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#40
by
Bean Kenobi
on 26 Apr, 2023 21:19
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"Please explain in the area below why an STA is necessary:
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. seeks authority to support communications associated with testing, operation, and mission assurance of the company’s Electron launch vehicle scheduled for launch May 31, 2023 from the Wallops Island Flight Facility in Accomack County, Virginia."
How do you know this is for HASTE?
Because it's Rocket Lab launching from Virginia, and their next launch from there will be Haste since TROPICS got moved to LC-1?
Can also be one of the Hawk satellites launches...
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#41
by
TrevorMonty
on 26 Apr, 2023 23:07
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Rocket Lab has said that HASTE uses a modified third/kick stage, so it's not skipping that part. We've also got confirmation that the second stage is present too. What I haven't seen is whether there are any modifications whatsoever to the first or second stages, or if it's just the kick stage and (possibly) fairings that differ.
400kg extra liftoff mass is quite a bit for small LV. I thought 2nd stage would be carrying less fuel to compensate. Total DV isn't that important as it target velocity is lot less than LEO.
Sounds like it ain't going be any cheaper than standard Electron.
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#42
by
trimeta
on 26 Apr, 2023 23:19
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Rocket Lab has said that HASTE uses a modified third/kick stage, so it's not skipping that part. We've also got confirmation that the second stage is present too. What I haven't seen is whether there are any modifications whatsoever to the first or second stages, or if it's just the kick stage and (possibly) fairings that differ.
400kg extra liftoff mass is quite a bit for small LV. I thought 2nd stage would be carrying less fuel to compensate. Total DV isn't that important as it target velocity is lot less than LEO.
Sounds like it ain't going be any cheaper than standard Electron.
I would count "underfilling the second stage" as "no modifications whatsoever to the second stage," since it's the same second stage -- only the propellant load process is (slightly) changed.
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#43
by
the_big_boot
on 27 Apr, 2023 00:10
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"Please explain in the area below why an STA is necessary:
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. seeks authority to support communications associated with testing, operation, and mission assurance of the company’s Electron launch vehicle scheduled for launch May 31, 2023 from the Wallops Island Flight Facility in Accomack County, Virginia."
How do you know this is for HASTE?
Because it's Rocket Lab launching from Virginia, and their next launch from there will be Haste since TROPICS got moved to LC-1?
Can also be one of the Hawk satellites launches...
na it couldn't be Hawkeye, hawkeye has said in a FCC filing that their next launch (after the F9 transporter mission) would be in August. Plus RL has recently said that Haste will be launching Q2 of this year. of course, things can change. but rn it seems more than likely that it's about haste
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#44
by
lightleviathan
on 27 Apr, 2023 00:54
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If this is HASTE, then I hope they stream the launch. That would be really cool.
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#45
by
TrevorMonty
on 02 May, 2023 19:29
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#46
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 09 May, 2023 20:40
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Attached slide from Q1 2023 financial results pack
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#47
by
trimeta
on 09 May, 2023 21:06
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Based on the projected revenue of $23M in 2023Q3, and the known revenue of $13M for the two TROPICS missions, one can conclude that this first HASTE mission was sold for $10M.
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#48
by
RDMM2081
on 09 May, 2023 21:13
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Is it known if these HASTE launches could re-use some of the recovered first stages? I presume it wouldn't be done on the first attempt, but could it be a "slightly easier" launch profile for a booster than the orbital attempt, and therefore make sense as somewhat of an "intermediary" usage of a recovered booster?
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#49
by
lightleviathan
on 09 May, 2023 21:32
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Is it known if these HASTE launches could re-use some of the recovered first stages? I presume it wouldn't be done on the first attempt, but could it be a "slightly easier" launch profile for a booster than the orbital attempt, and therefore make sense as somewhat of an "intermediary" usage of a recovered booster?
It probably could, but Rocket Lab isn't implementing reuse on their US launches currently, so no.
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#50
by
the_big_boot
on 09 May, 2023 22:20
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Based on the projected revenue of $23M in 2023Q3, and the known revenue of $13M for the two TROPICS missions, one can conclude that this first HASTE mission was sold for $10M.
you mean Q2 lol
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#51
by
TrevorMonty
on 09 May, 2023 23:24
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Is it known if these HASTE launches could re-use some of the recovered first stages? I presume it wouldn't be done on the first attempt, but could it be a "slightly easier" launch profile for a booster than the orbital attempt, and therefore make sense as somewhat of an "intermediary" usage of a recovered booster?
It probably could, but Rocket Lab isn't implementing reuse on their US launches currently, so no.
I doubt they will do much until reuse is perfected in NZ. Then expect them to start recovering Wallops boosters.
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#52
by
FutureSpaceTourist
on 10 May, 2023 14:29
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#53
by
TrevorMonty
on 10 May, 2023 20:08
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This is standard 2 stage Electron with modified kick stage. Whether it is going to orbit or not launch costs are same to get it off the pad. Add extra paperwork plus new kickstage and it is more expensive.
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#54
by
zubenelgenubi
on 14 Jun, 2023 17:55
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#55
by
HVM
on 18 Jun, 2023 11:35
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Antares is owned by a large military manufacturer, and SpaceX launches spy satellites and operates its own fleet of them. But still, it feels wrong to see a civilian rocket turned into the first *stage(s) of a hypersonic weapon test platform. I think this goes into the politics area, so I’ll shut up. At least Electron’s color scheme is fitting.
*(Three of them, would be interesting to know how kick-stage is modified.
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#56
by
Zed_Noir
on 18 Jun, 2023 14:50
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Antares is owned by a large military manufacturer, and SpaceX launches spy satellites and operates its own fleet of them. But still, it feels wrong to see a civilian rocket turned into the first *stage(s) of a hypersonic weapon test platform.
<snip>
IIRC, RocketLab launched several payloads for the NRO. So the Electron is already a military launcher. Plus RocketLab could really use the extra revenue from the HASTE missions.
.....would be interesting to know how kick-stage is modified.
Think the modifications is adding something for the payload to survive long enough traveling Mach 5+ in the atmosphere to gather and return data.
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#57
by
HVM
on 19 Jun, 2023 12:09
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...
Think the modifications is adding something for the payload to survive long enough traveling Mach 5+ in the atmosphere to gather and return data.
Yeah duh, the supersonic vehicle but here:
"...Electron but has
a modified third stage for suborbital payload deployment, a larger payload
capacity of up to 700 kg / 1540 lbs, and options for tailored fairings to accommodate larger payloads."
https://www.rocketlabusa.com/launch/haste/That's over twice+ the regular payload of 200-300 kg.
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#58
by
TrevorMonty
on 19 Jun, 2023 16:34
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...
Think the modifications is adding something for the payload to survive long enough traveling Mach 5+ in the atmosphere to gather and return data.
Yeah duh, the supersonic vehicle but here:
"...Electron but has a modified third stage for suborbital payload deployment, a larger payload capacity of up to 700 kg / 1540 lbs, and options for tailored fairings to accommodate larger payloads."
https://www.rocketlabusa.com/launch/haste/
That's over twice+ the regular payload of 200-300 kg.
There is also some structural strengthening of stages.
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#59
by
TrevorMonty
on 20 Jun, 2023 20:28
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DoD is also paying towards Varda's inspace manufacturing capsule's maiden flight and future ones. They want access to reentry data for hypersonic flight development. RL is supplying Photon based satellite bus that capsule is attached to.
That is two lots of revenue RL is receiving via DoD investment into hypersonic flight testing.