• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.
Fingers crossed that the “money” stays the course...and didn’t Elon Musk have to basically “bet the farm” on a final-all out- Space X launch to secure the contract with NASA that basically saved the whole project...?

Hopeful, Virgin can do the same...
 
I only found out today that the "cubesats" which should have been launched into orbit on Monday are tiny.
Around 10cm sq, or similar in size to a Rubik's cube.
 
the "cubesats" which should have been launched into orbit on Monday are tiny.
Around 10cm sq....
Exactly so. These satellites don't exhibit any of the characteristic features most people expect of a satellite.

Large unfolded solar arrays for power= none. Variety of large antennas for multiple purposes= none. Multi-axial thrust cones for positional adjustment= none.

Your description of them looking like enlarged Rubik's Cubes is very fitting: think of them also as being effectively like smartphones that have been tossed into a temporary unsustainable orbit.

Conventional commercial or military satellites are entirely-reliant upon their propellant-based positional correction systems, and the best shorthand analogy to describe them is as being massively-expensive aerosol cans surmounted by a high-end desktop computer and a cellphone tower.

Once they run out of gas (in the scientific or non-North American sense of that word) they are literally doomed, and have to be either de-orbited completely (Ie brought down rapidly to burn-up in the upper atmosphere) or put into a graveyard parking orbit (which is really just postponing the inevitable).

Most classic non-experimental satellites (such as commercial telecommunications relays for tv etc) actually exist as part of a constellation group of identical platforms, each sharing a closely-defined familial orbital slot.

In recent years (oops, decades) satellite delivery systems could never even begin to operate a commercial/professional system with just one 'bird', and therefore self-rely upon resilient backup satellites that are able to ensure service (the stakes are enormous in terms of cost and operational risk....it must be said that the sky is definitely not the limit!!

Cubesats turn this paradigm on its head, with a much more stick-em-up-cheap-till-they-fall approach. But to provide an equivalently-reliable service (and anything beyond transient regional coverage) you need lots of 'peas' and lots of 'pea-shooters' to constantly provide replacements.

I think that classic Clarke-belt geostationary satellites, in cluster constellations, will continue to be the main reliable mechanism for satcoms, aided by the fascinating (and practical) added possibility of ultralight aerostats (ie stratospherically-located massive circling airframes) in eternal flight, with solar-powered ceramic-rotored electric engines.

I've not had the slightest chance to understand yet how Musk's Starlink system works (launch/lifespan/logic) so if anyone can reliably brief me on that, I would be most obliged.

The failure of the launch from Cornwall saddens me (it's a place I've spent quite a bit of my formative past) but I'm a bit of a realist when it comes to aerospace practicalities (born of long experience). Unless huge sums of money & resource at national superpower level are invested in space-related activities, they will only ever be (at best) faith-based technological hops, as opposed to substantive & sustained leaps.
 
UK space launch: Dislodged fuel filter blamed for rocket failure

The first ever satellite mission from the UK failed to launch last month because a rocket fuel filter had become dislodged, Virgin Orbit says.


A rocket engine overheated in turn, leading to the loss of the rocket and satellites it was carrying.

Virgin Orbit sent up a jumbo jet carrying the rocket from Cornwall on 9 January. The aircraft returned safely.

CEO Dan Hart said the company would "proceed cautiously towards the launch" of its next rocket.

"The data is indicating that, from the beginning of the second stage first burn, a fuel filter within the fuel feedline had been dislodged from its normal position," Virgin Orbit tweeted.

"Additional data shows that the fuel pump that is downstream of the filter operated at a degraded efficiency level, resulting in the Newton 4 engine being starved for fuel. Performing in this anomalous manner resulted in the engine operating at a significantly higher than rated engine temperature.

"The early thrust termination ended the mission, and the second stage and its payloads fell back to Earth, landing in the approved safety corridor in the Atlantic Ocean."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64644880?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

maximus otter
 
IMO probably just a short-term issue.
Virgin Orbit is described as "Satellite launcher and main launch operator at Spaceport Cornwall".
They don't own the site, merely operate(d) a service from it.
Cornwall Council is the owner of 'Cornwall Airport Newquay' and 'Spaceport Cornwall'.
And the UK Space Agency controls the 'Government Launch UK programme' and is the project funder.

The fact that Virgin Orbit has laid off a large proportion of it's staff (85%) is more to do with funding that the feasibility of the whole thing.
Some staff have been retained and I expect they would not do that if the bottom had completely dropped out of it.
The technology is sound despite the failure of the rocket after launch.
Let's not forget that the whole operation went as planned until Launcher One 'had a moment'.

"After successfully taking off from the runway at Spaceport Cornwall and travelling to the designated drop zone, Cosmic Girl, the customised Jumbo Jet that serves as the Launcher One system’s carrier aircraft, successfully released the rocket.

The rocket then ignited its engines, quickly going hypersonic and successfully reaching space. The flight then continued through successful stage separation and ignition of the second stage. However, at some point during the firing of the rocket’s second stage engine and with the rocket travelling at a speed of more than 11,000 miles per hour, the system experienced “an anomaly”, ending the mission prematurely."


https://businesscornwall.co.uk/news...stries/2023/01/rocket-launch-ends-in-failure/
 
Supposedly a fuel filter became dislodged and restricted the fuel flow.
 
Rynner in space
?
1680265490668.png
 
The whole Spaceport saga has just served as a distraction from the real issues of the County I at present live in.

Public transport is pretty dreadful at times, it is not uncommon to wait an hour for a bus between Truro and Camborne, a supposed every 15 mins service (this is the 'urban' part of Cornwall and trust me these buses get busy). then there are frequent breakdowns because a large proportion of the bus fleet are knackered hand-me-downs from other counties. The train service is actually decent in the summer, however in the other months services are constantly interrupted by engineering work and unlike, say, Surrey there are no duplicate routes and so its the dreaded rail replacement buses. We also have a fantastic sleeper service from London but unfortunately the locomotives were built in the 1960s and no amount of refurbishment prevents them being so unreliable that the service is frequently cancelled (unlike the Scottish sleepers).

Then you have a low wage economy and the fact that every dwelling with a sea view is pretty much a second home or AirBnB and so house prices and rents are completely out-of-kilter with what people get paid down here. Oh, and it is dull and cloudy for about 8 months of the year....
 
Oh it can't be that bad or you'd move!
I bet that apart from the annoying/frustrating things you mention it's a lovely place to live.
 
Oh it can't be that bad or you'd move!
I bet that apart from the annoying/frustrating things you mention it's a lovely place to live.
The bit about the weather was rather tongu-in-cheek, I grew up in North Devon and it it much the same climate, although here on the extreme end of the peninsular the weather blows in and out so quickly and the air is extra Atlantic fresh. There are fascu=inating walks up in the old mining areas high above the towns, the beautiful coastline and beaches (we still have branch lines to St Ives, Falmouth, Looe and Newquay. The wilder areas such as the Lizard and the moors and woodlands of the middle and north of the county are great to explore, too.

But also serious about the poor infrastructure and cost of living v wages, my employer is really struggling to get support and maintenance staff and many small businesses are closing down. It is a great place if you have sold a property in London and 'downsized' or if you have a private income, but everyone else is struggling.
 
Public transport is pretty dreadful at times, it is not uncommon to wait an hour for a bus between Truro and Camborne, a supposed every 15 mins service (this is the 'urban' part of Cornwall and trust me these buses get busy). then there are frequent breakdowns because a large proportion of the bus fleet are knackered hand-me-downs from other counties.

You're Rynner!
 
I lived in Cornwall a few years, -yes. getting around requires a lot of navigational skills.

Out of season its dead.

In season its too busy.

Lack of public transport.

Lack of jobs.

House prices. (but it keeps folk out)

Council moving city people into council houses. (I kid you not!)

Cornish people.
 
Yeah it's a proper shame because it really was not a bad idea, beset by the one critical failure after launch of it's first payloaded rocket - everything else about the whole set-up worked fine.
As is proved by the various elements all being snapped up by related companies.
 
And now it's folded altogether, a firesale of its assets raising $36m - compared with its 2021 value of $3.5 billion!

https://www.theguardian.com/science...ions-months-after-failure-of-uk-space-mission
Oh dear, they were handing out brochures at a careers fair in Cornwall not so long ago.

It is a blow for Newquay airport but it was hardly the answer to Cornwall's economic and social woes, although the London-centric media seemed to think so. Lithium mining, however....
 
Oh dear, they were handing out brochures at a careers fair in Cornwall not so long ago.

It is a blow for Newquay airport but it was hardly the answer to Cornwall's economic and social woes, although the London-centric media seemed to think so. Lithium mining, however....
And I dare say that a certain Mr Branson hasn't lost a personal fortune on it...
 
Branson would have been sure to insulate himself from any personal exposure to financial risk.

I wonder what the future holds in store for the Cornish Rocketry Site now that the assets of Virgin Orbit have gone into the hands of several various companies. Perhaps they might get together to offer similar services from the site, seeing as they hold different parts of a much larger puzzle, along with their existing businesses, it might do them all some good.
Maybe even it could turn out better than when it was just Virgin going it alone.
 
Mystery Rocket: Not part of Virgin Orbit vessel from Cornwall.

Rocket found off Irish coast shrouded in mystery as Virgin Orbit rules out ownership​

Rocket found off Irish coast shrouded in mystery as Virgin Orbit rules out ownership

Part of the rocket engine which was uncovered by fishermen from Keelbeg. Picture Credit: Andrew Harris
SAT, 17 JUN, 2023 - 16:07
JACK WHITE

Mystery surrounds the discovery of a rocket engine by fishermen from West Cork after Virgin Orbit has confirmed it does not belong to them. The debris which was discovered in February was thought to be an engine belonging to Virgin Orbit’s failed launch from Cornwall in January.

The launch prompted warnings at the time about possible debris falling in an area off the South-West Coast of Ireland. However, the rocket failed to orbit and was projected to land over water, likely burning up on re-entry to Earth.

Virgin Orbit confirmed the rocket does not belong to them. Credit: Andrew Harris


Virgin Orbit confirmed the rocket does not belong to them. Credit: Andrew Harris

A spokesperson for the company said the debris found by Union Hall fishermen was not the property of Virgin Orbit and was unrelated to the launch from Cornwall.

“It’s definitely not LauncherOne – the exhaust valves aren’t right – and the satellites are CubeSats – much smaller than that. Also, at the time, Virgin Orbit confirmed the telemetry indicated that LauncherOne stayed on its course throughout its flight, within the safety zone over water west of Africa – so travelled way beyond Irish waters,” the spokesperson said.

The debris discovered which appears to be a rocket engine was manufactured by Aerojet Rocketdyne.

The company which describes itself as “at the centre of defence and discovery” is headquartered in Sacramento, California. It describes itself as a world-recognized aerospace and defence leader which provides propulsion and energetics, missile defence, and strategic, tactical missiles and armaments to customers throughout the world.

“Aerojet Rocketdyne's strategic and tactical missile programs defend America, our troops and our allies,” its website says.

Aerojet Rocketdyne was not forthcoming to the Irish Examiner with any details of the launch in which the debris was a part of.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41164465.html
 
Back
Top