SpaceY Inc. - Raptor 9 v2.0 testing underway! (Submit a payload)

[Kerbiter]

Cheaper. Better. Quicker.

Hello, this is Elon. A few weeks ago the universe crippled and ceased to exist. A day later we were teleported into a new universe. It was really weird and we don't know what happened. Today we decided to continue operations and are manufacturing more Kiwi engines than you can count, we are scheduling the construction of the Komodo spacecraft, and we are designing the brand new and improved Raptor 9. Oh, and we got a new logo. That is it for this part of the update.

- Elon Kerman, CEO of SpaceY

                                Suborbital
This is Jeff, coming in for a quick update. Throb is gone but hopefully with hardware from the Kerbal Space Center contractors and from Elon's main team we can create a new craft called New Kerman for high atmospheric/suborbital flight and recovery (meaning booster landings). This craft will be designed to not only haul experiments to the upper atmosphere or even space but it can provide space tourism. I hope I can provide you with progress reports detailing on the production and flight of the New Kerman vehicle and launcher. I am out.

- Jeff Kerman, Director of SpaceY Suborbital
 

Edited June 19, 2016 by Kerbiter

[Kerbiter]

Today we have launched and recovered the Komodo spacecraft on KQFT-1+ launched on the new Raptor 9 v1.1. The launch was conducted in the afternoon at the Kerbal Space Center using the Launchsite. SLC-2 does not need to be used anymore for any purpose and therefore has been demolished. Other launchsites serve the purpose. This flight was meant to test Komodo systems such as the onboard Pyro thrusters, as well as the systems of the new Raptor 9.

One interesting thing about this new version of the Raptor 9 is that the first stage is being developed to be reusable. Eventually we will attempt to soft land in the ocean, and eventually on land. This is meant to eventually become a regular occurence for every Raptor 9 launch. New Kerman, created by Jeff's team, will be able to act as a test bed for this.

At T-1 hour 25 min fueling started. At T-18 minutes fueling ended. At T-4 minutes 30 sec the new Raptor 9 strongback retracted. This structure is meant to keep R9 and its payload structurally sound before fueling has ended.

The Raptor 9 v1.1 viewed by a remote camera. [SpaceY]

At T-3 seconds the 9 brand new Kiwi-C engines ignite, and at T±0 seconds the launch clamps release and liftoff occurs.

The Raptor 9 v1.1 lifting off captured by a remote camera. [SpaceY]

The power of the Kiwi-C engines fill the sky with louder noise than ever before. Around 500,000 pounds of thrust generated by the engines are lifting this machine off the ground.

An image taken by a Kerbal watching the Raptor 9 v1.1 launch from the Tracking Station. [SpaceY]

Many onboard cameras have been installed on this and we're glad to show a few images from them.

A view of the Raptor 9 v1.1 launch from an onboard camera. [SpaceY]

Eventually we had to switch to good old Chase Camera 2, which was moved to accomodate for the new launchsite.

A view of the Raptor 9 v1.1 with the KQFT-1+ spacecraft onboard. [SpaceY]

As the rocket departured from the general vicinity of the space center more of us wanted to see the current reusability capabilities of the first stage. It was a long time before MECO.

The Raptor 9 v1.1 with the KQFT-1+ spacecraft being sighted by a chase camera. [SpaceY]

Eventually we got closer and closer to MECO and the audience at our KSC Control Room building 2 km from the space center.

The Raptor 9 v1.1 very high in ascent. [SpaceY]

Now we had MECO, stage separation, and the Stage 2 Kiwi-C Vacuum engine ignition.

The second stage Kiwi-C Vacuum engine ignities ahead of the first stage. [SpaceY]

While for most launches, everyone was excited for the second stage to reach orbit at this point, for this launch most people were excited because we would perform a controlled entry and possibly landing test in the ocean.

|
An image from the spent first stage of the Raptor 9 v1.1. [SpaceY]

The first stage has grid fins that help steer the booster during hypersonic descent and a complex attitude control system that can operate in pitch, yaw, and roll axes. The booster also shut down its outer engines and kept the center one operating. The booster experienced re-entry so we decided to control it by doing an entry burn.

The booster of R9 v1.1 performing an entry burn. [SpaceY]

We were not able to get a perfect image as the ice and shaken satellite link gave us a bad signal. We were still certain the entry burn was happening. The booster crashed in the ocean as planned. We did a crash dampening burn which gave some of the hardware a larger chance of survival. Recovery ships are on the way from Jeb's Island to recover the remains. These remains will be placed at our planned SpaceY Museum at the KSC.

The last image captured from the Raptor 9 booster (ID R9-002). [SpaceY]

The second stage went fine on ascent and safely inserted the Komodo spacecraft into orbit.

The second stage of the Raptor 9 v1.1 before SECO. [SpaceY]

No clear images of deployment were captured, but a camera on the second stage captured the primary mission, which was to test the Komodo spacecraft. One of these tests involved using the 2nd stage Kiwi-C Vacuum engine as docking practice for the next mission, KQFT-2, a rendezvous and docking with Starlight station. The test was successful.

An image of the Komodo spacecraft flying by a Raptor 9 second stage. [SpaceY]

After that, the Komodo performed a long deorbit burn with some of its Pyro thrusters.

The Komodo performing a deorbit burn. [SpaceY]

The Komodo spacecraft also demonstrated its return capabilities. Re-entry with the advanced heatshield was successful, and the Komodo spacecraft successfully deployed its parachute.

The Komodo spacecraft with its parachute out during descent. [SpaceY]

The craft successfully coasted with its parachute for a while and eventually the craft's parachute fully deployed.

The Komodo spacecraft before landing. [SpaceY]

Eventually the Komodo spacecraft landed in some shrubbery. All content inside the craft (and the craft itself) was safe and in good condition.

The Komodo spacecraft after landing. [SpaceY]

This craft is also planned to be displayed at our planned SpaceY Museum. Jeff told me he was planning to test New Kerman soon, so stay ready for that. Anyways, keep submitting your payloads and that is it for the progress report.

- Elon Kerman, CEO of SpaceY

 

 

[DaMachinator]

The Aerospace Division at HydroCorp Industries has a payload. 

Will post ASAP.

Edited July 3, 2016 by DaMachinator

[Kerbiter]

18 hours ago, DaMachinator said:

The Aerospace Division at HydroCorp Industries has a payload. 

Will post ASAP.

We will consider launching this payload once we know what it is, and how much it weighs.

- Elon Kerman

[DaMachinator]

HydroCorp Industries Aeronautics Division requests that you launch the Caduceus probe lander and its transfer stage into an 80x80 orbit of Kerbin, and provide remote guidance to the probe on a one-way mission to Dres to test its capabilities. It consists of a slightly oversized .625m probe lander atop a transfer stage consisting of a .625m decoupler with two FL-T400 tanks and an LV-909 engine.

(You can download the Caduceus with lifter included from KerbalX, or you can wait for me to make a copy without the lifter and post it here. It's pure stock.)

Edited July 3, 2016 by DaMachinator
Too much whitespace.

[Ultimate Steve]

The Notebook Space Program is interested in launching a minimalist Jool exploration probe onboard the Raptor 9. However, we would like to know approximately how much the Raptor 9 can lift to orbit, or just how much the Komodo weighs as a benchmark. That way, we can make sure that it will not be an impossible payload.

-Steve Kerman, CEO of the Notebook Space Program.

Edit: The engineers have presented us with some designs. The current one is 2.326 tons, 2.3 meters tall, 2.2 meters wide, and 1.2 meters long. It is fully stock, and I can send craft file upon request.

Edited July 5, 2016 by Ultimate Steve

[TheEpicSquared]

@Kerbiter May I have an update on my payload? The fairly large space telescope.  

[Kerbiter]

Alright, I'm gonna try to put together a launch manifest. A Raptor 9 v2.0 is in the works with a modified Launchers Pack Falcon 9 from @Kartoffelkuchen's mod. There will be the first launch as KASS, a weather observing satellite.

On 7/3/2016 at 5:50 PM, DaMachinator said:

HydroCorp Industries Aeronautics Division requests that you launch the Caduceus probe lander and its transfer stage into an 80x80 orbit of Kerbin, and provide remote guidance to the probe on a one-way mission to Dres to test its capabilities. It consists of a slightly oversized .625m probe lander atop a transfer stage consisting of a .625m decoupler with two FL-T400 tanks and an LV-909 engine.

(You can download the Caduceus with lifter included from KerbalX, or you can wait for me to make a copy without the lifter and post it here. It's pure stock.)

^ Launch #2.

Komodo Launch #3. @ZooNamedGames I really need that station.

Comms Sat Launch #4.

On 7/4/2016 at 11:37 PM, Ultimate Steve said:

The Notebook Space Program is interested in launching a minimalist Jool exploration probe onboard the Raptor 9. However, we would like to know approximately how much the Raptor 9 can lift to orbit, or just how much the Komodo weighs as a benchmark. That way, we can make sure that it will not be an impossible payload.

-Steve Kerman, CEO of the Notebook Space Program.

Edit: The engineers have presented us with some designs. The current one is 2.326 tons, 2.3 meters tall, 2.2 meters wide, and 1.2 meters long. It is fully stock, and I can send craft file upon request.

^ Launch #5.

On 7/9/2016 at 4:46 AM, TheEpicSquared said:

@Kerbiter May I have an update on my payload? The fairly large space telescope.  

Soon(tm).

@adsii1970 I would like you to collaborate with me and the payload providers to create some fairing decals.

I'm out. Bye.

[Ultimate Steve]

1 minute ago, Kerbiter said:

^ Launch #5.

Craft file is ready!

[ZooNamedGames]

3 minutes ago, Kerbiter said:

Alright, I'm gonna try to put together a launch manifest. A Raptor 9 v2.0 is in the works with a modified Launchers Pack Falcon 9 from @Kartoffelkuchen's mod. There will be the first launch as KASS, a weather observing satellite.

^ Launch #2.

Komodo Launch #3. @ZooNamedGames I really need that station.

Comms Sat Launch #4.

^ Launch #5.

Soon(tm).

@adsii1970 I would like you to collaborate with me and the payload providers to create some fairing decals.

I'm out. Bye.

I gave you the save of the station!

[Kerbiter]

Just now, ZooNamedGames said:

I gave you the save of the station!

If you want me to correctly insert the station into a correct orbit, give me the craft. I can HyperEdit it into orbit, delete the craft file, and it'll be inside my persistence.

[ZooNamedGames]

Just now, Kerbiter said:

If you want me to correctly insert the station into a correct orbit, give me the craft. I can HyperEdit it into orbit, delete the craft file, and it'll be inside my persistence.

It isn't one craft but a group of them :/ . I'll see if I can find someone who can splice it as a craft vessel.

[Kerbiter]

1 minute ago, ZooNamedGames said:

It isn't one craft but a group of them :/ . I'll see if I can find someone who can splice it as a craft vessel.

Do you have a dry dock of the current state of the station? If not, go make me one.

[adsii1970]

50 minutes ago, Kerbiter said:

@adsii1970 I would like you to collaborate with me and the payload providers to create some fairing decals.

[edited by adsii1970 for relevant content]

You know the drill... shoot me some basic ideas AND a color palate you want to use.

[Kerbiter]

4 hours ago, adsii1970 said:

You know the drill... shoot me some basic ideas AND a color palate you want to use.

Alright I'm starting a private convo. I might add in some payload providers temporarily for brainstorming on fairing decals relating to the mission.

[TheEpicSquared]

@Kerbiter

Squared Space Technologies is interested in launching the Polar Ore Scanner using your Raptor 9 launch vehicle.

We request that you launch the scanner into a 100x100km polar parking orbit and then provide remote guidance to the satellite itself, using onboard propellant to push its orbit into a 350x350km circular polar orbit. All information can be found on the KerbalX site. 

[spongey45]

United Kerbilian Empire Military is interested to contract your Raptor 9 launch vehicle to launch the CommSat X1

Here is the detail of the orbit we need:

We need you to put the satellite in Polar KEO, we need the satellite to be placed as near to the North Pole as possible, You may use our built-in ION Engine to propel the craft or your own tug. Please remember that this is "JUST" a "COMMUNICATION" satellite. The satellite weight is 0.596 tonnes if I'm not wrong.

[Kerbiter]

Hello. On this progress report I am reporting on a brand new version of the Raptor 9. This version was created because we feel that the Raptor 9 v1.1 is not powerful enough to be reusable, therefore we are developing a brand new version of the Raptor 9 to reach the goal of rapid reusability.

Say hello to Raptor 9 v2.0!

A rendering of the brand new Raptor 9 v2.0. [SpaceY]

Not only do we have an improved everything, we finally printed our logo onto a rocket! Now people won't think those C7 fiends made our lovely rockets!

hey!

SHUT UP!

Anyways, we have made an actual launch manifest for this launch vehicle, if you go to our gridsite, /spacey-inc, you can see the launches. Just in case you can't access the manifest, here it is:

Quote

=== Completed Flights (in descending order of date) ===
KQFT-1+ - Raptor 9 v1.1 - LKO
KQFT-1 - Raptor 9 v1.0 - LKO
Gus Kerman Memorial Flight - Raptor 1 v1.1 - LKO
ZKSAT-2 - Raptor 1 v1.1 - KTO
QBEsat-1 - Raptor 1 v1.1 - LKO
RaptorSat - Raptor 1 v1.0 - LKO

=== Upcoming Flights (in ascending order of date) ===
KASS - Raptor 9 v2.0 - LKO
Cascadia Cadaceus - Raptor 9 v2.0 (tug stage req.) - TRAJ>DRES
KQFT-2 - Raptor 9 v2.0 - LKO(STARLIGHT)
KSS-5 - Raptor 9 v2.0 - KTO
Jool Minimalist Probe - Raptor 9 v2.0 (tug stage req.) - TRAJ>JOOL

Anyways, here's a bonus for this progress report. For a while we have been working on a brand new VTVL development vehicle based off the Raptor 9 v2.0. Here it is... R9R-Dev!

The R9R-Dev test vehicle descending on its 100m test flight. [SpaceY]

Even though we took some tips from Jeff's suborbital team, we made this independently and is not based off Throb. Also, you can see our landing leg design. It is actually retractable as well as being deployable, but so far it's always been deployed. On future flights we will only deploy the landing legs a few seconds before landing, use all 3 engines for ascent and keep the center engine for descent, and add an improved version of those grid fins you saw before on R9 v1.1. Anyways, keep submitting your payloads, and that is it for the progress report.

- Elon Kerman, CEO of SpaceY

[Kerbiter]

On July 12, 2016 at 8:11 AM, TheEpicSquared said:

@Kerbiter

Squared Space Technologies is interested in launching the Polar Ore Scanner using your Raptor 9 launch vehicle.

We request that you launch the scanner into a 100x100km polar parking orbit and then provide remote guidance to the satellite itself, using onboard propellant to push its orbit into a 350x350km circular polar orbit. All information can be found on the KerbalX site. 

The raptor 9 v2.0 can do that orbit easily. Save that propellant for other things. It's launch #7.

3 hours ago, spongey45 said:

United Kerbilian Empire Military is interested to contract your Raptor 9 launch vehicle to launch the CommSat X1

Here is the detail of the orbit we need:

We need you to put the satellite in Polar KEO, we need the satellite to be placed as near to the North Pole as possible, You may use our built-in ION Engine to propel the craft or your own tug. Please remember that this is "JUST" a "COMMUNICATION" satellite. The satellite weight is 0.596 tonnes if I'm not wrong.

Sorry, but Elon will never allow SpaceY to do any missions for any military. Sorry 

 

[TheEpicSquared]

1 minute ago, Kerbiter said:

The raptor 9 v2.0 can do that orbit easily. Save that propellant for other things. It's launch #7.

 

Yeah, I gave the thing waaaay too much delta-v.  

[Crocket]

Along with testing other new tech, Crocket's Discount Rockets has created the Instinct Comms Sattelite with the aim of helping customers create communications networks on the cheap. It has the capability to deorbit itself using a Terrier engine and two radially-mounted chutes to guarantee a soft landing. It weighs 2.150 tons, has 10 parts, and is 2.1x1.8x2.3. It is requested that the Instinct be put into a 100x100km orbit, put through it's paces (open the solar panels with Action 1, open the antenna), then deorbited with its onboard engine and landed safely. A fair warning: the Instinct does not have a heat shield, so it must aerobrake carefully.

(i'll pm you the dropbox link once it uploads correctly)

[SpaceplaneAddict]

On 5/15/2016 at 7:43 AM, SpaceplaneAddict said:

Company - Kerbal MicroSat Engineering

Payload: The MicroSat Quail

Desired Destination: Keostationary Orbit.

Notes: Satelite comes inside payload container (structural fuselage), and does not come with tug. Feel free to design one. MechJeb included, batteries sold seperatly (jk on the batteries thing)

Hey um I submitted this a while ago, could I get a response regarding it?

[Kerbiter]

3 hours ago, SpaceplaneAddict said:

Hey um I submitted this a while ago, could I get a response regarding it?

We're looking to put this in the manifest. Thank you.

[Kerbiter]

On July 13, 2016 at 4:53 PM, Crocket said:

Along with testing other new tech, Crocket's Discount Rockets has created the Instinct Comms Sattelite with the aim of helping customers create communications networks on the cheap. It has the capability to deorbit itself using a Terrier engine and two radially-mounted chutes to guarantee a soft landing. It weighs 2.150 tons, has 10 parts, and is 2.1x1.8x2.3. It is requested that the Instinct be put into a 100x100km orbit, put through it's paces (open the solar panels with Action 1, open the antenna), then deorbited with its onboard engine and landed safely. A fair warning: the Instinct does not have a heat shield, so it must aerobrake carefully.

(i'll pm you the dropbox link once it uploads correctly)

We're looking to add this to the manifest, thank you.

[TheEpicSquared]

When will the next flight be happening? Just wondering