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#460 by Tahii on 30 Nov, 2009 02:20
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With one $6 part replaced, Atea-1 launched at 14:30NZDT. Video of the launch itself can be seen at http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/second-time-lucky-nz-rocket-launch-3207087.
While all indications are that the flight went as planned, the launch vehicle has not yet been recovered, so the data hasn't been checked. The southern hemisphere now has a sounding rocket program
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#461 by Lewis007 on 30 Nov, 2009 07:46
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On November 29 (at 09:00 UT), a VSB-30 sounding rocket was launched from Kiruna, Sweden on the Texus-47 mission. The rocket reached an apogee of 263,6 km.
Source: http://www.ssc.se/?id=5104&cid=15066
More info (in German): http://www.dlr.de/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-1/86_read-21223/
Info on Texus-47 experiments: http://www.ssc.se/?id=14314
I also attach two Texus-47 pictures (source: DLR).
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#462 by jcm on 30 Nov, 2009 17:21
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With one $6 part replaced, Atea-1 launched at 14:30NZDT. Video of the launch itself can be seen at http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/second-time-lucky-nz-rocket-launch-3207087.
While all indications are that the flight went as planned, the launch vehicle has not yet been recovered, so the data hasn't been checked. The southern hemisphere now has a sounding rocket program.
hello... have you looked at the latitude of the launch sites in Brazil and Indonesia recently?
Admittedly they are not *very* south. And Woomera is still occasionally active - it was the site of the first regular southern hemisphere sounding rocket program beginning in 1957
If the altitude is confirmed, this is the first space launch from New Zealand, since the 1963-64 Arcas launches from Birdling's Flat near Canterbury probably did not reach space.
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#463 by jcm on 01 Dec, 2009 01:50
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Further details of Atea-1 gleaned from the RocketLab web site combined with my own inferences:
Atea-1 is a small sounding rocket similar in general design to the Viper Dart, in that it has a single propulsive stage or 'booster' topped with a smaller diameter 'dart' and then a nosecone with a small payload. The dart is sometimes called a second stage though it has no rocket engine - it goes much higher than the booster since it remains stablized while the booster tumbles and falls back due to drag. One can guess that the booster reached perhaps 10 km and the dart with payload of order 100 km. (There are some older references on their web site to a second stage engine, which confuse me a bit, but the recent announcements seem pretty clear that there's just one engine).
Atea-1 is about 5.0m long 0.15m dia and has a hybrid N2O/polymer engine with a 6.9 kN thrust and 14.5s nominal burn time, for a total impulse of about 100 kNs.
Note that these parameters are very similar to eAc's Hyperion hybrid sounding rocket of the mid 1990s, although as far as I know there is no direct heritage.
Atea-1 is owned and fabricated by Rocket Lab Ltd. of Auckland-Parnell, North Island, New Zealand. The launch site is Great Mercury Island, New Zealand, at approximately 36.58S 175.92E.
Flight 1 (Manu Karere) was launched 2009 Nov 30 at 0128 UTC (time from the Rocket Lab web site). Design apogee was around 120 km; although the vehicle carried a GPS beacon, I gather no GPS (or radar) tracking was available during the flight, so the actual apogee will never be known.
The booster was recovered, but the dart/payload has not yet been. If it is located, its downrange distance will provide some indirect evidence for the altitude achieved and so would provide (or not) support for the claim that the rocket reached space.
(I think this claim depends on the dart staying stabilized, and I'm not sure they actually have evidence for this yet - but I intend to provisionally accept the claim in my launch database.) -
#464 by Olaf on 10 Dec, 2009 14:58
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Today was a launch of Topol ICBM (SS-25) from Kapustin Yar.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20091210/157187972.html -
#465 by Yeknom-Ecaps on 20 Dec, 2009 02:09
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A launch of the high-speed surface-to-surface Sajjil-2 missile, by Iranian armed forces, at an undisclosed location on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009.
http://www.homeland1.com/homeland-security-news/682111-iran-tests-long-range-missle-despite-wishes-of-the-west/ -
#466 by Yeknom-Ecaps on 20 Dec, 2009 02:10
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12.068 GT HALL/HICKMAN/NASA WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY12-16-2009
A M26/MLRS vehicle was launched from Wallops Flight Facility, VA on December 16, 2009. The purpose of this mission is to evaluate the performance of new vehicle configuration under development. The Principal Investigator team consists of Brian Hall and John Hickman, both NASA Wallops Flight Facility, VA.
The Mesquito vehicle consists of a 4.5 inch Dart propelled to 90 - 100 km with an US Army M26 Basic Multiple Launch System Rocket (MLRS) motor, and is intended for temporal and spatial measurements in the lower Mesosphere.
http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/code810/news/story96.html
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#467 by Yeknom-Ecaps on 20 Dec, 2009 02:11
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41.086 UE ERDMAN/EMBRY-RIDDLE UNIVERSITY12-17-2009 HAROH mission
41.086 UO Terrier-Improved Orion was launched from White Sands Missile Range on December 17, 2009. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Peter Erdman/Embry-Riddle University
The mission objectives for 41.086 Erdman are to collect radiated emissions from the Hydroxyl (OH) in the Meinel Airglow region from 50-90 km altitudes. The payload consists of an instrument of with an array of ten optical tubes (photometers) aligned parallel to the thrust axis.
The increased number of observations made of polar mesospheric clouds at high latitude, and observations of noctilucent clouds at mid latitudes, have raised the scientific importance of understanding this mesospheric region. Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) was recently launched to study it more in depth. HAROH directly supports AIM’s fundamental goal and will also aid in better understanding groundbased mesospheric temperature measurements that will be compared with those obtained from AIM.
http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/code810/news/story97.html -
#468 by Yeknom-Ecaps on 24 Dec, 2009 04:23
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Japan will launch the S-250-25 sounding rocket on December 8th.
Did this ever launch? -
#469 by Olaf on 24 Dec, 2009 09:30
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#470 by William Graham on 24 Dec, 2009 13:00
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There's nothing on the ISAS website, they usually announce sounding rocket launches there. By the way, I think it should be S-520-25, not S-250. The S-250 has been out of service for several decades.Japan will launch the S-250-25 sounding rocket on December 8th.
Did this ever launch? -
#471 by Satori on 24 Dec, 2009 13:21
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There's nothing on the ISAS website, they usually announce sounding rocket launches there. By the way, I think it should be S-520-25, not S-250. The S-250 has been out of service for several decades.Japan will launch the S-250-25 sounding rocket on December 8th.
Did this ever launch?
Your're right, it's S-520-25. Launch window is until January 31st. It was suposed to be launched after the last H-2A, so I think it was delayed to 2010. -
#472 by Yeknom-Ecaps on 30 Dec, 2009 14:53
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Scheduled 2010 Sounding Rocket Flights - from NASA Sounding Rocket Office 4th Qtr report
http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/code810/files/Rocket_Report_4th_qt_2009.pdf
January
12.067 GT HALL/NASA-WFF WI
February
41.084 UE CONDE/UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FB
12.069 GT HICKMAN/NASA-WFF WI
12.070 GT HICKMAN/NASA-WFF WI
40.025 UE LABELLE/DARTMOUTH COLLEGE FB
36.265 UG BOCK/CAL TECH UNIVERSITY WS
March
36.173 UG NORDSIECK/UNIV. OF WISCONSIN WS
36.219 US HASSLER/SWRI WS
36.225 UG CHAKRABARTI/BOSTON UNIVERSITY WS
April
36.257 UG GREEN/UNIV. OF COLORADO WS
May
12.071 GT HICKMAN/NASA-WFF WI
36.258 UE WOODS/UNIV. OF COLORADO WS
12.072 GT HICKMAN/NASA-WFF WI
June
36.213 NS DAVIS/MSFC WS
36.253 US HASSLER/SWRI WS
36.239 DS KORENDYKE/NRL WS
41.087 NT HEYNE/JPL WS
41.088 UO KOEHLER/UNIV. OF COLORADO WI
July
36.261 UG CLARK/BOSTON UNIVERSITY WS
August
36.263 US JUDGE/USC WS
36.235 US HARRIS/UNIV. OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS WS
36.264 UH MCCAMMON/UNIV. OF WISCONSIN WS
September
36.268 UG MCCANDLISS/JHU WS
36.269 GS RABIN/NASA-GSFC WS -
#473 by William Graham on 12 Jan, 2010 15:52
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China recently conducted an ABM test. Does anyone know what missiles were used, and whether either the target or interceptor reached space?
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#474 by Satori on 12 Jan, 2010 16:17
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The designation of the Chinese ground-based interception missile system is HQ-19 and some sources point that this is derived from the KT launch vheicle series. Launch was from Jiuquan.
Xinhua is showing some images of missile launches relating them to the test (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2010-01/12/content_12797459.htm).
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#475 by Satori on 12 Jan, 2010 16:19
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A image of the missile test can be seen at http://www.china-defense-mashup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cnmd-3.jpg.
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#476 by Satori on 15 Jan, 2010 14:15
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ISRO launches rockets to study solar eclipse. Some of them reaching space.
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#477 by Yeknom-Ecaps on 16 Jan, 2010 03:08
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A total of 11 ISRO rockets launched for the eclipse according to ISRO press release:
"Yesterday (January 14, 2010), two Rohini sounding rockets of the type RH 300 Mk II were launched at 12:20 pm and 1:05 pm respectively. This was followed by two RH 200 launches at 1:07 pm and 3 pm. Following the same pattern, another four launches were carried out today. Later, one more sounding rocket of RH 300 Mk II type was launched at 4 pm today. Two larger Rohini rockets of the series RH 560 MK II were also launched from SDSC, one each yesterday and today, which had a peak altitude of 548 km."
http://www.isro.org/pressrelease/scripts/pressreleasein.aspx?Jan15_2010 -
#478 by Stephan on 22 Jan, 2010 16:46
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According to well informed sources, a launch of a french M51 ICBM should take place soon. It will be the fourth launch and the first one from a SSBN.
Last launch video :
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#479 by Yeknom-Ecaps on 23 Jan, 2010 22:55
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Video of ABL test of MARTI target on Jan 10 has appeared on the web:
http://closingvelocity.typepad.com/closing_velocity/2010/01/video-airborne-laser-abl-engages-marti-target.html
MARTI target said to have launched from San Nicholas Island.
Interestingly, no news release on Boeing site, nothing new posted on Missile Defense Agency site and Wallops Web Calendar does not list a flight that day -the three MARTI Black Brant IXs are still listed as unflown - NASA WFF supports the MARTI launches from San Nicholas Island.
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