Rocket Lab USA gets some unusual business

[Streetwind]

The Electron rocket, a smallsat LEO launcher under development by Rocket Lab USA, got some interesting business this week: it's going to the Moon, of all places. A Google Lunar X-Prize team bought three launches, with another two optional followups, for the 2017-2018 timeframe.

http://spacenews.com/moon-express-buys-rocket-lab-launches-for-lunar-missions/

This is kind of unexpected, because the Electron is primarily designed to lift 150 kg payloads into sun-synchronous Earth orbits for less than $5 million a pop. I'm pretty sure that performing a translunar injection was not quite part of Rocket Lab's plans for this launcher Its total payload capacity to lunar surface is expected to be below 10 kg. But that's apparently enough for Moon Express, who thinks they can pull off their bid at the prize with a super miniaturized lander. In fact, if they are successful on the first try, they might feel "inspired" to use the followup launches to test Earth return capability in the same mass envelope, potentially even carrying a surface sample.

The Electron rocket is still not finished right now, but may have a static test fire this year and may fly commercial payloads starting sometime in 2016.

The article mentions that this is an important contract, because the Google Lunar X-Prize will terminate at the end of this year unless at least one team signs a fully featured launch contract. That would afford an extension to December 2017 for all teams. Moon Express is apparently the first to sign such a contract, says the article; but I'm not sure if that's correct, because I kind of remember Astrobotics signing up for a 2016 Falcon 9 launch - a much more expensive rocket, but they'll be flying multiple teams on the same launch and then plan to have a "race to the finish" with rovers after landing on the Moon.

So, smallsat launcher to the moon, land-and-sample-return in under 10 kg - what do you guys think?

[prophet_01]

Under 10kg for lunar sample return?

They need navigation and comm systems, something to extract the sample, probably some high twr engine, landing gear and reentry protection.

Good luck with that :/ Seems too optimistic to me.

[malte]

So they will land, take a sample, and re-turn to Earth with a spacecraft weighing less than 10kg?

Just the engine, propellant and control system weighs a lot. Then they also need a re-entry capsule and parachutes.

It would perhaps be possible to do this in several steps:

On the first landing you leave the engine and control system.

On the second landing you leave the propellant.

The third landing brings the sample extract system and recovery system.

Step four is to solve the assembly of everything.

I would like to see to their calculations, they maybe have it all figured out.

Edited October 2, 2015 by malte

[magnemoe]

Under 10kg for lunar sample return?

They need navigation and comm systems, something to extract the sample, probably some high twr engine, landing gear and reentry protection.

Good luck with that :/ Seems too optimistic to me.

Yes, landing an 10 kg lander should not be an huge problem, sample return with it is another issue.

[Kryten]

So, smallsat launcher to the moon, land-and-sample-return in under 10 kg - what do you guys think?

I think sample return isn't mentioned anywhere in the article The lander only needs to take off and land 500m away to meet the GLXP requirements for roving, not make it all the way back to earth.

[Streetwind]

Yes, landing an 10 kg lander should not be an huge problem, sample return with it is another issue.

Well, the question then is technically: can you build a device capable of going from Moon surface to Earth surface in a mass budget smaller than 10 kg?

Since the rocket equation is independent of vehicle mass and size, it's perfectly possible from a propulsion standpoint. You just need to keep your dry mass from avionics, power and other systems small enough to get a sufficient fuel mass fraction. Smartphones have been demonstrated to work in space, weigh a couple hundred grams (including batteries and glass screens) and consume a few Watts worth of power, while solar panels exceed 150 W/kg. Even with triple-redundant systems, this seems doable.

As for returning a payload to Earth surface... a simple sample capsule probably doesn't even need a parachute if its surface to weight ratio is sufficient. As long as the shell doesn't crack, lithobraking is perfectly fine. There's just rock and dust inside after all.

I think sample return isn't mentioned anywhere in the article The lander only needs to take off and land 500m away to meet the GLXP requirements for roving, not make it all the way back to earth.

I had that part from a different article. I'm pretty sure that the Moon Express people said it in a tongue in cheek manner... and I'm also pretty sure that they'll end up saying "screw it, let's go for it" if they do indeed succeed soft-landing on the first try. What else would there be left to do with two more launches?

Edited October 2, 2015 by Streetwind

[Kryten]

That's probably something they dug up from when MX-1 was supposed to be much bigger.

[Streetwind]

I don't think so. It seems to be a statement made directly in relation procuring these Electron launches.

Relevant part:

"The holy grail of our company is to provide, to prove, a full-services capability  not just landing, but coming back from the moon," said Moon Express co-founder and CEO Bob Richards, who announced the new launch deal today (Oct. 1) at the Space Technology & Investment Summit in San Francisco.

If the MX-1 nails its landing on the first mission, "we're going to be inspired to try a sample-return," Richards told Space.com. "I don't know if we'll do that on the second mission, but I sure hope we're trying it by the third mission, if all is going that well."

The two optional launches provide some insurance for Moon Express in case the first three flights don't go entirely according to plan, Richards said.

Back when the MX-1 was first announced in its larger original configuration, Moon Express didn't yet have a plan for how to get it to the Moon, and it would have required a significantly larger and more expensive rocket - procuring three to five of that kind of launch vehicle would most definitely bankrupt any X-Prize team. Even Astrobotics can only afford a single Falcon 9 because they're ridesharing with other teams.

[passinglurker]

As for returning a payload to Earth surface... a simple sample capsule probably doesn't even need a parachute if its surface to weight ratio is sufficient. As long as the shell doesn't crack, lithobraking is perfectly fine. There's just rock and dust inside after all.

it'd be a pain to find in the middle of the desert though...

[_Augustus_]

Astrobotic is also bringing that Potcari Sweat thingy with them.

Also, 10 kg to the Moon? What are they sending, pixie dust?

[fredinno]

Astrobotic is also bringing that Potcari Sweat thingy with them.

Also, 10 kg to the Moon? What are they sending, pixie dust?

It's sort of small.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=moon+express&client=ms-android-bell-ca&source=android-browser&prmd=nvi&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAkQ_AUoA2oVChMIm-iK0KykyAIVzKWICh3UDAoh#imgrc=l0KfwApciOWLOM%3A

[Robotengineer]

The Electron looks like it could be called the Falcon 9 Mini.

[fredinno]

The Electron looks like it could be called the Falcon 9 Mini.

A search in Google made this come out:

Did you mean: Falcon 1.

[Camacha]

Who says the lander has to make it home for a return mission? You might very well leave something in orbit and return to that. Pretty much exactly what the Apollo missions did, but unmanned.

[Robotengineer]

A search in Google made this come out:

Did you mean: Falcon 1.

No, I meant Falcon 9 mini. It looks like a miniature version of a Falcon 9 in carbon black.

[RainDreamer]

Just some clarification: are they trying to send a payload that is 10kg on earth, or will be 10kg on the moon?

[cantab]

10 kg is the same everywhere.

[Fendleton]

Awesome to hear about this. Rocket Lab started out here in New Zealand (they're building their commercial launch pad near the city I'm living in for uni) and moved a bit over to the US for funding. The only mission they've done so far was a suborbital test flight a few years back....the launch was successful, but the recovery mission failed so they couldn't prove they'd been to space. It was good enough for getting funds though, it seems.

(It's pretty funny though. In the NZ press releases they crow about "Rocket Lab, a NZ company", whereas in all the other ones it's 'Rocket Lab US'.)

The mass budget will be interesting though. The Electron is designed to be absurdly cheap (about $5 million), but it's only designed for about 150kg of payload (to sun-synchronous orbit). For a high-profile launch like this I'd expect them to tweak things for as much extra payload as possible.....but it's definitely a super-minimal mission. Possible? Probably. But it'll be interesting to see how they do it (Electron itself is kinda odd: it uses electric fuel pumps rather than gas-generators, plus a lot of it is apparently 3D printed. A lot of new things to either be very exciting, or break and make pretty explosions).

If I'm still at university when they get around to launching this thing, I'll probably take my bike out and watch the launch. Unless, of course, they get that extra payload by doing an equatorial launch from somewhere else (we're not exactly equatorial here). Then I'll have to see if they stream it, I guess.

[softweir]

Just some clarification: are they trying to send a payload that is 10kg on earth, or will be 10kg on the moon?

10 kg is the same everywhere.

As cantab says. 10kg is the mass of the object, not its weight. Strictly speaking, we shouldn't say "I weigh 80kg", we should say "my mass is 80kg". We just get lazy and use the very-near-constancy of Earth's gravitational force as a quick-and-dirty way of measuring and discussing our mass.

[RainDreamer]

Oh so that is 10kg in mass, not in weight?

[Robotengineer]

I seriously doubt the mission will get from the drawing board to the launch pad. Using an untested launch vehicle that isn't designed to launch that sort of payload might work in KSP, but not in real lifeâ„¢.

[Kryten]

Oh so that is 10kg in mass, not in weight?

Kg are mass by definition. Weight is newtons

[RainDreamer]

Ah. learning new things everyday.

[Streetwind]

(It's pretty funny though. In the NZ press releases they crow about "Rocket Lab, a NZ company", whereas in all the other ones it's 'Rocket Lab US'.)

Pretty sure that both of these companies exist as separate entities, but belonging to the same people. Rocket Lab started in NZ but will have started an US subsidiary under the appropriate name so they can benefit from having direct access to US launch infrastructure (I believe they're in talks to utilize NASA's new smallsat launch platform at Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral) and other benefits while dodging ITAR. And since patriotism is a thing that exists, the press releases and other PR work will always be targeted in such a way that the reader gets to see the more engaging country association of the two

I seriously doubt the mission will get from the drawing board to the launch pad. Using an untested launch vehicle that isn't designed to launch that sort of payload might work in KSP, but not in real lifeâ„¢.

By the time Moon Express wants to launch, the Electron will have flown several times for other customers already. I mean, it's of course entirely possible (not likely, but possible) that it crashes and burns and never gets anywhere. But then again, space is risky business in the first place, and none of the Google Lunar X-Prize teams will turn a profit anyway (not even the grand prize winner). All of the teams are doing this with the understanding that they may not succeed, and have contingeny plans so the lives of the people involved don't end if it happens to turn out that way.

Additionally, waiting longer to sign the contract was not really an option, since someone had to sign a contract within the next 2-3 months or the X-Prize would expire.

Edited October 3, 2015 by Streetwind

[cantab]

Using an untested launch vehicle that isn't designed to launch that sort of payload might work in KSP, but not in real lifeâ„¢.

That was somewhat what was done with New Horizons. First launch of the Atlas V with five solid boosters, first launch with a third stage (a Star 48B solid booster), and instead of launching a heavy payload to LEO or GTO it was sending a light one clean out of the solar system. The launchpad TWR was 2.13, exceptionally high for an orbital launch vehicle.