Failure: ABL RS1 (first launch) : DEMO-1 : Kodiak LP-3C : 10 Jan 2023 23:27 UTC

[Ken the Bin]

I haven't seen anything from ABL, but the Alaska Aerospace / PSCA website has it NET tomorrow (November 16).

https://akaerospace.com/

[Ken the Bin]

I see that the FAA TFR for ABL whose start date was November 14 has been removed and replaced by one that starts November 16, so that confirms no launch attempt today.

https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_2_1698.html

Effective Date(s):
      In UTC:
      2200 to 0130 UTC Daily starting November 16 and ending November 22.

[Conexion Espacial]

Launch now scheduled for Thursdayhttps://twitter.com/ablspacesystems/status/1592665380304322560

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/ablspacesystems/status/1593317723148521472

Range meteorology is forecasting favorable conditions for launch. RS1 is go for vertical raise. Currently targeting 1pm AKST (10pm UTC) for launch.

[Vahe231991]

I hope the first launch of the RS1 doesn't go kaput like the first launch of the Firefly Alpha or Astra Rocket, regardless of clear weather.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/ablspacesystems/status/1593352543283073024

Team has polled go for propellant load. T0 has been delayed by 55 minutes, currently 1:55pm AKST (10:55pm UTC).

[jdon759]

Is there a livestream for this launch attempt?

[Steven Pietrobon]

Is there a livestream for this launch attempt?

ABL have said there won't be a livestream. :-(

[ZachS09]

Is there a livestream for this launch attempt?

ABL have said there won't be a livestream. :-(

Maybe if ABL has enough successes, they’ll start streaming their launches.

[JEF_300]

I know we all prefer the transparency of a live stream, but it's good for us to remember that that is a substantial thing to ask of a startup that hasn't even proven they can make money yet.

[Steven Pietrobon]

Launch should  be happening about now.

[lightleviathan]

No tweets from ABL so far

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/ablspacesystems/status/1593379262639525889

RS1 aborted terminal count during ignition. The vehicle is healthy, and the team is setting up to offload propellant for today. More information to come on our next opportunity.

[lightleviathan]

Darn. At least the rocket is okay though!

[ulm_atms]

I know we all prefer the transparency of a live stream, but it's good for us to remember that that is a substantial thing to ask of a startup that hasn't even proven they can make money yet.

That's what the media is for.  Firefly used Everyday Astronaut  and Astra used NSF.  No clue of the agreements between them...just that there were agreements.

I'd have a hard time believing no one would be willing to help them for dirt cheap.  A Starlink, a IP camera with PTZ that streams direct to YouTube, a laptop(to verify streaming and PTZ controls), and a 100Ah battery tank/inverter is all that is really needed and the whole kit is sub $3k.  That's super cheap PR IMO.

[lightleviathan]

I don't really think that a livestream is necessary. It would be nice to have, but we aren't really missing out on anything. ABL will most certainly give us a video after launch. Astra, Rocket Lab, and Virgin Orbit's first launches were not live streamed, and I bet that Relativity's first launch will be no different.

[Rondaz]

Orbital Launch no. 162 of 2022

@ablspacesystems introduces their first RS-1 small payload carrier rocket for the 1st demonstration flight from Kodiak, #Alaska, launching two VariSat (1A,1B) from @OmniTeqAI to Low Earth Orbit.

https://twitter.com/nkknspace/status/1593334474460102656

[Steven Pietrobon]

I think the point of having a livestream is to witness history as it is actually being made, not reading about it after the fact on Twitter. Unfortunately, all these startups are so afraid of people seeing them make a mistake, that they hide themselves behind the curtain.

[daedalus1]

I think the point of having a livestream is to witness history as it is actually being made, not reading about it after the fact on Twitter. Unfortunately, all these startups are so afraid of people seeing them make a mistake, that they hide themselves behind the curtain.

It's a private company It's normal to only have good  visuals.  Try taking a camera around say BMW factory and see how far you get.

[ParabolicSnark]

I know we all prefer the transparency of a live stream, but it's good for us to remember that that is a substantial thing to ask of a startup that hasn't even proven they can make money yet.

I'd have a hard time believing no one would be willing to help them for dirt cheap.  A Starlink, a IP camera with PTZ that streams direct to YouTube, a laptop(to verify streaming and PTZ controls), and a 100Ah battery tank/inverter is all that is really needed and the whole kit is sub $3k.  That's super cheap PR IMO.

From what I've seen, there is no pleasing the critics. If you had this barebones setup, people would criticize the the lack of comms updates about what's happening, or it's a lack of overlay. Then it's a lack of glory shots of the vehicle (like pad cams or vehicle internal). Then they'll criticize the media training of the spokesperson. There's just no winning until you meet or exceed what they've been conditioned to expect from SpaceX launches.

If any intermediate step is just going to be criticized anyway, and the cost of doing what people is expensive or time intensive, it seems prudent to not prioritize limited resources on that front. This is especially true for a company like ABL that until recently was in stealth mode with essentially zero PR.

Hiring someone like Everyday Astronaut is probably not cheap either. For this first launch they have an 8-day long window and it's not guaranteed they'll make it in that. Are they going to have Tim drive LUNA to Alaska and barge it Kodiak Island to sit and wait patiently for 8 days in the hopes there's something to film?