RocketLab is now 15 for 17, with launch 18 coming up tomorrow.Has any other launcher on the list made orbit more than once?(Perhaps I can make a post with links for each. I was unsuccessful in finding threads on most of the Chinese small rockets.Here is a thread on the Kuaizhou-11 whose maiden launch failed.The thread for Glactic Energy stops before the successful launch of Ceres-1.)
Quote from: Comga on 01/18/2021 02:59 amRocketLab is now 15 for 17, with launch 18 coming up tomorrow.Has any other launcher on the list made orbit more than once?(Perhaps I can make a post with links for each. I was unsuccessful in finding threads on most of the Chinese small rockets.Here is a thread on the Kuaizhou-11 whose maiden launch failed.The thread for Glactic Energy stops before the successful launch of Ceres-1.)None of the others have launched more than once yet. Hyperbola-1's 2nd flight is supposed to be around Q1 2021 but news are pretty unclear at present.
A comparison of some smallsat launchers that have reached orbit. PL to 500 km LEO/S GLOW-----------------------------------------Pegasus XL 260 kg 23,130 kgFalcon 1 290 kg 33,230 kgElectron/Curie 200 kg 12,550 kgSS-520 3 kg 2,600 kgHyperbola-1 260 kg 31,000 kgJielong 1 200 kg 23,100 kgCeres-1 260 kg 31,000 kgLauncherOne 300 kg 25,855 kg----------------------------------------- - Ed Kyle
PL to 500 km LEO/S GLOW-----------------------------------------Pegasus XL 260 kg 23,130 kgFalcon 1 290 kg 33,230 kgElectron/Curie 200 kg 12,550 kgSS-520 3 kg 2,600 kgHyperbola-1 260 kg 31,000 kgJielong 1 200 kg 23,100 kgCeres-1 260 kg 31,000 kgLauncherOne 300 kg 25,855 kg-----------------------------------------
Quote from: edkyle99 on 01/18/2021 08:45 pmA comparison of some smallsat launchers that have reached orbit. PL to 500 km LEO/S GLOW-----------------------------------------Pegasus XL 260 kg 23,130 kgFalcon 1 290 kg 33,230 kgElectron/Curie 200 kg 12,550 kgSS-520 3 kg 2,600 kgHyperbola-1 260 kg 31,000 kgJielong 1 200 kg 23,100 kgCeres-1 260 kg 31,000 kgLauncherOne 300 kg 25,855 kg----------------------------------------- - Ed KyleI thought I'd add the Payload/Gross Lift Off Weight ratio for comparison. Electron is the best by far out of the lot, performing 37% better than LauncherOne, which has the assistance of air launch! PL to 500 km LEO/S GLOW PL/GLOW (%)----------------------------------------------------Pegasus XL 260 kg 23,130 kg 1.12Falcon 1 290 kg 33,230 kg 0.87Electron/Curie 200 kg 12,550 kg 1.59SS-520 3 kg 2,600 kg 0.12Hyperbola-1 260 kg 31,000 kg 0.84Jielong 1 200 kg 23,100 kg 0.87Ceres-1 260 kg 31,000 kg 0.84LauncherOne 300 kg 25,855 kg 1.16----------------------------------------------------
Looks like old numbers for Launcher One. The V2.1 payload user guide has updated numbers. Looks like at least 500 kg to 500 km SSO.
Plus, Electron is carbon fiber, doesn't have stresses from airlaunch, and has a kickstage which acts as a third stage.
Quote from: Robotbeat on 01/21/2021 03:08 amPlus, Electron is carbon fiber, doesn't have stresses from airlaunch, and has a kickstage which acts as a third stage.My understanding is that LauncherOne is also carbon fiber: their website describe the vehicle as being "All Carbon Structures: All-carbon composite design, including linerless tanks, minimizing mass." Which doesn't explain why it's white, while Electron and Firefly Alpha (also a carbon-composite design) leave the black structure unpainted. Maybe they're more concerned about boil-off relative to those two ground-based systems which can replenish LOX up until just before launch?
Aren't most launch vehicles also just painted white using electrostatic paint? I never understood how RocketLab got away without using any paint.
There was some drastic changes to this rocket with respect to the one on the 1st launch.https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1356184380108988416?s=19
Cosmic_Penguin·Feb 1, 2021Weird. Sounds like the rumored theory that they and other Chinese private LSPs bought off-the-shelf SRMs for their first rockets from their competitors, but got their supplies cut afterward is actually true?
This is why I think that the Chinese “private” small rocket companies using solid fuel rockets are not like the other smallsat launchers. The launch of Hyperbola Y2 failed. I’m not a big fan of LauncherOne but at least they have a production rocket. Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 02/01/2021 09:30 amThere was some drastic changes to this rocket with respect to the one on the 1st launch.https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1356184380108988416?s=19Quote Cosmic_Penguin·Feb 1, 2021Weird. Sounds like the rumored theory that they and other Chinese private LSPs bought off-the-shelf SRMs for their first rockets from their competitors, but got their supplies cut afterward is actually true?
Update 02-26: Firefly slips from Q1, Astra slips from Q2 (if there won't be another test launch inbetween), SSLV confirmed for (early) Q2, OS-M re-added, Vikram added, RFA One slips from 2022 to 2023Note 03-02: Astra confirmed for summerSmallsat launcher schedule / first (successful) orbital flight since thread opening:2018-01 Electron US/NZ Rocket Lab2018-03 SS-520 Japan Nissan2019-07 Hyperbola-1 China iSpace2019-08 Jielong-1 China Chinarocket (state-owned)2020-04 Qased Iran (military)2020-11 Ceres-1 China Galactic Energy2021-01 LauncherOne US Virgin OrbitAnnounced or expected (NET)2021-Q2 SSLV India ISRO (state-owned)2021-Q2 Firefly α US/Ukr Firefly2021-Q2 RS1 US ABL2021-Q3 Rocket US Astra2021 Simorgh Iran (state-owned)2021 OS-M China OneSpace2021 Jielong-2 China Chinarocket (state-owned)2021 Kuaizhou-11 China ExPace (state-owned)2021 Nebula-1 China Deep Blue2022 Terran 1 US Relativity2022 (unnamed) Japan Space One2022 Prime UK Orbex2022 Vikram India Skyroot2022 Spectrum Germany ISAR Aerospace2022 Eris Australia GilmourSome of the 2022 dates (like Spectrum and Eris) are very optimistic. 2023+ not listed, as launch dates so far in the future are too unreliable. Bogus projects not listed.Unclear - no update on launch date:- Super Stripy derivate (X-Bow/US), announced for 2019- Blue Whale 1 (Perigee/Korea), announced for 2020- Hapith V (Tispace/Taiwan), announced for 2020- Newline-1 (Linkspace/China), announced for 2021 in early 2019Canceled: Boeing XS-1, Zhuque-1 (Landspace/China)
<snip>Nissan would be very surprised to hear they launched a rocket.Canon Electronics/Space One is still penciled in for fall 2021 after launchpad completion, but rumor mill says 2022 at least.
