Author Topic: Microcosm Qualifies All Composite Cryo Lox Tank (Read 5459 times)

bad_astra · « **on:** 08/28/2006 05:52 pm »

Found this interesting:
http://www.smad.com/42_inch_tank_pressrelease.pdf

Good to see they are still doing work.

spacedreams · « **Reply #1 on:** 08/28/2006 11:41 pm »

This is really good to hear. Ever since I met Dr Wertz at a conference a few years ago I have been following his progress. This guy is the real deal. He has a solid fundamental base and he literally wrote the book on spacecraft design. I predict that in a couple years Microcosm will be the premier low-cost launch provider

josh_simonson · « **Reply #2 on:** 08/28/2006 11:53 pm »

An no competitor will be able to use composite tanks without the blessing of Microcosm's patent lawyers.

Jim · « **Reply #3 on:** 08/29/2006 12:33 am »

Not true.

josh_simonson · « **Reply #4 on:** 08/29/2006 05:46 am »

Oh yeah, no smaller competitor who's project isn't of 'compelling national interest'.

Jim · « **Reply #5 on:** 08/29/2006 11:39 am »

Quote

josh_simonson - 28/8/2006 7:40 PM

An no competitor will be able to use composite tanks without the blessing of Microcosm's patent lawyers.

Anybody can use composite tanks. They don't have a patent on that idea

bad_astra · « **Reply #6 on:** 08/29/2006 04:54 pm »

They may have a patent on some particular process. If they could liscence it and make some revenue, good for them. If not, I still like their design. They are talking about medium lift a bit more now, so I assume they are thinking long the Otrag-style big-dumb-pressure-fed-booster. There isn't much market for a small LV (nor, really, for a medium) unless the price is brough WAY down. I think they honestly have a better shot at lowering cost to orbit then SpaceX, though they lack the capital to make it happen. In the meantime they sell other products and have managed to stay in business for awhile.

spacedreams · « **Reply #7 on:** 08/29/2006 05:25 pm »

From the material I saw before they are using simple pressure fed systems. Actually their niche right now is small-medium launch vehicles. They seem to be targeting the "responsive space" market that the military is so keen on now. The military wants to have small simple spacecraft that they can get into orbit quickly and cheaply. Microcosm already has a few contracts with government types and I think their first launch is coming up next year. They just spend more of thier money and effort on the technology rather than a PR machine so you may just not hear much about them.

bad_astra · « **Reply #8 on:** 08/29/2006 06:28 pm »

A few years ago one of the X-Prize competitors, Da Vinci Project, used a picture of one of their engines without permission as if Microcosm were doing the work for them. Took awhile for them to take it down, actually.