NASASpaceFlight.com Forum

Commercial and US Government Launch Vehicles => Rocket Lab => Topic started by: ChrisGebhardt on 02/25/2018 09:54 pm

Title: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: ChrisGebhardt on 02/25/2018 09:54 pm
Hey everyone.  I'll be interviewing Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck tomorrow, February 26 at 7:30p EST (00:30 UTC on the 27th).

If you have any proposed questions you'd like me to ask, PM me.  I can't guarantee I'll be able to ask everyone's questions, but I'm happy to take suggestions from the community.
Title: Re: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: vaporcobra on 02/26/2018 01:30 am
Hey everyone.  I'll be interviewing Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck tomorrow, February 26 at 7:30p EST (00:30 UTC on the 27th).

If you have any proposed questions you'd like me to ask, PM me.  I can't guarantee I'll be able to ask everyone's questions, but I'm happy to take suggestions from the community.

Out of curiosity, do you have questions prepared? I can definitely suggest a few, I just don't want to waste your time with redundancy ;D
Title: Re: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: SmallKing on 02/26/2018 02:02 pm
Launch schedule, especially Moon Express
Title: Re: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: HMXHMX on 02/26/2018 02:39 pm
Will they sell their engines?
Title: Re: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: HMXHMX on 02/26/2018 02:40 pm
And how was their cryo LOX composite tank development experience?  Do they use a liner?
Title: Re: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: Markstark on 02/26/2018 03:00 pm
Will they sell their engines?
Second this question


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Title: Re: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: GreenShrike on 02/26/2018 04:25 pm
Is the second stage planned to be capable of re-ignition(s)? If not, what's preventing it?

Is the composite tank's material limit reached holding boiling LOX, or would it be able to withstand further sub-cooled propellant?

Any Electron STAs and Rutherford prototypes kicking around that might be combined into a vehicle which perhaps could do some insect-like hopping?
Title: Re: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: vaporcobra on 02/26/2018 04:33 pm
Guys, his OP said that he wanted question proposals to be submitted by PM :P
Title: Re: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: Lar on 02/26/2018 10:29 pm
What? Doing what a mod says? That's just crazy talk.

Besides this might get better questions.  I like several of the ones posed here so far...
Title: Re: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: vaporcobra on 02/26/2018 11:02 pm
What? Doing what a mod says? That's just crazy talk.

Besides this might get better questions.  I like several of the ones posed here so far...

Hehehe ;) It was an odd request, but a request nonetheless. Questions in thread may indeed be more useful :D

Wellllll, if we're breaking the rules...

1. Status of the boost stage: next test/flight, commercial certification, customer interest, future iterations?

2. Any thoughts on Rocket Lab's activities beyond Electron? (i.e. Falcon 9 began development before Falcon 1 flew its first customer payload) Future iterations of Electron, a larger vehicle (Electron Heavy?), reusability, etc. ?

3. Cadence/manifest/production goals for the rest of 2018? Tentative number of launches? Number of anticipated vehicles to be manufactured?
Title: Re: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: speedevil on 02/26/2018 11:12 pm
I guess this way might reduce duplication.

Electron heavy? (Muon?)

Might numerous small engines, with obvious throtlability and redundancy advantages compete with large ones?

Is recoverability worth it at Electron scale - the smaller size of the first stage rules back in some approaches that don't work for larger rockets.

Title: Re: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: Lar on 02/27/2018 04:02 am
Was he surprised at the negative backlash from the disco ball, er Humanity Star?
What launch sites might RL expand to beyond Kodiak?
Will there be more fan out reach items like the "I never want to hold again" Tee shirt?
How many committed launch contracts do they have?
Title: Re: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: Bananas_on_Mars on 02/27/2018 06:20 am
I sent Chris the following questions:

Electron speed at MECO

What propellant does the Curie engine on the 3rd stage use? What specific impulse?
On-orbit lifetime for the kick stage?

What type of batteries they're using?
Commercial Lithium Polymer?

Will they name every rocket?
Title: Re: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: Lar on 02/27/2018 03:26 pm
I think Chris has posted his interview as a recording you can download.... see
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=45098.msg1793531#msg1793531 (L2 link but I expect Chris will use the material for an article)

So probably good for questions unless there's a followup?
Title: Re: Rocket Lab interview
Post by: msat on 03/03/2018 07:11 am
Is this interview going to stay in L2 or will there be a public article?