Stratolaunch: General Company and Development Updates and Discussions

[yg1968]

Have not seen it here, but OSC revealed details of their launch vehicle last week at the Space Symposium. They had a model on display.

Anything you can share?

Incidentally, the spacenews article seems to be based on information that they obtained at the space symposium.

[Blackstar]

Anything you can share?

Incidentally, the spacenews article seems to be based on information that they obtained at the space symposium.

Here you go.

[Blackstar]

They also had a flier and a video. I'd have to scan the flyer, but you can probably surf their website and find info there.

[baldusi]

Did you look at the back of the model? Did it had a single big nozzle (like a solid) or multiple (like a liquid)? Because for its width and assuming it has a second stage enclosed in the fairing, the lines in the body might indicate the section of two different tanks.

[yg1968]

They also had a flier and a video. I'd have to scan the flyer, but you can probably surf their website and find info there.

Thanks, the images are great!  Scanning the flyer would also be very much appreciated. I don't see any information about the rocket on either Orbital's or Stratolaunch's website.

[Blackstar]

The flyer is not where I am at this moment. I'll scan and post tomorrow. I cannot remember if it is solid or liquid. Somebody asked them and was told that it is not derived from Antares.

[bubbagret]

I would speculate that Perseus might be an apt moniker for this beast. Would that be an all solid vehicle like it's sibling or could that possibly be a liquid upper stage. Maybe something akin to a Fregat stage?

[R7]

Looks very rear-heavy rocket. I guess stages 1&2 solid and 3rd liquid stage inside the fairing.

[baldusi]

Well, Liquid has the trouble of replenishment and, depending on the release mechanics, how to keep the pressure and avoid cavitation on the feed lines. On the other hand, given that the carry plane is payload limited, liquid would optimize the payload to orbit.

[Oli]

Looks expensive, why not make the first solid stage longer and get rid of the mammoth plane?

[sdsds]

Looks expensive, why not make the first solid stage longer and get rid of the mammoth plane?

Because they're optimizing for something other than $/kg delivered to orbit. Exactly what they are optimizing for is worth speculation. My guess is that they want what would have been called "operational responsiveness" had that term not lost favor.

[zt]

What are the commercial applications of "operational responsiveness"?

[simonbp]

My speculation would be MX/Peacemaker derived first and second stages (ATK SR118 and SR119) and low-density (LH2?) upper stage. Most of the delta v would come from the upper stage, with the solid stages flying a very steep ascent profile. So, Minotaur on steroids, with wings?

[yg1968]

Looks expensive, why not make the first solid stage longer and get rid of the mammoth plane?

The obvious answer is that they are a contractor for Stratolaunch. Secondly, part of the reason for using the Stratolaunch plane is to reduce the cost of the infrastructure for launch.

I don't know if Orbital will build a capsule or if it that is a future capability to be added.

[simonbp]

Yeah, Stratrolaunch really needs a LV ready as quick as possible, and using off the self solid motors can reduce the development costs, especially as that's Orbital's experience base.

[Lar]

Yeah, Stratrolaunch really needs a LV ready as quick as possible, and using off the self solid motors can reduce the development costs, especially as that's Orbital's experience base.

Why do they need one as quickly as possible (other than the usual reason that time is money)? Do they have launch contracts already?

[Comga]

Looks expensive, why not make the first solid stage longer and get rid of the mammoth plane?

Try reading from page 1 of this thread.

Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, also a Stratolaunch board member, joined Allen and Rutan at a press conference in Seattle to announce the project. “We believe this technology has the potential to someday make spaceflight routine by removing many of the constraints associated with ground launched rockets,” Griffin said. “Our system will also provide the flexibility to launch from a large variety of locations.”

You will also find that some have asked precisely your question, and others have tried to answer it.

[sdsds]

What are the commercial applications of "operational responsiveness"?

Other than the commerce in selling services to the government? i'm guessing the big one is contingency replenishment of satellite constellations. If several of your orbital planes were operating on sats with short remaining life expectancies, but you didn't know which would fail first, having a warm spare on the ground and a launcher that could put it into any of your orbital planes might be cost effective compared with launching an on-orbit hot spare into each of those planes.

[Blackstar]

What are the commercial applications of "operational responsiveness"?

Other than the commerce in selling services to the government? i'm guessing the big one is contingency replenishment of satellite constellations. If several of your orbital planes were operating on sats with short remaining life expectancies, but you didn't know which would fail first, having a warm spare on the ground and a launcher that could put it into any of your orbital planes might be cost effective compared with launching an on-orbit hot spare into each of those planes.

Yeah, and there's no commercial requirement for that. People keep imagining military uses for it, but military space is hurting right now, they've been trying to kill the ORS office for a couple of years, and there's no indication that they could spit out payloads fast enough to replenish them.

If you have to squint and invent explanations for something that seems illogical, maybe you should just accept that there's a different kind of logic at play. Personally, I think a billionaire wants to own the largest plane in the world, and launch rockets from it. If I had lots of money, I'd do the same thing.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Personally, I think a billionaire wants to own the largest plane in the world, and launch rockets from it. If I had lots of money, I'd do the same thing.

I also wonder if after the success of SS1 he was a bit too easily swayed by Burt Rutan's enthusiasm for air-launch. Scaled studied a very large Custom Launch Aircraft before: http://www.airlaunchllc.com/AIAA-2008-7835-176.pdf

The launch aircraft had a takeoff gross weight 60% larger than a 747.  It could carry a 680,000 pound payload to an altitude of 50,000 feet and launch at Mach 0.7.

Edit: the second attached figure may also be the CLA from this 2007 Rutan presentation http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2007pto/Wednesday/MrBurtRutan.pdf