Antares launch from Wallops, VA at 12:52pm EST. 7/13

[Kryten]

Having to drag rockets up a mountain and drop stages on northern Brazil is not a 'win-win' for anybody.

[Motokid600]

That's what I thought I read too. 290x160. So with a periapsis of 160km wouldnt the second stage degrade almost immediately?

Because I'm guessing Cygnus used it's thruster to circularlize at 290.

[Aethon]

Drag?? I know 400 guys in one 'hood' here in the good ole' US of A who'd grab a rope and pull the damn thing to the top for a reliable couple 'a hundred bucks a month. First though we could employ him/her (or more probably esos de Ecuador [pardon my spanish- it's getting better]) to build a fabulous highway to the top for much less money than the cost of the F-35 joint strike's 1+ TRILLION.

Edit- Bring back my Tomcat!

Edited July 13, 2014 by Aethon

[Aethon]

That's what I thought I read too. 290x160. So with a periapsis of 160km wouldnt the second stage degrade almost immediately?

Because I'm guessing Cygnus used it's thruster to circularlize at 290.

Umm I think, other than decoupler force, that's the final orbit for both. Payload'll rendezvous from there.

[Kryten]

Almost all rockets are transported by rail or barge, and with very good reason. Trying to move a heavy-lift LV by road, up a mountain, is complete fantasy.

[Aethon]

OK. Kryten ( Is that a reference to Red Dwarf? Man I miss that show!) a rail line as well then. Jeb keeps babbling at me "High speed, Mag Lev, Mass driver/Rail line and just launch the dern thing off the train!" YES JEB! I'M POSTING IT! Sheesh.

Edited July 14, 2014 by Aethon

[Kryten]

A freight train heading up a mountain simply isn't going to work, and you haven't said anything about how to deal with the 'dropping rocket stages on French Guiana or northern Brazil' issue.

[Aethon]

Well there are a number of fine mountain candidates for a space port, move it to eastern Brazil or Africa. My point is, we could optimize a great many things in our program, while spending my tax dollars. The US has enough bombs and guns. How about spending $$ on something that unites us, and furthers our general cause.

Edit-Heck, we dropped an RTG in central America from a failed spacecraft once. It's still there as far as I know. I can't for the life of me find it now (yes dog, I'm coming) and nobody hardly squawked about it. Someone'll be along shortly who can expand on this.

Well thanks guys. Took my weekend mind offa WAITING FOR THE DARN .24 UPDATE! Sorry! Sorry, guess I'll take the dog to this 'Out side' I keep hearing about.

I'll let us both out.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Aethon

[Motokid600]

Umm I think, other than decoupler force, that's the final orbit for both. Payload'll rendezvous from there.

Well the ISS is at 330km. So Cygnus has to raise its orbit at some point. But as for the second stage... With a 160km periapsis would it really stay up there for over a month? I can't picture over a day... 160km is about 60km above the Karmin line, but that's still pretty low isn't it?

[Francesco]

That's what I thought I read too. 290x160. So with a periapsis of 160km wouldnt the second stage degrade almost immediately?

Because I'm guessing Cygnus used it's thruster to circularlize at 290.

It's 160 nm or 290 km, circular orbit. Don't mix the two

[lajoswinkler]

I saw the funniest comment about this launch yesterday. Someone was asking if the launch was done in a rural area because of the water tower.

[Aethon]

Here's a vid of the launch in case you missed it.

http://www.space.com/26510-cygnus-cargo-spacecraft-launches-to-space-station-video.html