Rocket Launch in New Zealand Brings Quick, Cheap Space Access • Hacker News Board

Re: Rocket Launch in New Zealand Brings Quick, Cheap Space Access

#11

Post by walterbell » Sun, Nov 11, 2018, 2:21 PM UTC

From http://www.nanosats.eu (Oct 2018 stats)

  Nanosats launched: 966
  CubeSats launched: 878
  Countries with nanosats: 58
  Companies in database: 323
  Forecast: over 3000 nanosats to launch in 6 years

OMG is working on an open SysML reference model for CubeSats, https://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc?space/18-09-04.pdf (starts on page 20)

> A SysML compliant and tool-independent CubeSat template model that provides building blocks that can be specialized to support MBSE CubeSat design will lower the cost of development ... start-up and mature satellite development organizations can benefit from ... common model structure and framework to support increased production without jeopardizing successful deployment and operation.

> Many of these organizations are university programs that combine aerospace engineering instruction with fundamental research while developing, launching, and operating a spacecraft. With a planned turnover of most of the engineering staff within a short period of time ... need a common engineering framework and knowledge base that stores the institutional knowledge acquired by previous space missions, so that incoming personnel can quickly contribute

Re: Rocket Launch in New Zealand Brings Quick, Cheap Space Access

#12

Post by pferde » Sun, Nov 11, 2018, 2:21 PM UTC

walrus01 wrote: post #7

quadcore wrote: post #4

I wish I could put software in one of those shoebox satellites.

in the not very far future it probably will be possible to buy hosting services on a platform that is a xen or kvm hypervisor in low earth orbit.

Hopefully, soon it will be "just another AZ".

Re: Rocket Launch in New Zealand Brings Quick, Cheap Space Access

#13

Post by MPSimmons » Sun, Nov 11, 2018, 2:31 PM UTC

kibwen wrote: post #8

I was about to say that launching so far from the equator sounds very fuel-inefficient, but it turns out that their launchpad's latitude (39 degrees south) is nearer the equator than Russia's primary launch site, the Baikonur Cosmodrome (45 degrees north). For reference, Cape Canaveral is 28 degrees north.

For what it's worth, this specific launch was polar, I believe. But yes, for equatorial launches, it will take a lot more dV to flatten it out.

I do like their little kick stage on top that finalizes payload delivery, though. That will be useful for this sort of thing.

Re: Rocket Launch in New Zealand Brings Quick, Cheap Space Access

#14

Post by dwd » Sun, Nov 11, 2018, 2:37 PM UTC

typon wrote: post #10

dwd wrote: post #9

I'm still chuckling that they called the rocket "It's Business Time". I'm guessing partly a hat tip to SpaceX and the naming of their drone ships, but more so named after a song by the Flight of the Conchords.

They should have named it the Conchord

Hopefully this will be just the first of many, and looking forward to what they come up with next time.

Congrats on the launch!

Re: Rocket Launch in New Zealand Brings Quick, Cheap Space Access

#15

Post by 14 » Sun, Nov 11, 2018, 2:44 PM UTC

I am approaching my 40's and wonder am I just a bit too old that by the space flight is for the common person I will have missed my chance. I really hope I can make it to space one day.

Re: Rocket Launch in New Zealand Brings Quick, Cheap Space Access

#16

Post by Waterluvian » Sun, Nov 11, 2018, 2:46 PM UTC

quadcore wrote: post #4

I wish I could put software in one of those shoebox satellites.

I just had a daydream of Satellites as a Service. "give us a docker image extending our base image, no larger than x MB delta, and we will run it on a chosen satellite for a certain time slice for $y"

I can see that future. Even if purely as a learning tool for students.

Re: Rocket Launch in New Zealand Brings Quick, Cheap Space Access

#17

Post by gersh » Sun, Nov 11, 2018, 2:50 PM UTC

As launching satellites into space becomes cheaper, I'd imagine we will get increasing issues of satellite collisions and interference. Do we need a regulatory framework to address this?

I understand space is becoming increasingly militarized. I wonder what a war will of shooting at satellites will look like. What would happen if all the satellites were taken out?

Re: Rocket Launch in New Zealand Brings Quick, Cheap Space Access

#18

Post by taneq » Sun, Nov 11, 2018, 2:53 PM UTC

kibwen wrote: post #8

I was about to say that launching so far from the equator sounds very fuel-inefficient, but it turns out that their launchpad's latitude (39 degrees south) is nearer the equator than Russia's primary launch site, the Baikonur Cosmodrome (45 degrees north). For reference, Cape Canaveral is 28 degrees north.

If you think about it, the added starting velocity from launching on the equator is nice but is still only ~6% of the total velocity required to get into low Earth orbit. (0.0625 = 1.5 / 24 given orbital period in LEO is ~90 minutes and rotation period is 24 hours). Even at 45 degrees latitude you're only losing 0.707*6=4.4% of your target velocity.

Re: Rocket Launch in New Zealand Brings Quick, Cheap Space Access

#19

Post by masklinn » Sun, Nov 11, 2018, 3:00 PM UTC

kibwen wrote: post #8

I was about to say that launching so far from the equator sounds very fuel-inefficient, but it turns out that their launchpad's latitude (39 degrees south) is nearer the equator than Russia's primary launch site, the Baikonur Cosmodrome (45 degrees north). For reference, Cape Canaveral is 28 degrees north.

TBF Baikonur is known to be a fairly bad location from an efficiency perspective if you're trying for GTO/GEO: using pretty much the same rocket, you can send 6~7t to GTO from Baikonur while you can send 10 from Kourou (on 5N).

That's why as time went on, China kept building their new launch facilities more and more southernly (Jiuquan was built on 40N in the 50s, the recently opened Wenchang sits on 19N).

Re: Rocket Launch in New Zealand Brings Quick, Cheap Space Access

#20

Post by masklinn » Sun, Nov 11, 2018, 3:00 PM UTC

taneq wrote: post #18

kibwen wrote: post #8

I was about to say that launching so far from the equator sounds very fuel-inefficient, but it turns out that their launchpad's latitude (39 degrees south) is nearer the equator than Russia's primary launch site, the Baikonur Cosmodrome (45 degrees north). For reference, Cape Canaveral is 28 degrees north.

If you think about it, the added starting velocity from launching on the equator is nice but is still only ~6% of the total velocity required to get into low Earth orbit. (0.0625 = 1.5 / 24 given orbital period in LEO is ~90 minutes and rotation period is 24 hours). Even at 45 degrees latitude you're only losing 0.707*6=4.4% of your target velocity.

The problem is not the starting velocity (which is indeed minor, and not an issue for LEO launches) it's the inclination burns you need to reach GTO/GEO.

With roughly equivalent rockets, there's a 30~40% difference in payload mass between Kourou (5°N) and Baikonur (45°N): Proton can launch 23t to LEO and 7t to GTO while Ariane 5 can send 21t to LEO and 10t to GTO.