This could also become the first orbital launch from Camden.
ABL Space Systems begins RS1 stage testing and reaches $90mm in fundingNEWS PROVIDED BYABL Space Systems Company Aug 03, 2020, 04:18 ETEL SEGUNDO, Calif., Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ABL Space Systems has begun stage testing of the RS1 small satellite launch vehicle, and has been awarded two US DoD contracts and secured a large round of funding with a combined value of over $90mm. ABL's awards and funding are key to the rapid development of the RS1 launch vehicle and GS0 deployable launch system, with a demonstration launch slated for Q1 of 2021.ABL's DoD contracts, awarded by the Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX, with participation from the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, total $44.5m over three years. Additionally, ABL has secured $49mm of financing led by Ethan Batraski at Venrock with participation from New Science Ventures, Lynett Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures. The recent round closed on March 31st, and fully funds ABL through a three launch demonstration campaign in 2021.Concurrently, ABL has begun testing an integrated RS1 upper stage with an E2 engine. E2 is developed in-house and powers both the first and second stages of RS1. Testing is conducted at Edwards Air Force Base under a CRADA with the AFRL Rocket Propulsion Division entitled "Testing of Additive Manufactured Liquid Rocket Components and Engines in a Rapidly Deployable Architecture for Future Responsive Launch Operations," enabling ABL's use of the Area 1-56 test site. "AFRL was an early supporter and remains a key, trusted partner," said Harry O'Hanley, founder and CEO of ABL. "The AFRL team at Edwards Air Force Base is forward thinking and understands how to work with non-traditional contractors to rapidly innovate. Together, we're developing critical technology to meet the needs of the next generation warfighter and serve the burgeoning commercial space market."The RS1 second stage has undergone successful cryogenic propellant loading and proofing. ABL has begun testing the integrated RS1 second stage at Edwards. Over the last year, ABL has performed successful thrust chamber, gas generator, and turbopump testing, with performance exceeding the levels required for flight. Testing to date has proven the manufacturing techniques and designs of the first stage, second stage, and the E2 engine. The stage test campaign will culminate in a series of long duration tests later this quarter which will advance qualification of RS1.Based on the test results, ABL has increased the performance target of RS1 to 1,350 kg maximum capacity to a 200 kilometer low earth orbit."We've completed hundreds of engine, stage, and ground system tests across multiple deployments to unimproved sites. All were performed on generator power with fully self-sufficient systems," said Dan Piemont, ABL founder and CFO. "From the beginning, we've focused on developing tactically responsive launch CONOPS alongside our technology. The result is a large capacity, fit-for-purpose resilient launch system. I am excited to deliver value to our customers in the United States Government and our commercial customers across the U.S. and the globe with this technology."To expedite development and production of the RS1 vehicle, ABL has leased additional propulsion test facilities at Mojave Air and Space Port; expanded into a 60,000 square foot multi-facility campus in El Segundo to support full-scale production of the RS1 vehicle; received a signed Category 1 certification plan from NASA; and grown to a team of 80 engineers, designers, and production experts. "We hand-picked each member of ABL to assemble what we consider to be the strongest team in the industry," said O'Hanley. "It is an intimidating group with limitless potential. With every design review completed, test performed, and part manufactured, our team raises the bar and strengthens U.S. leadership in technology development and manufacturing."Additionally, ABL has entered into support agreements for launch operations at Vandenberg Air Force Base and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Leveraging the containerized, deployable, and self-sufficient features of GS0, ABL will be able to utilize the shared pads SLC-8 at Vandenberg and LC-46 at Cape Canaveral with minimal infrastructure buildout."We're at the three year anniversary of founding our company and have stayed true to our original business model. By avoiding unnecessary technical risk and maintaining a focus on execution, we have made significant progress in a short time with limited resources," said Piemont. "We are ahead of our original schedule and are intent on rapidly achieving orbital launch."ABOUT ABL SPACE SYSTEMS:ABL Space Systems was founded in 2017 to develop low-cost launch vehicles for the small satellite industry. ABL is headquartered in El Segundo, California. To learn more, visit ablspacesystems.com.SOURCE ABL Space Systems CompanyRelated Linkshttps://www.ablspacesystems.com
That's necessary to fit in a container for transport but does heavily volume limit any payload.
Quote from: JEF_300 on 08/06/2020 08:19 pmOut of pure curiosity, does anyone know what the origin of the name ABL is?They told me it was three random letters.
Out of pure curiosity, does anyone know what the origin of the name ABL is?
The big problem for ABL will probably be their fairing size. Terran 1 will have a core with a diameter of 7.5 feet, and the fairing is larger in diameter than the core. The Firefly Alpha's fairing is 7.24 feet in diameter. RS1's fairing is the same diameter as the core, only 6 feet. That's necessary to fit in a container for transport but does heavily volume limit any payload.
The conventional wisdom amongst investors went as far as saying the small satellite launch market was oversaturated, with over a hundred projects under development. In reality, only a handful of these efforts were serious, with any meaningful staffing, capital raised, or technical progress to show for. Among them, the technology and business models were highly variable, requiring hundreds of millions of dollars in capital to get to the first launch. With this information we believed the market opportunity was still available for outstanding companies.
But we saw several challenges in the existing approaches across one or more of the following dimensions:1. Technical risk: the architectural approach was ‘too innovative,’ lacked engineering tractability, reinvented the propulsion or manufacturing techniques creating too many unknowns, or designed for a derivative platform.2. Unit Cost risk: The BOM of the rocket was too expensive to generate any meaningful margins, and would require too many launches per year to break even.3. Market mismatch: They designed the launch vehicle to go after the nano and cubesat segment of the market (100kg — 150kg), whereas the market centered around the small class (150kg — 750kg).4. Capital risk: The capital requirements of getting to the pad would cost well over $100M, requiring too much capital to get to the first launch and creating capital overhang for early investors to see any meaningful multiple.5. Team risk: The teams went about designing architectures that lacked the concepts of being lean, modular, and iterative in their designs, costs, and execution.
This industry risk assessment helped us hone an investment thesis that probed what truly mattered in building an enduring launch business:1. Are they going after the right market segment with a differentiated price/capacity and responsiveness that will attract significant customer demand? (product/market fit: capacity, price, responsiveness)2. Are the architecture and technical approach meaningfully differentiated, and can be executed with higher success, at a manufacturing cadence that they can sustain an advantage in the market? (tech advantage: technical risk, manufacturing risk, differentiation)3 Can this be executed at a lower total program cost per launch unit economics that looks more like software margins than classic aerospace? (capital advantage: total program cost, unit economics)4. Does this team have the ‘special sauce’ of deep technical capabilities, strong commercial instincts, and can successfully raise capital as needed. (team: execution, commercialization, capital)Until that point, we hadn’t found a company that demonstrated the product/market fit, technical advantage, economics, and team to pull it off — proving that reaching space can be simple, efficient, and routine.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Oct. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ABL Space Systems has completed integrated stage testing of the RS1 small satellite launch vehicle. Testing was performed on the RS1 second stage with the in-house designed E2 liquid rocket engine at the Area 1-56 test site on Edwards Air Force Base. Critical aspects the campaign included handling of the propellant tanks, operating pressurant management systems, and refining the stage arming and engine startup sequences, all of which were accomplished successfully. This test campaign builds on the successes of eighteen months of extensive component, engine and stage testing."Every day we are humbled by our goal to raise the standard for rapid, efficient launch vehicle development," said Dan Piemont, ABL Founder and President. "Folks who know orbital launch know that integrated stage testing is the first real proof of capability. To get here in just three years with under 75 people validates the advantages of our approach."ABL manufactures engines and stages in state-of-the-art facilities in El Segundo, California. By staying highly verticalized and focusing on low-cost, scalable manufacturing processes, ABL delivers industry leading capability and pricing to the small satellite community. RS1 can deliver one metric ton to sun synchronous orbit, 400 kilograms to geosynchronous transfer orbit, and 250kg to lunar injection orbit."Simplicity is key," said Harry O'Hanley, Founder and CEO of ABL. "Our company is just over three years old. Yet, we've moved markedly faster and been more capital efficient than others because we avoid exotic, unproven architectures and manufacturing processes. Unless an innovation adds measurable value to our customer, we do not pursue it."ABL supports a variety of customers throughout the defense, civil and commercial sectors, with over $44 million in announced contracts and a deep customer backlog. RS1 is best in class in all dimensions that launch customers value: price – as low as $9,000/kg; capability – the highest lift capacity throughout the cislunar volume; reliability – only proven technologies in the system; and cadence – existing production lines can produce a launch vehicle in under thirty days.ABL will continue performing stage test operations at Edwards Air Force Base in the coming weeks to accumulate additional run time on the engine and stage. The launch vehicle system will undergo a series of stress tests to demonstrate performance in a variety of different flight conditions. RS1 is scheduled for an initial launch in the first quarter of 2021 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, where ABL has received a Right of Entry for LC-576E from the 30th Space Wing."Our team is high-performance, focused and thorough. During this campaign, we executed multiple hotfire operations every day," said O'Hanley. "We obsess over attention to detail and will apply this same tenacity to our upcoming Stage 1 operations. The first flight Stage 1 will roll out of our facility at the end of this year, destined to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base."
The mention of VAFB LC-576E is interesting, because previous reporting suggested that they would use SLC-8 as their Vandenberg launch complex. I guess with their fully-containerized launch system, it doesn't really matter which pad they use, but it's not clear what (if anything) has changed.Also, the article mentions "over $44 million in announced contracts and a deep customer backlog"...do we know the names of any payloads in that backlog? I've read about ABL receiving technology-development contracts (in fact, the article I linked references the same $44 million number, saying it's for "a one-year deal from the tech incubator AFWERX to demonstrate launch technology and an agreement with the Space and Missile Systems Center’s Space Enterprise Consortium to conduct three demonstrations of an RS1 vehicle"), but those aren't "we plan to have a payload ready by 202X, we're establishing a Launch Service Agreement to have you carry it to orbit" contracts.
All metal construction, including fairing. They are cheaper than Firefly and will only launch a few months after Alpha. Going be interesting competition in this class, with Relativity being 3rd entrance in year or two. Relativity may struggle if these competitors are well established, especially as ABL pricing is competitive with Relativity.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/abl-space-systems-performs-integrated-stage-test-of-the-rs1-launch-vehicle-301157708.htmlQuoteRS1 is scheduled for an initial launch in the first quarter of 2021 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, where ABL has received a Right of Entry for LC-576E from the 30th Space Wing.
RS1 is scheduled for an initial launch in the first quarter of 2021 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, where ABL has received a Right of Entry for LC-576E from the 30th Space Wing.
Quote from: TrevorMonty on 10/22/2020 06:04 pmAll metal construction, including fairing. They are cheaper than Firefly and will only launch a few months after Alpha. Going be interesting competition in this class, with Relativity being 3rd entrance in year or two. Relativity may struggle if these competitors are well established, especially as ABL pricing is competitive with Relativity.ABL's biggest disadvantage is fairing size: not only are they smaller than Relativity, they're also smaller than Firefly. So "fluffy" payloads may need to find another ride. That said, given the competition in this area, it would make sense to design your payloads to fit all three, or at least both ABL and Relativity if you can't match Firefly's mass constraints. (Exceptions exist, like the Lockheed Martin contract with Relativity that requires a custom fairing, but I'd imagine such launches are rare.)
