Welcome to version 3.14 of the Rocket Report! So basically, it’s pie week for us. Also, you can understand that we didn’t report the rocket last week – this is the reason why Hurricane Laura’s threat has caused the author an unexpected but significant disruption. But now we are back with a bigger version than before.
As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if you don’t want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the following using x (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small, medium- and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look at the three launches coming to the lander.
Rocket Lab successfully returns to flight. Flying for the first time after a failure two months ago, the rocket lab’s electron rocket delivered the first commercial radar remote-sensing satellite of Capella Space into orbit on Sunday after taking off from New Zealand, Spaceflight Now reports. Rocket Lab says it has monthly launches for the rest of 2020, including the company’s first flight from the new pad at Wall Lops Island in Virginia.
Making a better connector … Investigators in the second phase found the same faulty electrical connector as the cause of the July 4 failure, which detached the flight and caused the engine to shut down prematurely. Rocket Lab said it has improved testing for better screens for bad connectors, and the success of the electron’s return-to-flight mission seems to have supported the idea. (Submitted by Ken Bin and John Carter 17)
After 14 months, Vega also returns to flight. At 10:51 pm local time in Cairo, French Guiana on September 2, the European lightlift Liga Vega launcher made its 15th successful mission, returning to its flight. The ride-sharing mission carried s53 satellites into orbit for 21 customers, Arenespace said.
Back to business … Following the rocket failure in July 2019, the flight-flight mission was originally scheduled for March, before the COVID-19 epidemic shut down European spaceports. After the spaceport reopened in June, post-summer adverse winds prevented the launch attempt. With the completion of this mission, Arians Space hopes to take Vega to market as an affordable ride-sharing vehicle for the organization and business customers. (Submitted by Platicurit and Ken Bean)
PLD Space tests its rocket engine. Spanish launching startup PLD Space has completed critical testing of the company’s Taprel-B rocket engine, Space News reports. The engine is expected to power the single-stage subborbital Miura 1 launch vehicle. The Miura 1 is designed to launch 100kg payloads at an altitude of 150km, providing microgravity of up to three minutes.
One step closer to engine qualification … PLD Space said it has successfully completed a series of thrust vector control tests on a kerosene-powered Taprel-B rocket engine. Completion of the Taprel-B thrust vector control test follows the successful “burst test” of the Miura 1’s joint overlapped pressure vessel in March, which is used to push the rocket’s propulsion stage during flight. (Submitted by John Carter 17, Platycartic and Ken Bean)
Rocket Lab gets FAA launch license for Wall Laps. Rocket Lab said this week that it has received key approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for the Virginia spaceport. With its “La Launcher Rator Porter License” for LC-2 pads in Wall Laps, the company can make multiple launches from location, without requesting an agency for a mission-specific license for each individual flight, TechCrunch reports.
Starting later this year? … Rocket Lab held its official opening ceremony for the Virginia-based LC-2 late last year, but due to COVID-19 and related disruptions it may delay the planned debut activity at the venue. The company has yet to set a launch date for the first mission from its second overall launch pad. (Submitted by Danielle and Ken Bean)
The Scottish launch site took another step. The proposed vertical-launch spaceport in northern Scotland is taking its next regulatory step, with approval for 12 launches a year after receiving approval from the Highland Council plan. Highlands and Island Enterprise said it was applying to the Scottish Land Court for consent to build and operate the facility.
Crafting means small scale farming … The consent of the Scottish Land Court is required as the project will be developed on crafting land, which is currently classified as normal grazing. Any crawler with livestock on normal grazing will be asked to move their animals periods during the days of launching. With the idea of starting possibly before the end of next 2222, construction is set to begin next year. (Submitted by Ken Bean)
SpaceX has launched its 100th rocket. Weather conditions were poor at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Sunday afternoon, August 30th. But they cleared long enough for SpaceX to launch the SAOCOM-1B mission. This was a historic historical mission for two reasons, according to the Ars report, SpaceX launched a rocket for the 100th time and flew a rare polar corridor mission from Florida for the Argentine space agency.
Three different rockets … The mission tally includes five Falcon 1 launches, three Falcon heavy missions and 92 Falcon 9 launches. Sunday’s mission also featured the first rocket launch from Florida – optimized for an equatorial launch – in orbital polarity in 50 years. This was made possible by the modern flight-termination system that protected the Florida coast. On Thursday, the company flew its 101st mission.
It will take 47 0,470 million to restore the launch spaceport. The floating spaceport, currently located in a shipyard near Vladivostok, Russia, will require an investment of approximately 47 0,470 million to prepare for the new launch. The estimate was obtained from Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, reports TASS news agency.
Sitting for five years … The last launch from the sea-based platform took place in May 2015. “It’s a unique structure in the world,” Borisov said. “Some have plans to build something similar. It would be foolish of us if we decided to restore the launch and use its services. Technically all of this is possible.” We will trust this when funding is allocated and repairs begin. (Submitted by John Carter 17 and Ken Bean)
