Lets post an actual Interorbital update ( or rather, non-update as these things usually are )www.satnews.com/story.php?number=60112970QuoteAccording to IOS, by mid-2017/early 2018, the firm will initiate launch services for smallsats to a circular, polar orbit at 310 km altitude. Their current manifest numbers 135 smallsats awaiting launch.The first flight date was early 2016 six months ago or so.
According to IOS, by mid-2017/early 2018, the firm will initiate launch services for smallsats to a circular, polar orbit at 310 km altitude. Their current manifest numbers 135 smallsats awaiting launch.
The company's first commercial flight is scheduled for next year."We're going through licensing now and we should be fully operational for orbital launches sometime in the second quarter of 2017," Ms Milliron said....Government support neededMember for Capricornia Michelle Landry met with Mr Moody in Rockhampton recently and said she would discuss the proposal with Minister for Innovation Greg Hunt in Canberra in the coming week."It's a very exciting idea and I was really interested to hear about it," she said.But Ms Landry admitted she was concerned about the viability of the proposal."On paper it sounds excellent, but I'm not an expert in these things, so I do need to seek advice on it," she said.[/b]
http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-18/aerospace-company-interorbital-systems-eyes-rockhampton-site/7926296US aerospace company Interorbital Systems eyes Rockhampton as place to set up launch pad
Mr Moody said his Moody Space Centre proposal was in its infancy and required $25 million in government funding..
Government support needed
Quote from: savuporo on 10/18/2016 12:17 amGovernment support neededNot a hope in hell.
"It's a very exciting idea and I was really interested to hear about it," she said.But Ms Landry admitted she was concerned about the viability of the proposal."On paper it sounds excellent, but I'm not an expert in these things, so I do need to seek advice on it," she said.
To further limit launch costs, Interorbital Systems plans to operate its own spaceport in the South Pacific nation of Tonga. In January, Tonga’s King George Tupou V approved plans for the spaceport, according to the Tongan national news magazine Matangi Tonga. Now, Interorbital Systems and Tongan government officials are working with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation to obtain a U.S. license for the Neptune 30 launch, Randa Milliron said.In late summer, Interorbital Systems plans to begin building the launch pad for the Neptune 30, which is scheduled to be completed in time to support an orbital launch in December. “We are creating a very minimal infrastructure,” Randa Milliron said. “A lot of the equipment is portable.”
Just to be sure, i'm not pulling anyone's legs.http://spacenews.com/californias-interorbital-has-big-plans-small-satellites/Feb, 2010QuoteTo further limit launch costs, Interorbital Systems plans to operate its own spaceport in the South Pacific nation of Tonga. In January, Tonga’s King George Tupou V approved plans for the spaceport, according to the Tongan national news magazine Matangi Tonga. Now, Interorbital Systems and Tongan government officials are working with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation to obtain a U.S. license for the Neptune 30 launch, Randa Milliron said.In late summer, Interorbital Systems plans to begin building the launch pad for the Neptune 30, which is scheduled to be completed in time to support an orbital launch in December. “We are creating a very minimal infrastructure,” Randa Milliron said. “A lot of the equipment is portable.”
Quote from: savuporo on 10/18/2016 04:08 pmJust to be sure, i'm not pulling anyone's legs.http://spacenews.com/californias-interorbital-has-big-plans-small-satellites/Feb, 2010QuoteTo further limit launch costs, Interorbital Systems plans to operate its own spaceport in the South Pacific nation of Tonga. In January, Tonga’s King George Tupou V approved plans for the spaceport, according to the Tongan national news magazine Matangi Tonga. Now, Interorbital Systems and Tongan government officials are working with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation to obtain a U.S. license for the Neptune 30 launch, Randa Milliron said.In late summer, Interorbital Systems plans to begin building the launch pad for the Neptune 30, which is scheduled to be completed in time to support an orbital launch in December. “We are creating a very minimal infrastructure,” Randa Milliron said. “A lot of the equipment is portable.”Tonga makes more sense than Queensland (unfortunately) but of course, being in the center of approximately nowhere, will suffer from the same remoteness issues that Kwajalein Atoll does although Kwajalein at least had some form of launch pad and radar range before SpaceX moved in.Still and all, the remoteness didn't stop SpaceX.. so no reason it should stop these guys.
Astrobotic, a Carnegie Mellon University spinoff company headquartered in the Strip District, bowed out of the competition in December when CEO John Thornton said the company would not be ready for a 2017 launch. Thornton doubted any team would land on the moon in 2017."He's a dropout," Randa Milliron said of Thornton quitting the competition and criticized him for disparaging the work of the other teams. "He knows nothing about how we're doing."
Interorbital has four high-profile launches. The company will test its guidance system this spring with a suborbital launch that will carry 11 small satellites payloads. The Millirons hope their first orbital flight will be in late summer. In the third quarter of this year, Interorbital will launch its Lunar Bullet mission, a rocket shot directly at the moon and aimed to slam into the lunar surface. The company's XPRIZE launch will happen by the end of the year, Milliron hopes. A NEPTUNE 8 rocket will fly to the moon, launch a lander that will deploy a rover to roll across the surface, snap a few photos and maybe some video, and win the $20 million Google Lunar XPRIZE in the process.But even that, Milliron said, is a test."Everything we're doing is a test launch for the next phase," she said.The company has two more moon missions planned for 2018, one that will return samples from the moon to Earth.
Interorbital Systems NEPTUNE modular rocket series: N3; N5; and N8 LUNA; and IOS Personal Satellite Kits will fill those needs. For example, the N5 is designed to launch 24 picosats at a time, for as little as $8,000 each, or from $1.5 million for a single dedicated 30-kg payload capacity. The popularity of this new service is evidenced by Interorbital’s current orbital launch manifest of 137 picosats for upcom-ing sold-out LEO Missions I-V. Flight-testing continues with orbital launches beginning summer of 2017, plus two Q4 Moon missions: Lunar Bullet and Google Lunar X PRIZE
In addition, the analysis and simulation for the three-stage NEPTUNE 1 (N1) has been completed. The N1 is composed of a single CPM 2.0 and two liquid upper-stages. It will be capable of placing a 10 pound (4.5 kg) payload into a 192 mi (310 km) polar orbit---perfect for the dedicated launch of the new 3U-CubeSat plus 1U-propulsion system assemblies now trending in the small satellite industry. Since the N1 launch vehicle is 36 ft (11 m) in length and weighs only 5,400 lbs (2,449 kg), it will be the smallest orbital launch vehicle in the world. The NEPTUNE 1 will also be the world's lowest-cost orbital launch vehicle, with a base price of $250,000 per launch to a circular polar orbit at 310km.
NEPTUNE 1 Guidance Test Vehicle (N1 GTV) Nearing CompletionMOJAVE 07.25.2017---The Interorbital team is nearing the completion of its N1 GTV launch vehicle which incorporates IOS' new high-efficiency CPM 2.0 filament-wound tank assembly, its new rocket engine gimballing system, its new CPM controller, and its new in-house developed guidance system. This finless, single CPM launch vehicle will be used in an upcoming low-altitude test flight. Eleven commercial and educational CubeSat and TubeSat payloads are manifested on this flight.CPM 2.0 is composed of four identical tanks containing the rocket's storable propellants and pressurant gas. This regulated pressure-fed configuration was chosen to increase engine performance while at the same time reducing cost and manufacturing time.During the test flight, the rocket will simulate an orbital launch trajectory by using the main rocket engine's throttling capability to vary the thrust-to-weight ratio, thus simulating the actual conditions that will be experienced during an orbital launch. After the rocket passes through the transonic phase and Max Q, the engine will gradually throttle down, slowing the rocket until it begins to hover. At this point, the rocket engine will be shut down and the rocket will be allowed to fall. At a safe altitude, a parachute will be deployed for vehicle and payload recovery.Following the test of the N1 GTV launch vehicle, the IOS team will construct an orbital version of the N1 launch vehicle. The N1 consists of a single CPM 2.0 and two liquid upper-stages. It will be capable of placing a 14 pound (6.4 kg) payload into a 192 mi (310 km) polar orbit---perfect for the dedicated launch of the new 3U-CubeSat plus 1U-propulsion system assemblies now trending in the small satellite industry. Since the N1 launch vehicle is 36 ft (11 m) in length and weighs only 5,400 lbs (2,449 kg), it will be the smallest orbital launch vehicle in the world. The NEPTUNE 1 will also be the world's lowest-cost orbital launch vehicle, with a base price of $250,000 (academic only) per launch to a circular polar orbit at 310km.
Randa Milliron @interorbital 2h2 hours agoInterorbital Rolls out NEPTUNE CPM 2.0 Test Rocket!Successfully conducts water-flow test 10/16/17
More info at link below. Will be carrying 11 smallsat payloads. Scheduled for fourth quarter 2017.http://satmagazine.com/story.php?number=1600200139
