ABL Space Systems: General Thread

[JEF_300]

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1455217850432606223?s=20


New article about first kuiper launches says ABL will be launching the first two satellites. It also has a really nice render that I'm going to add to my desktop background slideshow.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/01/science/amazon-satellite-launch.html

EDIT: Also, I think this is a new first stage photo:

[moddedLimes]

Looks like the correspondence with the FCC has some interesting information about the trajectory and the sequence of events for ABL's first flight (https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=285566&x=.)

For their sequence of events:

Event Time (sec) GeodeticLatitude (°) GeodeticLongitude (°) Altitude (m)
Liftoff 0 57.43068449 207.6469716 50.8656336
MECO  155.7639523 56.84411612 207.7200543 64366.29975
Stage Sep 159.2639523 56.78455616 207.7273074 68605.14288
S2 Startup 1 159.2639523 56.78455616 207.7273074 68605.14288
Fairing Sep 199.2639523 56.06237553 207.8093044 112239.3312
SECO1 511.5902173 44.89332812 208.5158663 210605.1873
Payload Dep 661.5902173 34.68408115 208.8065773 211965.1766
S2 Startup 2 3051.990217 -56.12020822 16.39833473 376037.7966
SECO2 3052.890217 -56.06196733 16.40443854 376017.5542

For their Trajectory:

Time_sec x (km) y (km) z (km) x dot (km/s) y dot (km/s) z dot (km/s)
0 -3048.733722 -1597.023316 5351.913857 0 0 0
60 -3051.286549 -1598.383492 5355.447728 -0.134521598 -0.073784767 0.144278106
120 -3077.419835 -1613.553609 5366.909891 -0.895825468 -0.530207792 0.177387734
180 -3173.799659 -1671.222617 5367.389584 -1.977676966 -1.186324027 -0.223457653
240 -3296.84931 -1745.072509 5337.452919 -2.136089201 -1.282582761 -0.786603813
300 -3431.552621 -1825.963773 5271.589203 -2.367450973 -1.421654574 -1.423118005
360 -3582.884477 -1916.814317 5164.497536 -2.69680503 -1.618469234 -2.169841717
420 -3758.278789 -2022.037917 5007.463119 -3.184338796 -1.909851507 -3.1071564
480 -3971.202789 -2149.761269 4783.954827 -3.993340639 -2.396703241 -4.443088185
540 -4240.102675 -2311.139851 4467.911664 -4.572844753 -2.73327349 -5.710935715
600 -4504.324564 -2468.0422 4114.279756 -4.230548222 -2.495132125 -6.071818748
660 -4747.305601 -2610.369601 3739.908673 -3.865113339 -2.247686747 -6.401944609
720 -4967.712304 -2737.608233 3346.695526 -3.478389709 -1.99242343 -6.699620483
780 -5164.326069 -2849.334304 2936.633514 -3.072355067 -1.730855219 -6.963337896
840 -5336.050485 -2945.215348 2511.800576 -2.649102475 -1.464511609 -7.191782189
900 -5481.917841 -3025.010899 2074.347512 -2.210826539 -1.194927935 -7.383840407
960 -5601.094786 -3088.57252 1626.485691 -1.759808797 -0.923634774 -7.538607523
1020 -5692.887087 -3135.843206 1170.474427 -1.29840243 -0.652147497 -7.655390927
1080 -5756.743459 -3166.85616 708.6081479 -0.829016483 -0.381956053 -7.733713129
1140 -5792.258434 -3181.732973 243.2034491 -0.354099755 -0.114515124 -7.773312644
1200 -5799.174256 -3180.681222 -223.4138454 0.12387543 0.14876526 -7.774143056
1260 -5777.381813 -3163.991525 -688.921515 0.602429367 0.406528529 -7.736370284
1320 -5726.920597 -3132.034086 -1151.013557 1.079090823 0.657479699 -7.660368117
1380 -5647.977738 -3085.254774 -1607.412483 1.551412381 0.900392724 -7.546712123
1440 -5540.886123 -3024.170788 -2055.881207 2.016985094 1.134117002 -7.396172092
1500 -5406.12168 -2949.365957 -2494.234439 2.473452279 1.357582976 -7.209703189
1560 -5244.299844 -2861.485734 -2920.349515 2.918522335 1.569806797 -6.988436031
1620 -5056.171297 -2761.231934 -3332.176601 3.349980494 1.769894062 -6.733665911
1680 -4842.617033 -2649.357284 -3727.748241 3.765699471 1.957042622 -6.446841359
1740 -4604.64282 -2526.659817 -4105.188187 4.163648986 2.130544516 -6.129552255
1800 -4343.373117 -2393.977192 -4462.719524 4.541904177 2.289787065 -5.783517659
1860 -4060.044527 -2252.180961 -4798.672045 4.898652919 2.434253194 -5.41057352
1920 -3755.998841 -2102.170838 -5111.488904 5.232202103 2.563521032 -5.01266039
1980 -3432.675728 -1944.869019 -5399.732519 5.540982913 2.677262852 -4.59181128
2040 -3091.60515 -1781.214581 -5662.089764 5.823555159 2.775243435 -4.150139762
2100 -2734.399532 -1612.157988 -5897.376455 6.078610747 2.857317899 -3.68982841
2160 -2362.745752 -1438.655755 -6104.541153 6.304976357 2.923429087 -3.213117658
2220 -1978.396992 -1261.665266 -6282.668314 6.501615426 2.973604568 -2.722295137
2280 -1583.164493 -1082.139793 -6430.98081 6.66762953 3.007953331 -2.219685534
2340 -1178.909229 -901.023713 -6548.841866 6.802259263 3.026662236 -1.707640968
2400 -767.5335603 -719.2479489 -6635.756429 6.904884705 3.029992279 -1.188531894
2460 -350.9728497 -537.7256357 -6691.372006 6.975025566 3.018274733 -0.6647385
2520 68.81290779 -357.3480222 -6715.479002 7.012341085 2.991907207 -0.138642551
2580 489.8474504 -178.9806103 -6708.010582 7.016629731 2.951349656 0.387380382
2640 910.146591 -3.459534271 -6669.04207 6.987828766 2.897120378 0.910968352
2700 1327.726528 168.4118197 -6598.78992 6.92601369 2.829792015 1.429780212
2760 1740.612122 335.8659549 -6497.610257 6.831397599 2.749987571 1.941502604
2820 2146.845128 498.1741664 -6365.996999 6.704330433 2.658376453 2.443856814
2880 2544.492381 654.6492076 -6204.57958 6.545298129 2.55567054 2.934605576
2940 2931.65393 804.6477208 -6014.120256 6.354921639 2.442620263 3.411559877
3000 3306.471102 947.5724331 -5795.511004 6.133955771 2.320010712 3.872585804
3060 3667.436282 1082.989333 -5549.552 5.923221844 2.203878182 4.344454212
3120 4014.591317 1211.070373 -5276.091321 5.64389798 2.064234564 4.767374558

[PM3]

Here is a dedicated thread for ABL's first launch attempt:

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=55274.0

[Daniels30]

ABL Space Systems Leases 100K Building in El Segundo
https://therealdeal.com/la/2021/12/02/takeoff-satellite-rocket-startup-signs-for-100k-sf-in-el-segundo/

[Daniels30]

Some BTS shots of RS1
https://www.fastcompany.com/90694474/future-447-billion-space-industry-15-incredible-pictures-abl-relativity-millennium

[trimeta]

I think it's been said before, but I'm still unclear on how isogrid tanks line up with their low launch costs. For that matter, I also don't understand how the RS1 delivers more payload to orbit than Firefly Alpha or Terran 1 while having lower thrust on both the first and second stages than those vehicles.

[feliciadawkins]

I think it's been said before, but I'm still unclear on how isogrid tanks line up with their low launch costs. For that matter, I also don't understand how the RS1 delivers more payload to orbit than Firefly Alpha or Terran 1 while having lower thrust on both the first and second stages than those vehicles.

Isogrid is not expensive if you mill it in 3-axis then form it, which ABL appears to do. Maybe RS1 has a better mass fraction than those other rockets (I don't think either one has any internal stiffeners at all?).

[JEF_300]

I think it's been said before, but I'm still unclear on how isogrid tanks line up with their low launch costs. For that matter, I also don't understand how the RS1 delivers more payload to orbit than Firefly Alpha or Terran 1 while having lower thrust on both the first and second stages than those vehicles.

Relativity is 3D printing, which mean that in a lot of places where you might want to make it thinner, it needs to be that thick so the print doesn't collapse. That problem is compounded by the lack of internal stiffeners and the fact that they went with Methalox, and therefore that their whole rocket is bigger. Terran 1 is gonna have a significantly higher drymass than a traditionally constructed rocket of the same size.

As for Firefly... I don't know. Maybe the E2 engine is just plain more efficient than the Reaver? That doesn't seem too unlikely. Afterall, E2 is gas-generator and Reaver is tap-off. The more common and well understood cycle of the E2 give ABL more room to push the limits, while Firefly probably had to innovate just to make Reaver work at all. That's pure speculation though; the isp of Reaver is not impressive, but I don't think we know the isp of the E2.

[edzieba]

I think it's been said before, but I'm still unclear on how isogrid tanks line up with their low launch costs. For that matter, I also don't understand how the RS1 delivers more payload to orbit than Firefly Alpha or Terran 1 while having lower thrust on both the first and second stages than those vehicles.

Isogrid is not expensive if you mill it in 3-axis then form it, which ABL appears to do. Maybe RS1 has a better mass fraction than those other rockets (I don't think either one has any internal stiffeners at all?).

"Mill, then form" is how ULA assembles isogrid and orthogrid panels for Atlas, Delta and Vulcan.

[gongora]

New experimental permit request for launch 1962-EX-ST-2021, NET Jan. 31

[TrevorMonty]

New experimental permit request for launch 1962-EX-ST-2021, NET Jan. 31

31Jan -July22.

Sent from my SM-G570Y using Tapatalk

[PM3]

FCC does not understand what PSCA LP-3C is. 

1) You have marked the tranmitting Antenna as "Mobile". The section that describes the mobile antenna says, "LP-3C PSCA". What exactly does LP-3C PSCA mean? Don't use Acronym.

2) The following "What STA is necessary" and "Purpose of operation" says Commercial launch. What is the application for this frequency request? Provide a detailed description.

https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=287531

[D_Dom]

I did not see this Port of Long Beach (POLB) press release about leasing some of the old Sea Launch facility to ABL. Looks like SpaceX will be getting a new neighbor.
https://polb.com/port-info/news-and-press/port-of-long-beach-attracts-another-space-tech-tenant-10-28-2021/

ABL website has two site management positions specifying Long Beach.
https://jobs.lever.co/ablspacesystems/f63569c3-15b5-43b4-a6c7-6374f01179c5
https://jobs.lever.co/ablspacesystems/88e675ee-7e42-4625-9fbd-35f3533dd731

In this Google earth view you can see three or four existing concrete structures at waters edge, adjacent to SpaceX warehouse facility. I wonder if 1.31 acres of submerged land mentioned in the POLB press release is related to these.
https://earth.google.com/web/@33.74440942,-118.22401032,-0.51676313a,701.39026733d,35y,39.04312538h,0.07765615t,-0r

[Daniels30]

ABL lose a second stage of their RS1 launch vehicle in a testing accident:

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1483949388250681352?s=21

[ringsider]

ABL lose a second stage of their RS1 launch vehicle in a testing accident:

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1483949388250681352?s=21

They were planning to launch from Kodiak shortly?

[JEF_300]

ABL lose a second stage of their RS1 launch vehicle in a testing accident:

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1483949388250681352?s=21

They were planning to launch from Kodiak shortly?

They had no authorization to.

[Robotbeat]

They were seeking authorization.

[JEF_300]

They were planning to launch from Kodiak shortly?

They had no authorization to.

They were seeking authorization.

Yes, but they didn't have it. I don't see how you could be planning to launch "shortly", without first getting authorization.

[trimeta]

They were planning to launch from Kodiak shortly?

They had no authorization to.

They were seeking authorization.

Yes, but they didn't have it. I don't see how you could be planning to launch "shortly", without first getting authorization.

Is this one of those things where for all we know the authorization process is already ticking along internally, and the first the public would hear about it would be when authorization was secured? Because in that case, they could get authorized mere days before launch.

[Robotbeat]

They were planning to launch from Kodiak shortly?

They had no authorization to.

They were seeking authorization.

Yes, but they didn't have it. I don't see how you could be planning to launch "shortly", without first getting authorization.

If you expect to be authorized shortly, you could be planning to launch shortly. It’s not THAT hard to understand.