Vector Space Systems Micro Satelite Lauches

[Basto]

Interesting new company. With a launch cost of $2M and a payload size of 50kg it really opens up a new market. Curious what other people's thought on it would be. 

 

http://spaceref.biz/company/spacex-founding-team-launches-vector-space-systems-to-redefine-space-commerce.html

[Kryten]

This is not in practice a new company, it's effectively Garvey Space with more funding and a new name. They've done a lot of work already; launched a large number of liquid rockets, demonstrated reuse of at least one of them, and tested the engine for this vehicle at full scale. They're definitely worth keeping an eye on.

[Streetwind]

Pretty gutsy bet on their part though that they'll be able to find enough customers interested in a 45 kg for $2 million deal. That's almost $45,000/kg to LEO, or $80,000/kg to sun-synchronous... or 50% more for a priority launch. The payload numbers (45 to LEO, 25 to SSO) are also a bit unfotunate, considering cubesats typically come in steps of 10 kg. To get your 3U cubesat to sun synchronous via Vector, you'll have to sacrifice the largest part of your third U.

I mean sure, you get to pick the orbit for your cubesat(s), but on other small launchers, you should be able to get a pretty good orbit compromise (or even find someone else who wants your destination) even when ridesharing. Rocket Labs is starting flight operations this year, and they're quoting less than half the per-kg price. An Electron carrying just 60kg to sun-synchronous for $5m is still a competitive deal next to this Vector launcher... despite actually having up to 150kg capacity to that orbit. Five full 3U cubesats instead of what's essentially one 2U-and-a-bit, for just 2.5 times the price. Ridesharing that to a popular orbit is not hard at all. And that's just the most flight-ready among a bevvy of smallsat launch projects that sprung up in recent years.

So yeah. Great for them that they're already this far along, but I feel that they've picked themselves a tough market.

Edited April 27, 2016 by Streetwind

[Kryten]

Cubesast units are between 1 and 1.33kg.

[Streetwind]

Really? I thought I remembered that it was all 10's. 10cm cubed per unit, 10 kg per unit.

Guess I remembered wrong! That'll definitely make it easier for the Vector to fill up its payload bay evenly, and makes it harder to fill an Electron with cubesats alone. I still think the Electron is going to end up the better deal for a majority of customers, though.

[Kryten]

7 minutes ago, Streetwind said:

Really? I thought I remembered that it was all 10's. 10cm cubed per unit, 10 kg per unit.

That'd be 10g/cubic centimetre, they'd have to be only slightly less dense than solid lead.

[Kryten]

A lot of new info on Vector; http://spacenews.com/vector-space-systems-plans-2018-first-flight-of-small-launch-vehicle/

They've now fully merged with the old Garvey Space company, and can start moving forward. They're planning a suborbital launch using the Vector-1 second stage engine on the 30th (presumably the P-19 vehicle Garvey space had already finished), full Vector-1 first-stage test launches in 2017, and orbital test launches in 2018.

[Kryten]

Their flight on the 30th was successful; 

 

[Streetwind]

Some more news: http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/08/tiny-rocket-company-aims-for-100-launches-a-year-and-it-just-might-succeed/

The launch vehicle now has an official name: the Wolverine rocket. (rawr and stuff? )

Additionally, the company has closed their first business deal, proving that there is indeed a market for them. A smallsat company from Finland committed to buying 21 launches, the first of which is slated to happen sometime in 2018. And there might be other customers following, according to CEO Jim Cantrell: "I’ll be honest, it’s going better than I ever thought."

[Kryten]

They've received a whack of money from NASA and DARPA; NASA for development of the orbital vehicle, and DARPA for use of the Vector-R first stage as an XS-1 upper stage. They've also started ground systems testing with an engineering model of Vector-R;

Not sure what's going on with the branding though, I must say; the rocket's gone from Vector-1 to Vector Wolverine to Vector-R within a couple of months, and they don't even say what the R in Vector-R stands for.

[monophonic]

4 hours ago, Kryten said:

Not sure what's going on with the branding though, I must say; the rocket's gone from Vector-1 to Vector Wolverine to Vector-R within a couple of months, and they don't even say what the R in Vector-R stands for.

Rocket?

[K^2]

Ugh. Math puns. (Vector Space)

[YNM]

Least, it's not a field. They'll spread everywhere.

[Streetwind]

There was an interview with Jim Cantrell of Vector Space Systems on TMRO this week. Full episode, or interview segment only.

Includes some video footage of the Vector-R on its trailer being hauled to its launch site, mention of a larger Vector-H variant, comments on competitors in the business (mainly Rocket Lab), comments regarding reusability/refurbishability via parachute landings, info on what customers have signed up and where they will be going, a business plan of orbiting a satellite constellation of their own that customers can upload their own software to, and more.

Edited November 6, 2016 by Streetwind

[Streetwind]

They're planning on livestreaming a test launch today, if the weather holds.

Peek at @vectorspacesys and/or @Nextlaunch on Twitter for more info.

[Streetwind]

^---- that was 15 minutes ago as of this posting...

[sevenperforce]

Livestream is live and streaming:

https://livestream.com/accounts/25660170/events/7633093

[Kerbal01]

Ignition abort, next attempt in 10 minutes.

[RedKraken]

Some more threads :

https://www.reddit.com/r/VectorSpace/comments/6qplnj/vectorr_block_0002_launch_updates_and_discussion/

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=40158.520

https://twitter.com/jamesncantrell

https://twitter.com/vectorspacesys

Edited August 3, 2017 by RedKraken

[Streetwind]

I like how they're calling it "Block 0.002"

[RedKraken]

Launched

[Racescort666]

The stream quality was pretty terrible but pretty cool to see that thing go. I'd love to see a proper video of the launch, looks like they'll have some pretty good angles.

[Streetwind]

I could see a drone floating near the pad. Pretty sure it was taking video

[tater]

Nothing in the woods caught fire.

[tater]

So this launch was limited to 10,000 feet, and had to stay within the spaceport in GA.

Ie: it's a big model rocket.