Thunderstruck Aerospace

[CameronD]

Not sure how credible these guys are, but I'll post it anyways:

"ThunderStruck space is developing air launch with the rocket capable of being launched from a C130 -J130 and a C17. Our own launch vehicle will be a C390 Based at Tahmoor NSW. If we refuel in flight we can do very effective equatorial launches. Solid fuel rockets capable of getting 250kg to launch. 6 years storage life in Conditioned storage facilities. Same day launch with previously verified payloads. Launch over the ocean."

"Let’s stat by saying that we are a startup that is profitable from the start. We have increased our financial outlook to be self funding through an association with defence. We have rocket technology and although we have yet to launch to space we have the technology to launch to space. My term is that we are a “space capable” company. We have technology in several space technologies and we do amazing work n mentoring and working with schools. We support country schools and we have enjoyed huge support from the schools we have worked with. We are planning a space facility at Temora in NSW with air launch. Our space technology is second to none and we are looking like getting rocket sales both here in Australia and Europe. This year we will be launching payloads to 90Km and that tends to prove that we can get to space. We are looking at preparing drop tests from transport aircraft for our rocket launch, but that may take a bit over a year to prepare. We carried out sensor testing, giving the Mars Society of Australia a sponsored free ride. We are signing a long term contract to test sensors in the stratosphere for space activities. We expect to be testing defence UAVs and other systems in non space activities, but it will include deployment from rockets. We have been launching from the US, but this year will see launches here in Australia."

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Aerospace-Company/ThunderStruck-Aerospace-622152704650491/
 

[john smith 19]

Not sure how credible these guys are, but I'll post it anyways:

"ThunderStruck space is developing air launch with the rocket capable of being launched from a C130 -J130 and a C17. Our own launch vehicle will be a C390 Based at Tahmoor NSW. If we refuel in flight we can do very effective equatorial launches. Solid fuel rockets capable of getting 250kg to launch. 6 years storage life in Conditioned storage facilities. Same day launch with previously verified payloads. Launch over the ocean."

Very suspicious.

An Embraer C390 is a jet powered transport aircraft built in Brazil whose first delivery was in 2019. It can carry 26tonnes and is air refueling capable. IOW it won't be cheap and it will be new, so not much reliability track record and spares might be difficult. 

90Km as we know is not space and is likely to be sub orbital. Again alarm bells ringing.

Solids are a viable option if you make your own otherwise a large part of your costs are not under your control as Orbital found out.  But otherwise they have much lower Isp than any liquids.

Solids do make great weapon systems however.

Subsidiary of some defense contractor?

[Steven Pietrobon]

Subsidiary of some defense contractor?

I've talked with the owner, Robert Brand, a few times. He is not a defence contractor, but hopes to be in the future (he has been talking with Defence). His background is in satellite ground stations and more recently small balloon launch and recovery. He is currently launching high powered rockets in the US (up to 3 km so far) that will eventually be used to test his Mars impact probes. His launch vehicle plan is pretty much at the power point stage. If you want to follow what he is doing, join up the Australia and Space Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/133294990019598/

[john smith 19]

Subsidiary of some defense contractor?

I've talked with the owner, Robert Brand, a few times. He is not a defence contractor, but hopes to be in the future (he has been talking with Defence). His background is in satellite ground stations and more recently small balloon launch and recovery. He is currently launching high powered rockets in the US (up to 3 km so far) that will eventually be used to test his Mars impact probes. His launch vehicle plan is pretty much at the power point stage. If you want to follow what he is doing, join up the Australia and Space Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/133294990019598/

Noted.

IIRC the first Minuteman stage to be air dropped out of a transport plane which ignited in flight was done in 1974 so conceptually it's possible (and the aircraft listed is claimed to be able to support an air drop mass of 19t.  I'm not sure what Isp that would need to deliver the stated payload to the stated orbit (oops. No actual orbit stated  ).

[mrhuggy]

The US Airforce has been dropping MRBM target missiles out of C-17's for a while to act as targets for anti-missile systems.



And there is also the AriLaunch LLC tests

[john smith 19]

The US Airforce has been dropping MRBM target missiles out of C-17's for a while to act as targets for anti-missile systems.

And there is also the AriLaunch LLC tests

I had not realized dropping missiles out of transport aircraft was an ongoing technical capability.

The C17 payload was 32 tonnes but 19 tonnes would still be impressive.

Replacing pallets with a shaped wheel system is also quite a neat trick.

[russianhalo117]

The US Airforce has been dropping MRBM target missiles out of C-17's for a while to act as targets for anti-missile systems.

And there is also the AriLaunch LLC tests

I had not realized dropping missiles out of transport aircraft was an ongoing technical capability.

The C17 payload was 32 tonnes but 19 tonnes would still be impressive.

Replacing pallets with a shaped wheel system is also quite a neat trick.

Capability never ended rather curtailed by treaties to only targets. MM family requires to be vertical before firing however only MM-2 series is presently capable.

[HMXHMX]

The US Airforce has been dropping MRBM target missiles out of C-17's for a while to act as targets for anti-missile systems.

And there is also the AriLaunch LLC tests

I had not realized dropping missiles out of transport aircraft was an ongoing technical capability.

The C17 payload was 32 tonnes but 19 tonnes would still be impressive.

Replacing pallets with a shaped wheel system is also quite a neat trick.

We dropped 72,000 lbm (32.65 metric tons), three times, the last from 34,000 ft altitude.

[john smith 19]

The US Airforce has been dropping MRBM target missiles out of C-17's for a while to act as targets for anti-missile systems.

And there is also the AriLaunch LLC tests

I had not realized dropping missiles out of transport aircraft was an ongoing technical capability.

The C17 payload was 32 tonnes but 19 tonnes would still be impressive.

Replacing pallets with a shaped wheel system is also quite a neat trick.

We dropped 72,000 lbm (32.65 metric tons), three times, the last from 34,000 ft altitude.

I know that's not that big in an absolute sense but next to the guy in the photo it sure looks big.

Replacing pallets with a fixed wheel run is one of those "obvious when you think about it, but no one did before" little hacks that I like to look out for.

Was it ever patented?

[HMXHMX]

The US Airforce has been dropping MRBM target missiles out of C-17's for a while to act as targets for anti-missile systems.

And there is also the AriLaunch LLC tests

I had not realized dropping missiles out of transport aircraft was an ongoing technical capability.

The C17 payload was 32 tonnes but 19 tonnes would still be impressive.

Replacing pallets with a shaped wheel system is also quite a neat trick.

We dropped 72,000 lbm (32.65 metric tons), three times, the last from 34,000 ft altitude.

I know that's not that big in an absolute sense but next to the guy in the photo it sure looks big.

Replacing pallets with a fixed wheel run is one of those "obvious when you think about it, but no one did before" little hacks that I like to look out for.

Was it ever patented?

Yes.

[john smith 19]

Yes.

Thanks for those.

[Steven Pietrobon]

Just spoke with Robert Brand of ThunderStruck Space. They are pleased to report that they are now a defence contractor and recently did a balloon launch for defence which was used to test some sensors. There are now about 12 people working for the company.

https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/lreynolds/media-releases/high-altitude-balloon-launch-sends-sensors-soaring-stratosphere

“Air Force’s partnership with ThunderStruck Space will help boost their capability and give us greater opportunities to access innovative Australian stratospheric launch capabilities,” Minister Price said.

They had a high powered Lightning rocket launch from the US to 1.07 km on 7 December 2019. Their second Lightning launch on 4 January this year ended up in a CATO at 120 m, most likely due to a fault in the solid propellant. They were planning on doing some more launches in the US, but have been delayed due to current events. Future flights will involve testing multistaging, ignition in free-fall, fuel type and mix, video systems and yo-yo de-spin. They hope to resume testing in the US later this year and plan suborbital launches to space from New South Wales, Australia next year.

https://thunderstruck.space/2020/01/lightning-rocket-first-flight/
https://thunderstruck.space/lightning-rockets/

[CameronD]

It seems all did not go exactly to plan...   

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-10/defence-balloon-rescue-reward-for-science-minded-student/12442348

When Alex Johnson went searching for a high-altitude defence balloon on her family's 2,200 hectare property, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

The balloon went missing after being launched from the village of Binya in central western New South Wales by aerospace company Thunderstruck Space for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
.....
Days earlier, aerospace innovator Robert Brand of Thunderstruck Space requested communities to keep an eye out for the balloon after its satellite tracking device failed.

"In this case it was school holidays and we got a lot of the farm kids motivated with a reward to go out and have a look and they found it," Mr Brand said.
......
RAAF Wing commander Paul Hay said he was relieved to see the balloon was retrieved and largely undamaged."

[Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25]

Finally something that doesn't have to do with Hybrids.In terms of LVs conventional propulsion  like solids are better than Hybrids which is still a relatively new form of propulsion in terms of R&D. I think that hybrids are preferred in the Asia Pacific region just because of laws that hate solid propellants. If start ups could access solid propellants, i think most of them would have gotten out of their power point phase to sub orbital in much less time.

[TrevorMonty]

Finally something that doesn't have to do with Hybrids.In terms of LVs conventional propulsion  like solids are better than Hybrids which is still a relatively new form of propulsion in terms of R&D. I think that hybrids are preferred in the Asia Pacific region just because of laws that hate solid propellants. If start ups could access solid propellants, i think most of them would have gotten out of their power point phase to sub orbital in much less time.

RL started with SRBs, first suborbital flight was from Great  Mercury island NZ.

[Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25]

Finally something that doesn't have to do with Hybrids.In terms of LVs conventional propulsion  like solids are better than Hybrids which is still a relatively new form of propulsion in terms of R&D. I think that hybrids are preferred in the Asia Pacific region just because of laws that hate solid propellants. If start ups could access solid propellants, i think most of them would have gotten out of their power point phase to sub orbital in much less time.

RL started with SRBs, first suborbital flight was from Great  Mercury island NZ.

In an interview with everyday astronaut, IIRC, Peter Beck's 120km suborbital rocket was a hybrid.

[Bananas_on_Mars]

Finally something that doesn't have to do with Hybrids.In terms of LVs conventional propulsion  like solids are better than Hybrids which is still a relatively new form of propulsion in terms of R&D. I think that hybrids are preferred in the Asia Pacific region just because of laws that hate solid propellants. If start ups could access solid propellants, i think most of them would have gotten out of their power point phase to sub orbital in much less time.

RL started with SRBs, first suborbital flight was from Great  Mercury island NZ.

In an interview with everyday astronaut, IIRC, Peter Beck's 120km suborbital rocket was a hybrid.

I think he also mentioned somewhere the joys of destilling his own HTP in a shed.

His rocket bike used HTP over a catalyst bed IIRC.

But listening to audio on, he says „pressing O2“ during the countdown for the Atea-1 launch.

[Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25]

Goes to show how rare solids are in APAC 

[CameronD]

Goes to show how rare solids are in APAC 

Goes to show how little you know about rocketry in this region.  Not only did Australia's first orbital launch vehicle use solids for the second and third stages, but the first launch from Southern Launch's Koonibba range will be solid-propelled as will the NASA sounding rockets being launched by ELA.. and not only are Black Sky's rockets solid-propelled but they're looking to re-start solid propellant manufacture that Australia was once a world leader in!

But enough of that.. let's get this thread back on topic.

[Steven Pietrobon]

Not only did Australia's first orbital launch vehicle use solids for the second and third stages, ...

Those were US made solid stages for the Redstone-Sparta vehicle. However, Australia did make sounding rockets with solid stages during the 1960s and 1970s.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576506001251