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Private, uncrewed, suborbital test flights to start this year.



 
 
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  #21  
Old June 7th 11, 02:02 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,sci.space.history
Jeff Findley
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Posts: 5,012
Default Private, uncrewed, suborbital test flights to start this year.

In article ,
says...

In sci.space.history Robert Clark wrote:

So Sir Richard: How?s the Engine Coming?
Postedby Doug Messieron May 23, 2011, at 7:07 pmin News.
http://www.parabolicarc.com/2011/05/...engine-coming/

Fascinating:

The stories have persisted and, if anything, have grown
stronger. The latest one circulating in Mojave is that the test in
March didn?t go well, and that the propulsion team has decided to
abandon the hybrid rocket for a liquid system. There is also a
confirmed report that Virgin Galactic has formed its own
propulsion team and hired the former director of SpaceX?s Texas
engine testing facility ? and an expert in liquid propulsion ? as
a member of it.

So How?s The Engine Coming?
http://www.transterrestrial.com/?p=34067


Remember that Barber Nichols Inc (BNI) has already produced a
34,000-lb thrust peroxide and kerosine engine for an unknown
customer (probably Blue Origin) and BNI also built the SpaceX
Merlin engine turbo pumps
(http://www.barber-nichols.com/produc...e_turbopumps/).

I thought that SpaceX bragged about the engines being all their own?


Switching to all liquids is a good thing anyway. Hybrids just seem to
have most of the downsides of solids and all of the headaches of
liquids. Might as well ditch the solid part and switch to all liquids.

In the long run, all liquids have a better shot at "gas and go"
operations than hybrids do. Sure you can switch out the fuel/combustion
chamber on every flight for one with a full load of fuel (and fill the
oxidizer tank), but that seems to be quite a bit more work that just
filling tanks with fuel and oxidizer.

Jeff
--
" Solids are a branch of fireworks, not rocketry. :-) :-) ", Henry
Spencer 1/28/2011
  #22  
Old June 7th 11, 09:08 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,sci.space.history
Marvin the Martian
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Default Private, uncrewed, suborbital test flights to start this year.

BFD.

I'm sorry, but there are private companies out there putting things into
orbit RIGHT NOW.

What this "Virgin Galactic" thing is, is a big sounding rocket.

BFD! They can't do NOW with today's technology what NASA and North
American Aviation was doing in 1959 with the X-15. This is literally half
a century old technology here.

Why are people so fascinated with this silly program?
  #23  
Old June 7th 11, 09:23 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,sci.space.history
Glen Overby[_1_]
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Default Private, uncrewed, suborbital test flights to start this year.

Marvin the Martian wrote:
Why are people so fascinated with this silly program?


They didn't sell rides on the X15.

  #24  
Old June 8th 11, 03:54 AM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,sci.space.history
hanson
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Default Private, uncrewed, suborbital test flights to start this year.

"Marvin the Martian" wrote:

BFD. I'm sorry, but there are private companies
out there putting things into orbit RIGHT NOW.
What this "Virgin Galactic" thing is,
is a big sounding rocket. BFD! They can't do NOW
with today's technology what NASA and North
American Aviation was doing in 1959 with the X-15.
This is literally half a century old technology here.

Why are people so fascinated with this silly program?

hanson wrote:
=1= for the same reason that Einstein Dingleberries
are so fascinated with Albert's Sphincter.
=2= for the same reason that Evangelicals
are so fascinated with their Jesus.
=3= for the same reason that Islamists
are so fascinated with their prophet.

Can't you see the pattern?
BFDealing, the "fan"-ing, the "me-too" habit is a
common, ancient and very widespread low cost,
low risk pastime. --- It's fundamentally based on
neural EM induction. No escape from it... ahahaha...

Reprieve:
To the credit of Private Orbital Delivery System
makers: They do it with a shoe string sized pauper
budget when compared to the Govt's X-15 program.
Thanks for the laughs, guy... ahahahanson

  #25  
Old June 8th 11, 05:17 AM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,sci.space.history
Sylvia Else[_2_]
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Posts: 458
Default Private, uncrewed, suborbital test flights to start this year.

On 8/06/2011 6:08 AM, Marvin the Martian wrote:
BFD.

I'm sorry, but there are private companies out there putting things into
orbit RIGHT NOW.

What this "Virgin Galactic" thing is, is a big sounding rocket.

BFD! They can't do NOW with today's technology what NASA and North
American Aviation was doing in 1959 with the X-15. This is literally half
a century old technology here.

Why are people so fascinated with this silly program?


Because they've been deceived into thinking it's a stepping stone to
real space tourism, which it isn't.

Sylvia.
  #27  
Old June 8th 11, 03:20 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,sci.space.history
Marvin the Martian
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Posts: 655
Default Private, uncrewed, suborbital test flights to start this year.

On Wed, 08 Jun 2011 08:57:11 -0400, Jeff Findley wrote:

In article , lid
says...

On 8/06/2011 6:08 AM, Marvin the Martian wrote:
BFD.

I'm sorry, but there are private companies out there putting things
into orbit RIGHT NOW.

What this "Virgin Galactic" thing is, is a big sounding rocket.

BFD! They can't do NOW with today's technology what NASA and North
American Aviation was doing in 1959 with the X-15. This is literally
half a century old technology here.

Why are people so fascinated with this silly program?


Because they've been deceived into thinking it's a stepping stone to
real space tourism, which it isn't.


What is "real space tourism"


LEO

and why don't suborbital flights count?


Because the energies are off by over an order of magnitude. These guys
are going about Mach 3 at best. To reach low earth orbit, you need more
like Mach 17.

(3/17)^2 = 0.03. They only have about 3% of the energy needed to reach
orbit.

That's a bit like trying to claim that short sight seeing helicopter
tourist flights aren't "real aviation".


Bad analogy. Helicopters and airplanes both fly.

It's more like saying throwing a basket ball is not real aviation.

What matters is whether or not
the business is profitable, not someone's opinion about whether or not
it counts as "real" anything.

Jeff


  #28  
Old June 8th 11, 07:22 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,sci.space.history
Robert Clark
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Posts: 1,150
Default Private, uncrewed, suborbital test flights to start this year.

On May 11, 11:56*pm, Robert Clark wrote:
...
Just saw this:

Blue Origin carrying out "rocket launch activity".
"NOTAM Text:
"FDC 1/0432 ZAB NM.. TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS VAN HORN TX.
EFFECTIVE 1105051200 UTC UNTIL 1105051900 UTC. PURSUANT TO 14 CFR
SECTION 91.143 TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ARE IN EFFECT DUE TO
ROCKET LAUNCH ACTIVITY WITHIN A 17 NAUTICAL MILE RADIUS OF 312706N/
1044546W OR THE SALT FLAT /SFL/ VORTAC 125 DEGREE RADIAL AT 24.3
NAUTICAL MILES, SFC TO 10,000 MSL. BLUE ORIGIN LLC, 805-598-9309 IS IN
CHARGE OF THE OPERATION. ABQ ARTCC /ZAB/ 505-856-4500 IS THE FAA
COORDINATION FACILITY."http://hobbyspace.com/nucleus/?itemid=29314

*And Armadillo Aerospace was set to make their first test flight to
100,000 ft, 30 km, in April, but an unauthorized person, a hunter, in
the launch zone caused them to scrub the launch:

Armadillo Aerospace's "Tube Rocket" 'Stig' completed.
Industry News by BEN BROCKERT, Armadillo Aerospace
SUNDAY, APRIL 03, 2011http://www.rocketryplanet.com/content/view/3593/29/#ixzz1M6apKJvr

*Unfortunately, White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) which is next door to
the launch site at SpacePort America has not granted a right to launch
since the canceled April flight.



Armadillo Aerospace is hoping to make a free flight test later this
week:

http://twitpic.com/5825wf

I can't tell from this twitter post by Ben Brockert of Armadillo if
this is to be just a free hover test or a flight to high altitude.


Bob Clark
  #29  
Old June 9th 11, 02:17 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.physics,sci.space.history
Jeff Findley
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Posts: 5,012
Default Private, uncrewed, suborbital test flights to start this year.

In article ,
says...

On Wed, 08 Jun 2011 08:57:11 -0400, Jeff Findley wrote:

In article ,
lid
says...

On 8/06/2011 6:08 AM, Marvin the Martian wrote:
BFD.

I'm sorry, but there are private companies out there putting things
into orbit RIGHT NOW.

What this "Virgin Galactic" thing is, is a big sounding rocket.

BFD! They can't do NOW with today's technology what NASA and North
American Aviation was doing in 1959 with the X-15. This is literally
half a century old technology here.

Why are people so fascinated with this silly program?

Because they've been deceived into thinking it's a stepping stone to
real space tourism, which it isn't.


What is "real space tourism"


LEO

and why don't suborbital flights count?


Because the energies are off by over an order of magnitude. These guys
are going about Mach 3 at best. To reach low earth orbit, you need more
like Mach 17.

(3/17)^2 = 0.03. They only have about 3% of the energy needed to reach
orbit.

That's a bit like trying to claim that short sight seeing helicopter
tourist flights aren't "real aviation".


Bad analogy. Helicopters and airplanes both fly.


Helicopters typically used for sight seeing tourist flights can't fly
nearly as fast, high, or as far as a commercial turbofan powered
passenger airliner. By that yardstick, they aren't "real aviation"
anymore than manned suborbital flights into space isn't "real space
tourism".

It's more like saying throwing a basket ball is not real aviation.


I've got to disagree. When you're flying high enough above the earth
that the vehicle is flying through vacuum then that vehicle is flying in
space. Flying people in space on a relatively short suborbital trip is
manned space tourism as much as a 20 minute sight seeing helicopter ride
is aviation.

Jeff
--
" Solids are a branch of fireworks, not rocketry. :-) :-) ", Henry
Spencer 1/28/2011
 




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