Launch News SUCCESS! "Still Testing" RocketLab's Electron 2nd Flight (14:30 NZDT, 21st Jan. 2018)

[Notebook]

BBC article.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42780872

 

[GLS]

Rocket Lab successfully circularizes orbit with new Electron kick stage

Rocket Lab, a US aerospace company with operations in New Zealand, has successfully tested a previously unannounced kick stage on the Still Testing Electron launch vehicle, using it to circularize the orbits of the two Spire Lemur-2 CubeSats on board.

http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=52138

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Curious to find out what the "green" monopropellant they used is.

 

[Urwumpe]

Curious to find out what the "green" monopropellant they used is.

Well, Hydrogenperoxide would be a good candidate there. Acetylene could also work, but I doubt you want to use it in a rocket engine. Too high characteristic velocity and too unpredictable self-decomposition.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Huh... Hadn't thought about HTP. Pretty decent energy for a monoprop.

 

[Urwumpe]

Huh... Hadn't thought about HTP. Pretty decent energy for a monoprop.

Not the best in terms of specific impulse, but much better than compressed gas and its pretty human and environment friendly.

 

[Notebook]

From 3:10 in.

N.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

...its pretty human and environment friendly.

High-test peroxide? Friendly? Dude, if it touches organics, it will BURN it. :lol:

 

[Urwumpe]

High-test peroxide? Friendly? Dude, if it touches organics, it will BURN it. :lol:

If the alternative is hydrazine or similar substances, everything that just burns you is friendly. :lol:

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Hmmm. Upon review, it never says that it was monopropellant, simply a "Green propulsion system".

Could it be a catalyst-ignited bipropellant engine? Or, perhaps we are spot on with the HTP, and it's HTP/kerosene.

 

[boogabooga]

http://www.thehumanitystar.com/

 

[Urwumpe]

http://www.thehumanitystar.com/

Holy Moses... thats a FAR better idea than launching a penis compensator sportscar into space.

---------- Post added at 21:43 ---------- Previous post was at 21:37 ----------

You will not be able to see the satellite within the next 2087 hours. Please check again later.

Aw.

 

[jedidia]

You will not be able to see the satellite within the next 2087 hours. Please check again later.

Yeah, bummer. But I might make myself a calendar entry to go outside see the thing passing overhead.

 

[boogabooga]

You will not be able to see the satellite within the next 2087 hours. Please check again later.

They seem to have launched their PR reflector into a noon-midnight and nearly SSO. Not sure that was thought out all the way.(?) It will be 35-40 days before anyone in the world will be able to see it at dawn/dusk.

Would have been more effective to launch with a terminator-rider, perhaps.

 

[Urwumpe]

You will not be able to see the satellite within the next 2087 hours. Please check again later.

They seem to have launched their PR reflector into a noon-midnight and nearly SSO. Not sure that was thought out all the way.(?) It will be 35-40 days before anyone in the world will be able to see it at dawn/dusk.

Would have been more effective to launch with a terminator-rider, perhaps.

Well, possibly the orbit is too low to get a proper drift rate for a SSO, so the local time might change over time.

 

[boogabooga]

Yeah, it will drift into place, but it will take a while.

 

[Notebook]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42808180

'Disco ball' put into space from NZ
By Jonathan Amos
BBC Science Correspondent

 

[Andy44]

Holy Moses... thats a FAR better idea than launching a penis compensator sportscar into space.

Nah, it's just a poorly planned publicity stunt that has apparently angered astronomers as an orbiting source of light pollution, according to one story I read.

The car is dumb, too, but it's dumb in a cooler way.

 

[Urwumpe]

Nah, it's just a poorly planned publicity stunt that has apparently angered astronomers as an orbiting source of light pollution, according to one story I read.

Yeah, I have read the same. Its funny. I would prefer sending those astronomers to the opposite side of the moon, there they would have NO light pollution at all right now.

 

[jedidia]

I would prefer sending those astronomers to the opposite side of the moon, there they would have NO light pollution at all right now.

If we could send them to the moon that easily, light pollution wouldn't be far behind...