Fifth Avenue Forum

A Progress cargo vehicle that has been attached to the ISS for months just experienced a coolant-system leak and depressurization that sounds a lot like the leak that affected the Soyuz MS-22, and it sounds like the Progress leak and the Soyuz leak were both in roughly the same place. The Progress vehicle is very similar to a Soyuz, and the propulsion section at the aft that holds the solar panels and cooling systems for both vehicles is basically the same. Roscosmos blamed the Soyuz MS-22 leak on a micrometeorite impact, but this second leak raises questions about that.



Fortunately, Progress cargo vehicles are used only for trash disposal, and the affected Progress is pretty much full and was scheduled to undock and destructively deorbit in a few days anyway.

Wow

Did not know any of this. This video describes how the Saturn V's guidance system was calibrated prior to launch. The system involves gyroscopes, pendulums, prisms, and infrared light beams transmitted from a bunker in the ramp leading to the pad.

The maiden launch of the Japanese H3 rocket unfortunately failed earlier today. Everything was nominal from launch through stage separation, but it doesn't seem like the second stage ignited.



The H3 looks very similar to the prior H2. Like the H2, it's a fully expendable two-stage vehicle that uses hydrolox first and second stages coupled with rather stubby solid strap-on boosters. Both vehicles are constructed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and launched by JAXA, the Japanese space agency. A notable difference is that the H3 is capable of flying with no boosters, whereas all versions of the H2 required at least two solid boosters. The H3 was designed to be simpler and less expensive than the H2, with simpler and cheaper engines and solid rockets. The goal was to get the launch cost down to something more competitive with the Falcon 9, which offers a similar payload capacity. No cause of the second-stage failure has been announced.

Looks like Virgin Orbit might be on its last legs. There are quite a few companies trying to compete in the "smallsat" launch sector, including Rocket Lab, Firefly Aerospace, ABL Space Systems, Relativity Space, Rocket Factory Augsburg, and i-Space, among others. In addition, SpaceX's periodic rideshare "transporter" missions have put a significant downward pressure on pricing for launches, and with all of the competition it's highly unlikely that all or even most of those companies will survive. Virgin Orbit is likely only be the first to go.

A failure but nonetheless an impressive debut for the Relativity Space Terran 1 rocket, which attempted its first launch tonight. The Terran 1 is a light-to-medium-lift launch vehicle that is about five times more powerful than the Rocket Lab Electron and roughly comparable to the Firefly Alpha, the original ESA Vega, and the Minotaur family of rockets from Northrop Grumman. The Terran 1 has a couple notable features. First, both the rocket itself and the 10 "Aeon 1" engines (nine on the first stage and one vacuum-optimized version on the second stage) are largely 3-D printed. Second, the Aeon 1 engine is powered by liquid natural gas and liquid oxygen rather than the more-usual kerosene-based fuel, so Relativity Space is in there with SpaceX and Blue Origin in moving to methalox launchers. The blue flame was quite noticeable for this nighttime launch.

Unfortunately, the test was not fully successful because it looked like the second stage either failed to ignite or stopped firing shortly after ignition. Still, for a first launch to make it though launch, Max-Q, and staging is quite impressive, especially for a vehicle using novel construction methods. The primary goal of this first test flight was to demonstrate that the vehicle could withstand the structural loads, and it looks like Relativity Space accomplished that goal tonight.

The first launch attempt for Starship Super Heavy could be next week. Super Heavy would be the most powerful rocket to ever fly, by far.

I’m actually rooting against those launch dates. We’re supposed to meet my brother and his family in Tybee island this weekend. But if the launch is a go, he has to be there at the controls.

Sounds like the Starship Orbital Flight Test is now NET April 17, so robbiestoupe's family meetup should still be a go.

Sounds like the Starship Orbital Flight Test is now NET April 17, so robbiestoupe's family meetup should still be a go.

Brother finally got the no-go today for the practice launch that was going to occur Tuesday

Apparently there’s agreement among most SpaceX folks that this launch will not be successful. Main reason being the reaction force from the thrust will most likely cause the ground give way below the support rig. Should make for an interesting launch

Was also told that there is a self destruct mechanism on board, but it’s all in the software. There’s no backup manual red button if you will. We’ll get to see that system in action most likely.

So there are thoughts that the launch mount might not withstand the forces? Interesting. I know that in recent weeks additional steel plating has been added to the mount, but I don't think the structure itself has received any additional reinforcement. It did strike me that SpaceX is going with a quite "open" design for the pad. There isn't much in the way of a flame-diversion system, for example, especially when compared to the pads 39A and 39B at KSC at launched the Saturn V and Shuttle. The Falcon 9s and Falcon Heavies that launch from Pad 39A have way more in the way of exhaust diversion than Starship Super Heavy does.

SpaceX is known for its autonomous flight-termination systems (AFTS). It's considered better and safer than the "red button" method because it has a faster response time and is not limited by line-of-sight tracking. I want to say there are certain launch profiles out of Florida (ones that head more to the south) where only SpaceX can fly them because NASA requires an AFTS. The Atlas and Delta rockets don't have them, although the new Vulcan should.

I hope SpaceX has a successful launch, but if not we'd also get to watch a massive explosion. Either way, it will be entertaining.

SpaceX had to scrub this morning because a valve froze/stuck. There's a minimum 48-hour turnaround because SpaceX has to bring in more methane and lox to replace what boiled off, so Wednesday the 19th at the earliest for the next attempt. Wednesday, however, has a forecast of high winds aloft and wind shear, so the stars may be aligning for a 4/20 launch.

SpaceX had to scrub this morning because a valve froze/stuck. There's a minimum 48-hour turnaround because SpaceX has to bring in more methane and lox to replace what boiled off, so Wednesday the 19th at the earliest for the next attempt. Wednesday, however, has a forecast of high winds aloft and wind shear, so the stars may be aligning for a 4/20 launch.

Musk is an idiot. Everyone knows you smoke it.

17 minutes til launch. May want to fire up another browser to watch this one

Failed to separate first stage but had 3 minutes of flight

It cleared the pad, which is all they wanted to do...then it spiraled uncontrollably and blew itself apart. So, good job I guess.

I missed the launch, but caught the stream just in time to see the kerbal flipping.

Annnnd of course the local news is calling it a massive failure again

Definitely lost multiple engines along the way. It might have been unable to keep control with the missing engines. Also took a surprisingly long time for the AFTS to step in and execute the destruct.

Yep, down 5 engines in a very non-symmetrical way would make it hard to keep pointed in a straight line.

"Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly"

I prefer 'uncommanded', but that's just me.

I love how that was trending on Twitter.

I lot of people are probably hearing that for the first time, but that phrase has been around for years. I'm honestly not sure where it came from.