Author Topic: LIVE: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - October 31, 2017  (Read 95085 times)

Offline Kim Keller

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Re: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - Oct. 31, 2017
« Reply #80 on: 10/30/2017 05:47 pm »
I'm confused, doesn't this one have the 63" fairing per earlier in the thread? Which would make it 3110 not 3210 [Edit:  I misremembered the earlier part of the thread. It's the large 92" fairing, so indeed 3210, correct?]

Correct.

Offline Jdeshetler

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Re: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - Oct. 31, 2017
« Reply #81 on: 10/30/2017 08:18 pm »
We just set up remote cameras 300 yards from Orbital ATK Minotaur-C rocket.
« Last Edit: 10/30/2017 08:34 pm by Jdeshetler »

Offline Steven Pietrobon

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Re: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - Oct. 31, 2017
« Reply #82 on: 10/30/2017 08:20 pm »
https://www.orbitalatk.com/news-room/release.asp?prid=298

Orbital ATK Set to Launch Minotaur C Rocket Carrying SkySat and Dove Spacecraft for Planet
Commercial Launch and Mission to Send 10 Spacecraft to Orbit

Dulles, Virginia 30 October 2017 – Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, today announced it is in final preparations to launch the company’s Minotaur C rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on October 31 at approximately 2:37 p.m. PDT. The Minotaur C will carry Planet’s SkySat and Dove spacecraft, which will capture medium and high resolution multispectral imagery of Earth at unprecedented scale and frequency for the commercial market. Approximately 12 minutes into flight the ten Planet spacecraft will deploy into their targeted sun synchronous orbit 310 miles (500 kilometers) above the Earth.

“We are looking forward to launching Planet’s spacecraft, which will provide incredible data for commercial use,” said Rich Straka, Vice President and General Manager of Orbital ATK’s Launch Vehicles Division. “The Minotaur C provides an excellent low-cost option for small to medium spacecraft providers.”

The Minotaur C rocket is an all commercial vehicle capable of launching payloads up to 3,500 lbs. The Minotaur C space launch vehicle is a variant of the Minotaur product line designed to support U.S. government and commercial customers. Minotaur C employs four Orbital ATK solid rocket motors as its propulsion system, all of which have been flown dozens of times and are thoroughly flight-proven in various combinations on the company's other small space launch vehicles, including Pegasus, Taurus and Minotaur, as well as on the Orbital Boost Vehicle (OBV) long-range missile defense interceptor.

The constellation of seven SkySats, soon to be 13, is the world’s largest commercial fleet of high-res satellites operating in space. Together, the Dove and SkySat network of remote sensing satellites deliver a global information feed to businesses, governments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around the world.

Live coverage of the Minotaur launch will be available at www.orbitalatk.com starting 20 minutes before liftoff. Details about the mission can also be found on the website.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline Steven Pietrobon

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Re: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - Oct. 31, 2017
« Reply #83 on: 10/30/2017 08:31 pm »
From the press release, 10 satellites are to be deployed, including 6 Skysat satellites. Presumably the other four satellites are Flock 3m 1 to 4. Enlarged image of the first SkySat deployment below. Four SkySats are on top of the cage (Upper Bulkhead), with two in the cage. The drawing doesn't seem to show the other satellites.
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline russianhalo117

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Re: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - Oct. 31, 2017
« Reply #84 on: 10/30/2017 08:53 pm »
From the press release, 10 satellites are to be deployed, including 6 Skysat satellites. Presumably the other four satellites are Flock 3m 1 to 4. Enlarged image of the first SkySat deployment below. Four SkySats are on top of the cage (Upper Bulkhead), with two in the cage. The drawing doesn't seem to show the other satellites.
Flock 3m 1 to 4 deployer is not visible in the orientation of the deployer.

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - Oct. 31, 2017
« Reply #85 on: 10/30/2017 10:27 pm »
Launch weather forecast for tomorrow is 100% GO!

Quote
Overall, there are no expected constraints of concern for range safety or the launch agency leading to a 0% POV for primary day.

Offline jhnphm

Re: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - Oct. 31, 2017
« Reply #86 on: 10/30/2017 11:37 pm »
Photo from pad tour today.

Offline Jdeshetler

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Re: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - Oct. 31, 2017
« Reply #87 on: 10/31/2017 06:25 am »
More photos during remote camera setup.

Offline Jdeshetler

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Re: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - Oct. 31, 2017
« Reply #88 on: 10/31/2017 06:48 am »
From 2nd remote camera site overlook SLC-576E.

Ideal marina & lighting condition permitted this unexpected photos across the water.
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Re: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - Oct. 31, 2017
« Reply #89 on: 10/31/2017 10:19 am »
Nice view of the rocket cabling and umbilicals:

Quote
It’s launch day! The window for #MinotaurC launch of @planetlabs SkySat & Dove spacecraft will open at 2:37pm PT/5:37pm ET. @30thSpaceWing

https://twitter.com/OrbitalATK/status/925316114590109696

Online Galactic Penguin SST

Re: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - Oct. 31, 2017
« Reply #90 on: 10/31/2017 11:19 am »
Moved for live coverage.
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Offline Star One

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Re: LIVE: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - October 31, 2017
« Reply #91 on: 10/31/2017 11:45 am »
Is the fact it’s sitting up on top of that stand due to launcher heritage as an ICBM?

Offline StarryKnight

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Re: LIVE: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - October 31, 2017
« Reply #92 on: 10/31/2017 11:52 am »
The stand is in lieu of a flame trench.
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Offline Ben the Space Brit

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Re: LIVE: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - October 31, 2017
« Reply #93 on: 10/31/2017 12:21 pm »
Without any way to tell scale, the Minotaur looks like an Estes hobby rocket or something!
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Offline marshal

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Re: LIVE: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - October 31, 2017
« Reply #95 on: 10/31/2017 02:34 pm »
any logo for the mission ?

Offline Star One

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Re: LIVE: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - October 31, 2017
« Reply #96 on: 10/31/2017 03:01 pm »
Is the fact it’s sitting up on top of that stand due to launcher heritage as an ICBM?
The original "Darpa Taurus" used the Peacekeeper missile first stage.  Peacekeepers were "cold-gas" ejected from their silos to ignite 150 to 200 feet above ground, a technique not used by Taurus.  This stand was built to get the "Darpa Taurus" vehicles off the ground a bit for their ignition, avoiding the construction of a costly launch duct, etc.  The first Taurus was intended to be a bare-bones, low cost effort.  Other, later-developed rockets that use this SR-118 stage motor (Minotaur 3-5, etc.) have launched from new pads equipped with exhaust ducts, etc.

Today's Taurus XL (Minotaur-C) uses a commercial Castor 120 first stage motor.

 - Ed Kyle

Thanks. The Russian launchers based on ICBMs always appear to use the same kind of launch as they would have done as a missile.

Offline savuporo

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Re: LIVE: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - October 31, 2017
« Reply #97 on: 10/31/2017 03:46 pm »
A very meaty overview article by William Graham!
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/10/orbital-atk-minotaur-c-skysat-mission-vandenberg/

Good article. Minor nit: would help to caption the images in the article.
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Online zubenelgenubi

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Re: LIVE: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - October 31, 2017
« Reply #98 on: 10/31/2017 04:01 pm »
From the LIVE: Delta II - Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) - July 2, 2014 thread:

Quote from: sdsds on 6/23/2011 8:34 pm http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=22083.msg761965#msg761965
Quote
Quote from: bolun on 06/23/2011 05:55 PM http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=22083.msg761930#msg761930
Quote
NASA Suspends Payments on Launch Contract with Orbital

http://www.spacenews.com/civil/110623-nasa-suspends-payments-orbital.html
Ouch.

Quote
“I would go more than recertified, personally,” Michael Freilich, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, told Space News in May. “I would go demonstrated.”

Is there another payload that could be launched by Taurus XL?  What customer would accept the risks (that Freilich apparently won't accept) of riding on a demonstration flight?

To answer sdsds' 6-year-old question: Apparently Planet Labs accepted the risks of riding on a demonstration flight.

My multi-part question: Will this flight recertify ex. Taurus/now Minotaur-C for NASA launches?  Is restoring this LV to the NASA launch stable even being considered?

(Is this no longer a necessary or desirable option in the age of Elon (Falcon 9)?

Or has the subsuming of Orbital into Orbital ATK, followed by the subsuming of OATK into Northrop Grumman, changed the corporate business plan so much that they won't really press to procure any more launch contracts for this LV?)

(Semi-parallel discussion re: Antares LV in Antares General Discussion thread, most recent wave starts here.
***

Please excuse the crude quotes: their parent thread is locked, and that removes the Quote function.
« Last Edit: 10/31/2017 04:29 pm by zubenelgenubi »
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Offline russianhalo117

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Re: LIVE: Minotaur-C - SkySat x6 (S/N 8-13) - October 31, 2017
« Reply #99 on: 10/31/2017 04:14 pm »
From the LIVE: Delta II - Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) - July 2, 2014 thread:

Quote from: sdsds on 6/23/2011 8:34 pm http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=22083.msg761965#msg761965
Quote
Quote from: bolun on 06/23/2011 05:55 PM http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=22083.msg761930#msg761930
Quote
NASA Suspends Payments on Launch Contract with Orbital

http://www.spacenews.com/civil/110623-nasa-suspends-payments-orbital.html
Ouch.

Quote
“I would go more than recertified, personally,” Michael Freilich, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, told Space News in May. “I would go demonstrated.”

Is there another payload that could be launched by Taurus XL?  What customer would accept the risks (that Freilich apparently won't accept) of riding on a demonstration flight?

Will this flight recertify ex. Taurus/now Minotaur-C for NASA launches?

Please excuse the crude quotes: their parent thread is locked, and that removes the Quote function.
I believe more than one flight would be needed to be re-certified for NASA Launches. Jim and others can better answer this question than I can.

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