Another successful Delta 4 launch from the cape a few minutes ago. I was watching the TV but the TV delay is significant. When I got to the door it was already about 25 degrees above the horizon even though it was still on the launch pad in the TV image. They do light up the sky, but not like the shuttle.
There will be a webcast on NASA TV Wednesday 14th @ 7am EST, launch about 8.20am onwards with a one hour window, using that rocket-under-the-belly-of-the-plane-launch-system to punt the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System into LEO.
Cheers, Mike.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
There are at least two more of those under development. Paul Allen is paying for development of a much bigger one, with a single purpose-built carrier aircraft using various parts (including cockpit instruments and engines) from two used 747-400s built into a new aircraft purpose-built for this mission. For the party line from Stratolaunch, consult this page. They have been somewhat delayed on the carrier aircraft, and lost at least two candidate rocket partners (SpaceX and ATK).
And Virgin Galactic has stated intentions for what would presumably be something appreciably smaller using the WhiteKnight2 carrier aircraft.
Humm... after I wrote that I went looking and found Virgin Galactic's own assertions. They mention using a 747-400 they picked up (cheap, I'll bet) for the carrier. On the other hand the scale they mention for LauncherOne is definitely on the small end. That 747 could easily carry something bigger.
There are lots of stories about conclusions of the accident investigation and the return to flight this morning.
The accident discussions all line up with the leaked NRO talk by Musk months ago. Cold oxygen possibly locally solidified because of colder helium plays a key role.
Current return to flight is slated for a Vandenburg launch of ten Iridium-Next satellites on January 8, including booster recovery. If things are really going to happen, we should get such signs as test firing pretty soon, but there already has been plenty of vehicle and payload preparation photos and news.
Another successful Delta 4
)
Another successful Delta 4 launch from the cape a few minutes ago. I was watching the TV but the TV delay is significant. When I got to the door it was already about 25 degrees above the horizon even though it was still on the launch pad in the TV image. They do light up the sky, but not like the shuttle.
FWIW : spacexstats.com now
)
FWIW : spacexstats.com now gives ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT and WHOIS has the domain name as registered another year yet. Maybe out of hosting .....
Cheers, Mike.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
Mike Hewson wrote:FWIW :
)
spacexstats.com has address 198.199.108.90
spacexstats.com has IPv6 address 2604:a880:1:20::876:c001
ping 198.199.108.90 ---> no joy. So they are down or ....
Gemini 3 Liftoff ...
)
Gemini 3 Liftoff ...
March 23 1965
There will be a webcast on
)
There will be a webcast on NASA TV Wednesday 14th @ 7am EST, launch about 8.20am onwards with a one hour window, using that rocket-under-the-belly-of-the-plane-launch-system to punt the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System into LEO.
Cheers, Mike.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
Mike Hewson wrote: that
)
There are at least two more of those under development. Paul Allen is paying for development of a much bigger one, with a single purpose-built carrier aircraft using various parts (including cockpit instruments and engines) from two used 747-400s built into a new aircraft purpose-built for this mission. For the party line from Stratolaunch, consult this page. They have been somewhat delayed on the carrier aircraft, and lost at least two candidate rocket partners (SpaceX and ATK).
And Virgin Galactic has stated intentions for what would presumably be something appreciably smaller using the WhiteKnight2 carrier aircraft.
Humm... after I wrote that I went looking and found Virgin Galactic's own assertions. They mention using a 747-400 they picked up (cheap, I'll bet) for the carrier. On the other hand the scale they mention for LauncherOne is definitely on the small end. That 747 could easily carry something bigger.
Exciting times we are in.
)
Exciting times we are in.
Rescheduled for Dec 15 at
)
Rescheduled for Dec 15 at 8:26am EST
Cheers, Mike.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
Liftoff of Arianespace’s
)
Liftoff of Arianespace’s Ariane 5 with Star One D1 and JCSAT-15
yesterday.
There are lots of stories
)
There are lots of stories about conclusions of the accident investigation and the return to flight this morning.
The accident discussions all line up with the leaked NRO talk by Musk months ago. Cold oxygen possibly locally solidified because of colder helium plays a key role.
Current return to flight is slated for a Vandenburg launch of ten Iridium-Next satellites on January 8, including booster recovery. If things are really going to happen, we should get such signs as test firing pretty soon, but there already has been plenty of vehicle and payload preparation photos and news.
There are substantial stories on the whole matter at both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.
The Spacex anomaly page is also worth reading.