And they have finally revealed that the first stage (at least, I suspect first and second) will use RP-1/LOX. The local oil company (YPF) will be producing the kerosene.Here is the article of the local news paper.According to Eduardo Taraba, chief of construction at Barerias and CONAE official, the whole complex will have four main building areas that will be connected by a road. The whole complex will hold, in 30Ha, the rocket manufacturing plant, rocket and engine test stand, payload integration building, horizontal integration facility and launch pad (incl. control center) near Pehuen Co, plus other civil buildings.According to José Manuel Aspigueta, a CONAE chemist, the hypergolic propellant plant is being studied to be installed near Coronel Rosales (very close by) or in Ensenada (some 50km south of Buenos Aires City) and transported to the launch pad. Upto now, hipergolic fuel and associated processes was developed in Falda del Carme, Córdoba Province (and former place of the Condor II project).
Quote from: baldusi on 12/09/2013 01:05 pmAnd they have finally revealed that the first stage (at least, I suspect first and second) will use RP-1/LOX. The local oil company (YPF) will be producing the kerosene.Here is the article of the local news paper.According to Eduardo Taraba, chief of construction at Barerias and CONAE official, the whole complex will have four main building areas that will be connected by a road. The whole complex will hold, in 30Ha, the rocket manufacturing plant, rocket and engine test stand, payload integration building, horizontal integration facility and launch pad (incl. control center) near Pehuen Co, plus other civil buildings.According to José Manuel Aspigueta, a CONAE chemist, the hypergolic propellant plant is being studied to be installed near Coronel Rosales (very close by) or in Ensenada (some 50km south of Buenos Aires City) and transported to the launch pad. Upto now, hipergolic fuel and associated processes was developed in Falda del Carme, Córdoba Province (and former place of the Condor II project).What's our local expertise on handling kerolox engines? As far as I know, none. Do we know if it's pressure-fed or turbopump-fed?
Wow. Unlucky that the vehicle failed, but to not have an explosion? Has that ever happened before?
That image has been circulating through Argentinian forums. No fire is apparent and it's clear that they recovered everything (thou the system is probably not salvageable). Regrettably the picture is very low resolution. But the way it fell down just right to the ramp, and the way the nozzle is to the side with one broken pneumatic cylinder (it had two at 90 degrees of pitch and yaw control), are very consistent with ether a cylinder failure or a cylinder attachment failure.Overall, I do share CONAE's assessment that the test had a "positive" result. They validated practically all the complex parts, including pressurization, ignition, thrust, etc.