Minotaur-C Launch Halloween

[Racescort666]

For those that are interested in watching.

[Racescort666]

Just finished poll, go for launch.

[Ultimate Steve]

Just got home!

Hopefully it goes on this try, because I need to eat and leave by 20 minutes from now.

[insert_name]

Sounds like they lost contact with the rocket 

And they got it back

Edited October 31, 2017 by insert_name

[regex]

Major communications problems. Good thing these things are automated.

I do love solid rocket launches, so fast.

[wumpus]

17 hours ago, regex said:

I do love solid rocket launches, so fast.

Wiki claims a TWR of 2.25 (although the wiki isn't clear which configuration has a 73 ton total mass).  Sounds like Orbital is tired of gravity losses.

[Ultimate Steve]

3 hours ago, wumpus said:

Wiki claims a TWR of 2.25 (although the wiki isn't clear which configuration has a 73 ton total mass).  Sounds like Orbital is tired of gravity losses.

Meanwhile, in KSP, my TWR approaches 10 at the end of some stage burns...

Even in RO/RP-0, I have a rocket that pulls 10g at the end of the booster burn (not the most realistic thing ever, but the next version of the rocket will fix that).

[wumpus]

5 minutes ago, Ultimate Steve said:

Meanwhile, in KSP, my TWR approaches 10 at the end of some stage burns...

Even in RO/RP-0, I have a rocket that pulls 10g at the end of the booster burn (not the most realistic thing ever, but the next version of the rocket will fix that).

TWR after launch isn't really important unless you are using the fuel to support the mass of the  rocket (in which case you might need to reduce thrust).  Since F=ma,  you are going to have the same stress on the rocket for the same amount of thrust regardless of the mass of the rocket.  Of course if you are still in the atmosphere, you might have a nasty maxQ.

The shuttle SRBs were designed to specific thrust profile, presumably due to maxQ.  Otherwise I'd just expect something like a sawtooth inner ring (for maximum thrust from 0 to outside the transonic regime) and then a constant thrust.

[NSEP]

Watched this, very nice. The hosts were a bit akward, but it was a wonderful launch!