Vector Launch (formerly Vector Space Systems)

[Lars-J]

A popular mechanics story on Vector...

https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a24841471/vector-satellite-startup-jim-cantrell/

Jim Cantrell, a quiet force behind the new U.S. space industry, is on the verge of an orbital launch with his small satellite launch company, Vector. Here he delves into the past and future of the space industry, as only a veteran who has Forest Gump-ed his way through aerospace history can do.

On the verge of an orbital launch? I'd like to believe so, but their progress seem to suggest otherwise.

[CameronD]

On the verge of an orbital launch? I'd like to believe so, but their progress seem to suggest otherwise.

Well, I'd give them some marks for aiming high.  After all, they wouldn't be the only ones out there subscribing to the spin that "sub-orbital" is simply sub-optimal "orbital".. and oh-so-close, maybe-next-time.   

[Lars-J]

On the verge of an orbital launch? I'd like to believe so, but their progress seem to suggest otherwise.

Well, I'd give them some marks for aiming high.  After all, they wouldn't be the only ones out there subscribing to the spin that "sub-orbital" is simply sub-optimal "orbital".. and oh-so-close, maybe-next-time.   

Oh they would get plenty more credibility if they were suborbital (as in space but suborbital) - what is their current max altitude? A few km?

[CameronD]

On the verge of an orbital launch? I'd like to believe so, but their progress seem to suggest otherwise.

Well, I'd give them some marks for aiming high.  After all, they wouldn't be the only ones out there subscribing to the spin that "sub-orbital" is simply sub-optimal "orbital".. and oh-so-close, maybe-next-time.   

Oh they would get plenty more credibility if they were suborbital (as in space but suborbital) - what is their current max altitude? A few km?

Sub-optimal sub-orbital then.  Any lower and they wouldn't leave the launch tower. 

I'll have to remember that one next time I get in a commercial airliner.


 

[ZachF]

On the verge of an orbital launch? I'd like to believe so, but their progress seem to suggest otherwise.

Well, I'd give them some marks for aiming high.  After all, they wouldn't be the only ones out there subscribing to the spin that "sub-orbital" is simply sub-optimal "orbital".. and oh-so-close, maybe-next-time.   

Oh they would get plenty more credibility if they were suborbital (as in space but suborbital) - what is their current max altitude? A few km?

Sub-optimal sub-orbital then.  Any lower and they wouldn't leave the launch tower. 

I'll have to remember that one next time I get in a commercial airliner.

subantepenultimorbital 

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/vectorspacesys/status/1063665000365977600

[QuantumG]

Blowdown pressure fed. You can see the pressure falling off. Looks good.

[gongora]

2036-EX-ST-2018

The proposed launch site will be Randsburg, CA at the Friends of Amateur Rocketry (FAR) launch complex, which is located at 35.348°N, -117.810°W, and is situated at an altitude of 1050 m. The B0.003 launch vehicle will not exceed 10000 ft (3048 m) above the launch site and will not travel further than 5km away from the launch site.

For this application we would like to submit approval for the following range of dates; December 17th, 2018 to June 1st, 2019. However, the planned launch date for Vector-R B0.003 is targeted for midJanuary 2019 from Randsburg, CA.

[ringsider]

2036-EX-ST-2018
The proposed launch site will be Randsburg, CA at the Friends of Amateur Rocketry (FAR) launch complex, which is located at 35.348°N, -117.810°W, and is situated at an altitude of 1050 m. The B0.003 launch vehicle will not exceed 10000 ft (3048 m) above the launch site and will not travel further than 5km away from the launch site.

Is it factual to call it a "launch vehicle" if it doesn't go above 3km? What are they launching?

And without being overly negative, it;s fair to compare this to amateurs like Copenhagen Suborbitals who go to 10km-12km on a shoestring, without burning tens of millions of dollars:-

https://copenhagensuborbitals.com/the-full-story-of-the-nexo-ii-mission-august-2018/

[QuantumG]

Is it factual to call it a "launch vehicle" if it doesn't go above 3km? What are they launching?

There's no minimum altitude in the legal definition.

And without being overly negative, it;s fair to compare this to amateurs like Copenhagen Suborbitals who go to 10km-12km on a shoestring, without burning tens of millions of dollars

Sure.

[Lars-J]

I guess we missed this here in this thread:

It's nice to see some real hardware.   

https://twitter.com/jamesncantrell/status/1078803319760523265

Some recent images of our Vector-R B1001 vehicle coming together in the @vectorspacesys Huntington Beach facility.  This vehicle will be our first one to space launched from Kodiak Island Alaska in Q1 2019.  Its coming along nicely !

Image 1: Panorama of the first stage components
Image 2: First stage components (no engines installed) with 2nd stage in the background (no engine)
Image 3: 2nd stage structure

[ethan829]

We also got a look at the second stage engine:
https://twitter.com/jamesncantrell/status/1078805444754321408

[jongoff]

We also got a look at the second stage engine:
https://twitter.com/jamesncantrell/status/1078805444754321408

Cool, that nozzle is made by Compositex--they did the carbon fiber tanks for Xoie while I was at Masten. Small world!

~Jon

[russianhalo117]

2036-EX-ST-2018
The proposed launch site will be Randsburg, CA at the Friends of Amateur Rocketry (FAR) launch complex, which is located at 35.348°N, -117.810°W, and is situated at an altitude of 1050 m. The B0.003 launch vehicle will not exceed 10000 ft (3048 m) above the launch site and will not travel further than 5km away from the launch site.

Is it factual to call it a "launch vehicle" if it doesn't go above 3km? What are they launching?

And without being overly negative, it;s fair to compare this to amateurs like Copenhagen Suborbitals who go to 10km-12km on a shoestring, without burning tens of millions of dollars:-

https://copenhagensuborbitals.com/the-full-story-of-the-nexo-ii-mission-august-2018/

It is a one off test flight testing stage sep, stage 2 press without ignition and fairing sep. That is the sole purpose to the one off flight. It is also the last Garvey airframe before switching to Carbon-Graphite composite materials.

[gongora]

Vector Announces Dedicated Launch of Hiber Nanosat This Year

Microsatellite launch company continues to expand manifest ahead of first orbital attempt

TUCSON, Ariz., Jan. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vector, a space access company serving the over $300 billion space market, today announced it will conduct a dedicated launch of a nanosatellite for Hiber later this year from the Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska in Kodiak. Hiber, a Dutch company with two nanosatellites already in orbit, plans to utilize the Vector-R dedicated small satellite launch system to deploy its nanosatellite.

"There are many risk factors that inherently come with launching satellites, but Vector's dedicated launch model significantly reduces that risk for satellite operators. Vector is thrilled to have Hiber as one of our first payload customers," said Robert R. Cleave, Chief Revenue Officer at Vector. "We are honored to be selected to launch this important mission."

Hiber was founded in 2016 with the goal to deliver Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity to the 90% of the globe currently lacking a network. It is the first Dutch commercial satellite operator and, as of November 2018, is the first organization to be providing a fully global IoT-connectivity network. Hiber is already working with more than 25 customers, including the British Antarctic Survey, which is using the network to transmit data from remote measurement stations currently lacking satellite communications. It has also partnered with EduClima, which is bringing climate stations to schools in remote areas of Peru, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka in order to education tomorrow's smart farmers, and Blik Sensing, which is managing water resources by providing insight into global groundwater levels.

"Vector is an important partner who will help us achieve our goals. They offer the type of product and the size of payload we need to achieve orbit. As a start-up in the booming NewSpace industry, it is important for us to work with a company like Vector who clearly has the background and expertise to help us continue to successfully launch our satellites," said Maarten Engelen, Chief Technology Officer at Hiber. "Vector has worked closely with our team to ensure our confidence, and we look forward to working with the team on the launch of our third nanosatellite and on missions to come."

Coming on the heels of its Series B funding, Vector recently expanded its sales and marketing teams, including the hire of a Chief Revenue Officer, Robert R. Cleave. Vector has made significant strides over the last year toward its first orbital launch by achieving many technical milestones and proving out the company's responsive launch capabilities, a major differentiator in the small satellite launch industry. Throughout 2019, Vector will ramp up testing of critical elements of the Vector-R launch vehicle, leading up to its inaugural orbital launch.

[jamesh9000]

Throughout 2019, Vector will ramp up testing of critical elements of the Vector-R launch vehicle, leading up to its inaugural orbital launch.

This sounds like corporatespeak for "we're not actually launching to space in Q1 like we said, it's more like Q4" without actually bringing too much attention to it.

[ringsider]

Throughout 2019, Vector will ramp up testing of critical elements of the Vector-R launch vehicle, leading up to its inaugural orbital launch.

Here we see some elements of the truth. They are not going to orbit any time soon. The Q1 launch will be a suborbital flight - they call it "space" like Virgin Galactic calls the 80km line "space".

[QuantumG]

Here we see some elements of the truth. They are not going to orbit any time soon. The Q1 launch will be a suborbital flight - they call it "space" like Virgin Galactic calls the 80km line "space".

It'd be impressive if they did. You can count the number of teams who have reached space with their own in-house liquid propellant engines on one hand. I can't think of one that has done it with a methane engine...

[Bananas_on_Mars]

Here we see some elements of the truth. They are not going to orbit any time soon. The Q1 launch will be a suborbital flight - they call it "space" like Virgin Galactic calls the 80km line "space".

It'd be impressive if they did. You can count the number of teams who have reached space with their own in-house liquid propellant engines on one hand. I can't think of one that has done it with a methane engine...

Their propellant is Propylene/Lox.

The engines at least resemble the engines Microcosm designed for their Scorpius Launch vehicles, there might . They are using pressurefed engines and have been testing 3d printed injectors for quite some time.
I really don't know what's holding them back so far, my guess would be avionics...

[russianhalo117]

Here we see some elements of the truth. They are not going to orbit any time soon. The Q1 launch will be a suborbital flight - they call it "space" like Virgin Galactic calls the 80km line "space".

It'd be impressive if they did. You can count the number of teams who have reached space with their own in-house liquid propellant engines on one hand. I can't think of one that has done it with a methane engine...

Their propellant is Propylene/Lox.

The engines at least resemble the engines Microcosm designed for their Scorpius Launch vehicles, there might . They are using pressurefed engines and have been testing 3d printed injectors for quite some time.
I really don't know what's holding them back so far, my guess would be avionics...

Switching from Garvey Space Systems flight hardware tube, aluminium stages and traditional engines to new VSS composite stages with fully 3d printed engine components assembled with a Carbon fibre MCC and Nozzle (with ablative cooling). The GSS P rockets did all of the avionics, tvc and other hardware flight tests. Now the new materials and engines have to finish stand alone and combined systems tests.