FAA Closes RS1 Mishap InvestigationABL 11.06.2023EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Nov. 6, 2023 – The Federal Aviation Administration notified ABL Space Systems it has closed the mishap investigation into the Flight 1 anomaly of the RS1 launch vehicle that occurred on Jan. 10, 2023.The mishap occurred 10.93 seconds after liftoff, when a fire in the aft cavity damaged key harnesses and triggered a complete loss of power. All engines shut down simultaneously as engine valves de-energized and terminated thrust, causing the vehicle to impact and detonate on the launch pad at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska. The source of the fire is attributed to an overly restrictive launch mount and flame deflector that created plume recirculation, overloading RS1’s base heat shield.ABL has identified 22 corrective actions to prevent future mishaps from repeating. Action items include redesign of the launch mount and flame deflector, hardened closeouts and harnesses, and additional risk mitigation activities. ABL must implement all corrective actions that impact public safety and receive concurrence from the FAA that all safety and other applicable regulatory requirements have been satisfied before resuming any launch activities.ABL led the mishap investigation with oversight from the FAA.
E2 SN 47
How GS0 can impact the global future of launch
The Global Future of LaunchPlanes can fly from runways, roads and ship decks. It's time for space launch to follow.DAN PIEMONT AND HARRY O'HANLEY19 DEC 2023
Although depicted in this picture the LV exhaust would be diverted outward from the top of the deck (Red arrow) instead of through it (if it were an oil platform or derrick), would the pressure of the thrust cause the ship to push downward (blue arrow) on this end and cause the LV to tilt just at lift-off? Or the ship will itself be pushed forward (Yellow Arrow) by the thrust directed outward (Red Arrow)? (I can't tilt the arrows precisely in the direction to match my intentions - but you get the idea).
2023 Photos of the Year
We recently passed a testing milestone on our E2 engine. Ryan Kuhn took a moment to reflect on the path we took to get here.
ABL Space's VP of Engineering is departing the company per LI:
Scout Space telescope to hitch a ride on ABL rocketScout Space’s ‘Owlet’ smallsat mission would be the third launch of ABL’s RS1 rocketJune 10, 2024[...]Scout Space, a startup specializing in space domain awareness through in-space observation, announced June 10 it signed a launch services agreement with ABL Space Systems. The agreement is for the launch of Scout’s “Owlet-01” telescope on ABL’s third flight of its RS1 small-satellite launcher scheduled for later this year — contingent on the success of ABL’s forthcoming second launch attempt.[...]“The market is fairly tight right now,” he said. Scout explored the possibility of booking a ride on a SpaceX Transporter smallsat rideshare, but would have had to wait more than a year for an available slot. ABL, on the other hand, has committed to launching the Owlet mission before the end of the year.“We are realistic about the risks associated with launching on a new vehicle, but we’re confident in ABL,” said Hover-Smoot.[...]
Quote from: deltaV on 07/22/2024 08:38 pmQuote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 07/22/2024 07:59 pmQuotea residual pad fire caused irrecoverable damage to RS1.According to Wikipedia there are 4 RS1 launches scheduled in 2024 and 70+ launches sold. Therefore ABL likely has enough manufacturing capacity to afford a hardware-rich development process as long as ground support equipment wasn't damaged and hard to replace.I would take their schedule in its current state with a grain of salt. They were supposed to launch Flight 2 from the UK over a year and a half ago, if that lends any credibility to how off the schedule is. They've also lost contracts, such as the Amazon Kuiper demo sats, to ULA due to significant schedule delays. Until they get a vehicle on orbit, most paying customers (of the launches sold) likely won't take the risk on RS1. From a hardware standpoint, my own history with ABL tells me they'll require 6-12 more months to get another vehicle launch ready, assuming cash burn rates remain at their current levels.
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 07/22/2024 07:59 pmQuotea residual pad fire caused irrecoverable damage to RS1.According to Wikipedia there are 4 RS1 launches scheduled in 2024 and 70+ launches sold. Therefore ABL likely has enough manufacturing capacity to afford a hardware-rich development process as long as ground support equipment wasn't damaged and hard to replace.
Quotea residual pad fire caused irrecoverable damage to RS1.
a residual pad fire caused irrecoverable damage to RS1.
ABL tried to have a good run, but I suspect this could be the beginning of the end for them. Time will tell.
According to Wikipedia there are 4 RS1 launches scheduled in 2024 and 70+ launches sold. Therefore ABL likely has enough manufacturing capacity to afford a hardware-rich development process as long as ground support equipment wasn't damaged and hard to replace.
Lockheed gave a BIG launch contract to Firefly, and they are investors in ABL ... so it's not a good sign for the ABL company.
Quote from: Tywin on 07/23/2024 01:08 pmLockheed gave a BIG launch contract to Firefly, and they are investors in ABL ... so it's not a good sign for the ABL company.Doesn't mean LM won't use ABL when they have operational LV.Yet to see small LV company fail because of lack of customers. VO, Astra, Vector have all gone bankrupt trying to get LV operational. VO had customers for LauncherOne just not money to see them through last failure.
