Author Topic: Unreasonable Rocket's approach? Do they have any plans beyond NGLLC?  (Read 12056 times)

Offline Robotbeat

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After looking at the Unreasonable Rocket's Blue Ball, it looks like they are using exhaust vanes (or are they deflectors?) to steer, like the V2, Scud, and third-world country domestic rocket variants. How is it working out for them? What sort of reduction of thrust are they getting with and without the vanes? If I were doing this sort of thing, that'd be the approach that I'd use, since it is so simple.

Also, does Unreasonable Rocket have any other plans after NGLLC? How much have they spent, compared to Masten and Armadillo?

I hope they succeed!

What fuel are they using? Hydrazine?
« Last Edit: 10/15/2009 10:08 pm by Robotbeat »
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

Offline jongoff

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Also, does Unreasonable Rocket have any other plans after NGLLC? How much have they spent, compared to Masten and Armadillo?

I hope they succeed!

What fuel are they using? Hydrazine?

Their level one vehicle (the Blue Ball, or as my 4-year old calls it "The BlueBerry Rocket!") uses hydrogen peroxide, running over a catalyst in monopropellant mode.  Their Level two vehicle (the Silver Ball) adds three gasoline tanks, has a regen cooled nozzle section (downstream of the catpack), and uses two linear actuators as a gimbal.

To date, I'm sure Paul has spent a lot less than us at Masten.  He's doing this with his son and a few volunteers, so he's only having to pay for hardware costs, no salary or overhead.  He's also got his own CNC machine tools, so he doesn't send parts out to be machined as much. 

My guess is that to-date he's spent somewhere between a quarter and a half million.  Armadillo has spent about $4-5M or maybe more getting to today (they also were all-volunteer for most of their existence--they've only started putting people on the payroll last year I think).  I don't know how much we've spent at Masten so far, but we're still below Armadillo's investment, even though we've been paying salary the whole time.

~Jon

Offline Retired Downrange

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 Team Unreasonable Rocket has scheduled time to make a NGLLC level one attempt later today... the xprize folks need to get to the FAR site (40 miles away from where they just covered the Masten Space flight).

Offline Retired Downrange

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From Paul's recent Blog entry

http://unreasonablerocket.blogspot.com/

 Good news...
I went to bed certain that our 180 second vehicle was dead. We split the tank over 20 inches of the main seam. My son and our welder Bob would not give up they got up at 6 am and spent the day grinding bending and otherwise beating the tank back into shape. They then re-welded the bad seam. At 2:30pm this afternoon it passed Hydro. Its clear that we are real close with little margin, but we do not pressurize in the presence of humans so even if it failed we would not hurt anyone. This was a 12 hr detour that we did not need. Its still a Hail Mary to be ready for the 180, but we are not yet dead.

As a result we are probably not going to be ready Friday Morning, its more likely we will try a Friday Afternoon flight and one or more Saturday Flights.
« Last Edit: 10/30/2009 07:02 pm by Retired Downrange »

Offline Retired Downrange

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 NGLLC09
We're rushing to pack up and get to FAR for @unrocket! #ngllc   
6 minutes ago from Tweetie

Offline jongoff

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Good luck Paul!

Offline meiza

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Ok, Unreasonable rocket are going to fly today on friday and tomorrow on saturday as well.
There might (not certain) be some video broadcast from a mobile phone at either
http://qik.com/NGLLC
or
http://qik.com/ngllc

Masten's L1 attempt was broadcast there.

Offline meiza

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Paul Breed said on twitter less than 24 hours ago "Our first flight will be no earlier than 130pm fri"

It's now 2.30 pm in California (I check the world clock Los Angeles time). Perhaps they are flying right now. No twitter updates, no video, nothing...
« Last Edit: 10/30/2009 08:34 pm by meiza »

Offline Retired Downrange

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 NGLLC09
Whoa, the FAR site is cool #ngllc   less than a minute ago from Tweetie


« Last Edit: 10/30/2009 08:53 pm by Retired Downrange »

Offline meiza

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Offline Robotbeat

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I set up a new thread in the live news section for their test:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=19296.0
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

Offline jongoff

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I wasn't sure where to put this, but Paul Breed just posted an update on his Blue Ball status.  He's repaired the damage from the NGLLC, and is also going to be trying to do a 1000ft flight this weekend at FAR.

http://unreasonablerocket.blogspot.com/2010/03/getting-ready-part-n.html

Should be a fun weekend.

~Jon

Offline Zapp

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Offline jongoff

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The title says it all

http://unreasonablerocket.blogspot.com/2010/03/blue-is-dead.html

Yeah, it was really sad.  The tethered test was one of the most stable I've seen on the blue ball, but on the free-flight, as it got up to speed it started rolling faster and faster.  I was in a viewing bunker, so I didn't see what happened at the top, I just saw Paul, Ben Brockert and Charles Pooley all start trying to dive into the control bunker.  I'm just glad Paul had the presence of mind to bring it down when it went out of control.  Trashing a vehicle that you've spent a year and lots of money on has got to be a heartbraking call, but the right one.  I'm glad nobody was seriously hurt.

~Jon

Offline Lee Jay

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I can't seem to post a comment there.  Tell them to send the damaged cards to the manufacturer and have them recover the data.  At least Sandisk is quite adept at that and I did once use that service in the past with spectacular results.

Offline jongoff

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Lee,
I forwarded your comment to Paul.

Here's a youtube video from someone who was a few feet away from me and my family at the time.  It goes out of focus a bunch, but still shows what basically happened:



~Jon

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