Orbital rockets are now easy, page 2: solid-rockets for cube-sats.

[magnemoe]

19 hours ago, Exoscientist said:

 Yes, liquid fuel rockets are technically more challenging than solid rockets. Also, they have to construct their own engines rather than.taking them "off-the-shelf".

  Bob Clark

You can not get large solid stage engines easy. 

Yes they are off the shelf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM-140_ATACMS
Have fun trying to buy one
 

[wumpus]

9 hours ago, magnemoe said:

You can not get large solid stage engines easy. 

Yes they are off the shelf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM-140_ATACMS
Have fun trying to buy one
 

If they are being replaced, I suspect Orbital can get their hands on plenty.  Super Strypi was a NASA project (I think), and they have a reasonable chance to get one.  University program?   Maybe in Colorado Springs (US Air Force academy), good luck for anyone else.

I wonder if a Minotaur-Heavy will come out with a ring of these around the base...

[NSEP]

Because space is vast and empty with not alot of destinations, there is no big reason to not take ride on a bigger rocket.

[magnemoe]

17 hours ago, wumpus said:

If they are being replaced, I suspect Orbital can get their hands on plenty.  Super Strypi was a NASA project (I think), and they have a reasonable chance to get one.  University program?   Maybe in Colorado Springs (US Air Force academy), good luck for anyone else.

I wonder if a Minotaur-Heavy will come out with a ring of these around the base...

They are too small i think, this was mostly an example that most larger solid fuel rockets are military as the military uses lots of them, yes if you are an serious company you can get them but an amateur group even an well organized one like Copenhagen suborbital will find that both expenses and red tape will block them. 
For one the engines is made in series so buying just a few is expensive. 
 

[wumpus]

1 hour ago, magnemoe said:

They are too small i think, this was mostly an example that most larger solid fuel rockets are military as the military uses lots of them, yes if you are an serious company you can get them but an amateur group even an well organized one like Copenhagen suborbital will find that both expenses and red tape will block them. 
For one the engines is made in series so buying just a few is expensive.

I just looked up the wiki and it implied that the motors were aging out and needed to be replaced, and that the replacement program had been funded a year or two ago.  Orbital prefers buying the surplus, not the new stock and could presumably get a good deal on them if they really wanted to do such a thing (if it wasn't in the original design, I doubt they can add "more boosters" willy nilly).

[Exoscientist]

On 9/6/2017 at 8:24 AM, magnemoe said:

They are too small i think, this was mostly an example that most larger solid fuel rockets are military as the military uses lots of them, yes if you are an serious company you can get them but an amateur group even an well organized one like Copenhagen suborbital will find that both expenses and red tape will block them. 
For one the engines is made in series so buying just a few is expensive. 
 

 

 The highest level solid rockets available to amateurs are called the O-class. They weigh in the range of 30+ kg: and can have 4,000+ lbs. thrust:

http://www.thrustcurve.org/browser.jsp?1category=l3&2class=O

 You need to be certified by one of the recognized high power rocketry associations to purchase them:

http://www.tripoli.org/Certification

 And you have to get clearance from the FAA to launch them, since they have to clear the airspace above the launch site before you launch.

 

  Bob Clark

 

 

 

[YNM]

51 minutes ago, Exoscientist said:

 

 The highest level solid rockets available to amateurs are called the O-class. They weigh in the range of 30+ kg: and can have 4,000+ lbs. thrust:

http://www.thrustcurve.org/browser.jsp?1category=l3&2class=O

 You need to be certified by one of the recognized high power rocketry associations to purchase them:

http://www.tripoli.org/Certification

 And you have to get clearance from the FAA to launch them, since they have to clear the airspace above the launch site before you launch.

 

  Bob Clark

 

 

 

That's a far cry from 2.6 t SS-520. All for 4 kg of payload ! (granted it's to elliptical orbit)