link ups and total connection time. Don't see a need to have common kero for the Stratolaunch aircraft and the LV. There should be enough volume to have two set of kero tankage.Maybe a LOX pod on top of the middle of the wing can top up the LV before launch.
Conventional binders (HTPB, PBAN) are not green, and IMO it's highly unlikely ATK would use a different binder given the extensive industry experience with HTPB and PBAN. More likely an oxidizer or some sort of energetic ingredient.
Quote from: robertross on 08/14/2013 03:09 pmQuote from: Kabloona on 08/14/2013 01:14 pmQuote from: Calphor on 08/14/2013 04:19 amQuote from: Kabloona on 08/13/2013 08:26 pmQuote from: robertross on 08/13/2013 08:16 pmGreat stuff Chris!For a moment there I thought ATK was using my recipe for Pistachio ice cream! Yeah, that greenish cast is strange. I suspect it's just a color balance issue with the digital camera, as fluorescent lighting will make things look green if the color balance option on a digital camera isn't set correctly. Normally solid propellants in that condition look grayish due to the aluminum powder, and I doubt it was St Patrick's day at ATK when the photo was taken. ;-)You'd be surprised then, that color is accurate. Shuttle propellant is actually red-brown. It all depends on the ingredients.What is the green ingredient? I worked with solid propellants for ten years (in the nineties) and saw colors range from black to gray to reddish (iron oxide burn rate catalyst) but never green.likely the binding agent has caused this colour cast?Conventional binders (HTPB, PBAN) are not green, and IMO it's highly unlikely ATK would use a different binder given the extensive industry experience with HTPB and PBAN. More likely an oxidizer or some sort of energetic ingredient.