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Old November 11th 18, 06:38 PM posted to sci.space.policy
Rocket Man
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Default Rocket Lab?s big ?It?s Business Time? launch targets this weekend for takeoff

The one thing I like about their rocket is that they replaced the turbopump
with a electric motor. It's probably only applicable to small engines (?),
but it is innovative. The turbopump is by far the most complicated part in
building a rocket engine, and they've bypassed the complexity by going
electric.

"Jeff Findley" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...

Congrats to Rocket Lab on their successful launch!:

"A small rocket from a little-known company lifted off Sunday from the
east coast
of New Zealand, carrying a clutch of tiny satellites. That modest event ?
the
first commercial launch by a U.S.-New Zealand company known as Rocket Lab
? could
mark the beginning of a new era in the space business, where countless
small
rockets pop off from spaceports around the world. This miniaturization of
rockets
and spacecraft places outer space within reach of a broader swath of the
economy."

See:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/10/s...ab-launch.html

This company is one to watch. They are taking the path of a relatively
inexpensive to manufacture small expendable launcher. Last I read,
they're going to add a launch site in the US.

Space startup Rocket Lab will build a second launch site in Virginia
Soon, the company will be able to launch from the US and New Zealand
By Loren Grush@lorengrush, Oct 17, 2018, 10:00am EDT
https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/17/...-nasa-wallops-
flight-facility-virginia-electron-rocket-launch-pad

From the article, they'll be launching from NASA's Wallops Flight
Facility in eastern Virginia. Having a US launch site is a good choice
if they want to launch for NASA or DOD.

Lots of other tidbits in the article.

Jeff
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