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Virgin Galactic: VMS Eve and SpaceShipTwo tests continue

Virgin Galactic announced second flight for the VMS Eve aircraft and the upcoming SpaceShipTwo tests which, in addition to improving the spaceplane project, will also bring some experiments provided by NASA.

by Mattia Speroni published 04 November 2020 , at 04: 51 in the Science and Technology channel

NASA Virgin Galactic

When it comes to Space and private companies, the first thought certainly goes to SpaceX. But this is not the only one who looks to the sky for the possibility of earning. There is also Virgin Galactic which however has a different strategy from that of Elon Musk as regards technologies

VMS Eve took off for the second time

One of the latest news concerns VMS Eve , the great plane that Virgin Galactic will use SpaceShipTwo for the launch of the spacecraft. This involves adopting a different solution than that of a rocket as a launcher. Given its particular structure, the tests of VMS Eve are followed with particular interest also given its wingspan of 43 meters.

VMS Eve takes to the skies for its second flight of the day as we continue preparations for our first spaceflight from New Mexico which is due to take place this Fall. Pilots for this flight are Kelly Latimer and Mark Stucky. They are joined by Flight Test Engineer, Colin Bennett pic.twitter.com/1A0054 jUqd

– Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) November 3, 2020

Dave Mackay (chief pilot) stated “VMS Eve has the ability to test pilot competence by simulating the planing and approach phase for SpaceShipTwo pilots. The cockpit structure of Eve is almost identical to that of Unity: same pilot seats and windows, as well as controls and instruments This, coupled with the fact that with Eve’s landing gear down and a set of aerodynamic brakes, descends at the same angle of trajectory as the SpaceShipTwo, means that the crew can practice with the same approach and pattern of landing when they fly to Unity – with most of the same information and the same view outside d at the window. This makes Eve a very valuable flight simulator for the final approach and landing phases of the spacecraft “.

SpaceShipTwo flight tests continue

The company has released a video showing the plane taking off from Spaceport America, the spaceport of New Mexico (in the United States United States). Mike Moses (President of Space Missions and Security) said testing is continuing as planned, thanks to pilot CJ Sturckow. In particular, the focus is on meeting all safety objectives in order to finally be able to welcome tourists who want to travel with Virgin Galactic .

Moses added “CJ will be alongside our chief pilot, Dave Mackay, in the cockpit Today, as we are testing a number of key points to take us to the next stage of our flight test program. While we are planning for CJ and Dave to reach Space, if the test conditions of the day suggest a shorter flight, it will be fine anyway and we will be back to flying soon. The space flight system is designed for a quick commercial turnaround, so it’s much better to stay on the side of caution and go back to base to understand the data and prepare for another test flight “.

In the tests of SpaceShipTwo this time there will also be three payloads provided by NASA . This will change the flight path of the spacecraft which will not stop in the inverted pitch position to show the Earth as the aircraft is tilted by 270 °. Choosing to host payloads will serve to generate revenue for Virgin Galactic as well as helping scientific research.

Valve’s Gabe Newell is sending a gnome to space

Gabe Newell, president of Valve, the video game company behind the Half-Life series and game marketplace Steam, is thanking the country of New Zealand for its hospitality by launching a gnome into space with aerospace company Rocket Lab in mid-November. Newell decided to stay in New Zealand at the start of the pandemic and is donating a dollar to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Starship Children’s Hospital for every viewer who watches the satellite launch livestream or the online recording within 24 hours of launch.

This soon-to-be astronaut gnome is actually a 150mm tall model of “Garden Gnome” or “Gnome Chompski,” an item that first appeared in Half-Life 2: Episode Two but achieved meme status following the speedruns and travelogues (like this charmingly detailed one written by former games journalist Tom Francis) that popped up around it. The gnome was likely a reference to an older prank involving photographing stolen garden gnomes “traveling” around the world, which gained further popularity when it was seemingly referenced in Amélie and when it served as the basis for Travelocity’s “Where is my gnome” viral ad campaign.

Chompski’s gone on to appear in Valve’s own Left 4 Dead 2, DLC for Dying Light and more recently Half-Life: Alyx, but this upcoming real-life rocket launch is a fitting homage to the “Little Rocket Man’’ achievement associated with the gnome from Episode Two. The achievement can only be unlocked if a player carries the gnome from the opening chapter of the game and places it in a rocket ship near the end — a task that’s difficult because the player has to set the gnome down to complete Half-Life’s environmental puzzles and combat scenarios.

This launch-ready version of the gnome is co-designed by special effects and prop house Weta Workshop and made from titanium. Rocket Lab hopes to use it “to test and qualify a novel 3D printing technique that could be employed for future spacecraft components”.

The gnome will be attached to the inside of Rocket Lab’s Kick Stage, the final stage of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket that allows more accurate placement of satellites in orbit. Once all of the rocket’s payload is dropped, the Kick Stage is able to reignite its engine to initiate deorbit. This mission is not quite the sequel fans might have imagined for Chompski after setting him down in Episode Two, though; the gnome will burn up alongside Kick Stage as both reenter the Earth’s atmosphere. Rocket Lab explains Kick Stage in the video below:

Gnome Chompski will be accompanied by 29 other satellites at Rocket Lab’s November 16th launch from the southern tip of the Mahia Peninsula. The small satellites loaded on the Kick Stage of the company’s Electron rocket span a wide range of uses from satellites focused on communications and maritime surveillance to New Zealand’s first student-developed satellite, the Waka Āmiorangi Aotearoa APSS-1.

While sending a gnome to space comes off about as silly as the SpaceX launch of a Tesla Roadster, Newell’s addition of a charity element — even though he could just donate a sum of money rather than requiring people to watch — at least makes the stunt more meaningful than pure marketing. Interested fans should follow Rocket Lab’s socials for updates on specific launch timing heading into the 14-day launch window that starts on November 16th NZT (6AM ET/3AM PT on the 15th). The launch itself will be livestreamed on Rocket Lab’s site.

SpaceX Crew-1 will depart on November 14 due to an engine change

The SpaceX Crew-1 mission is scheduled time for 14 November 2020 after the replacement of two Merlin engines of the first stage of the Falcon 9 for safety reasons related to the production phases (discovered with another mission).

by Mattia Speroni published 02 November 2020 , at 08: 41 in the Science and Technology channel

SpaceX NASA

Already in mid-October there was a announcement of the postponement of the launch of the mission SpaceX Crew-1 (the first with the new Crew Dragon that was not a test as for Demo-2). The new date has been set for 14 November 2020 and now you have more information on the reason for the program change by NASA and SpaceX .

An engine problem causing the postponement of SpaceX Crew-1

The reason for the change of date lies in the need to change the engines of the Falcon 9 which were supposed to take SpaceX Crew-1 in the direction of the ISS. The first hint that something was not going as planned, however, came with an unmanned mission.

It was the mission for the launch of the GPS satellite on behalf of the Space Force set for 2 October 2020. The launch was canceled (automatically) a few seconds after take-off due to some anomalous values reported.

Analyzing the data and the rocket it was understood that a lot of the engines used on the Falcon 9 rockets could have a construction flaw. Obviously, considering that safety comes first, there has been a review of all rockets engaged in upcoming launches, including that of Crew-1 and that of Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich.

A paint problem

The problem with the Merlin engines is related to the paint used to cover some parts before anodizing to avoid corrosion. Residues not correctly removed by the manufacturer have come off, blocking the 1.6 mm holes to vent the Merlin valves.

The problem, as highlighted below, was not however only on the first stage of the Space Force mission but also on two engines of the SpaceX Crew-1 . The inspections to find the engines affected by the problem and their replacement resulted in the postponement of the various launches.

A senior executive of SpaceX (Koenigsmann) said he was satisfied with how things turned out. In fact it was a way to confirm that the safety systems of the Falcon 9 rockets are working properly.

Steve Stich (Head of the Commercial Crew Program) said “We worked jointly with SpaceX to resolve this engine anomaly. We still have some work to do, but the path to launch seems quite good”.

Starlink's first speed results promise to far outperform traditional satellite internet

by Jordi Bercial 6 hours ago …

On many occasions, when we hear about satellite internet, it is clear that It is a practically emergency solution, with a far-than-optimal speed and very high latencies, something that in the case of Starlink, the satellite internet system of the Hand of SpaceX, it becomes much more favorable.

As we can see in the graph below these lines, we ran into download speeds of 79. 5Mbps , while we have a upload speed of 13. 8Mbps , which, although it is not to rave, is a speed several times faster than that of the services it competes against.

In comparison, ViaSat is only capable of providing 3. 25 Upload Mbps and 25. 75 Mbps download , while that HughesNet is left with 2. 64 Mbps upload and 13. 84 Download Mbps. The comparisons are just as odious in terms of latency, because if we take into account the 42 ms average Starlink latency , HughesNet’s 728 ms latency is practically unbearable , especially in these times of online conferences.

SpaceX hopes to reduce the latency of your service to values lower than 20 ms for the Summer is coming , although in itself the results that the current network shows are very promising.

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Jordi Bercial

Avid enthusiast of technology and electronics . I messed around with computer components almost since I learned to ride. I started working at Geeknetic after winning a contest on their forum for writing hardware articles. Drift, mechanics and photography lover. Don’t be shy and leave a comment on my articles if you have any questions.

SpaceX is replacing two engines on its Falcon 9 rocket ahead of next crewed mission

SpaceX is replacing two engines on its Falcon 9 rocket that will soon carry four astronauts to the International Space Station. The change is being made after SpaceX found a substance in the engines that could have caused them to start earlier than planned.

SpaceX found the substance after one of the company’s launches halted just before liftoff in October. One of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, tasked with launching a new GPS satellite for the Space Force, shut itself down just two seconds before takeoff. “It was a good abort,” Hans Koenigsmann, vice president of build and flight reliability for SpaceX, said during a press conference. “It did exactly what we programmed it to do.”

Today, SpaceX revealed the rocket had automatically stopped its own launch after two of its nine main Merlin engines tried to start too early. Starting up too early could have caused something called a hard start, where the engine’s various propellants and liquids are combined in the wrong order. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 shut itself down before that happened, but such a hard start could have damaged the hardware. “It’s not necessarily bad, but in most cases, you know, it rattles the engine,” Koenigsmann said. “And it may cause, you know, a little bit of damage on the engine. In extreme cases, it may cause more damage to the engine.”

After the abort, SpaceX inspected the engines and found a reddish lacquer substance blocking a relief valve in each model. The lacquer, analogous to nail polish, is used to treat surfaces, likely leftover from when the engines were being built. Koenigsmann noted that it came from one of SpaceX’s vendors that works on the engine, though he didn’t name the company. “It could be that person is now more generous with cleaning fluid or anything,” Koenigsmann said. “It’s a little bit hard to figure this out.”

SpaceX says it’s working with the vendor to implement corrective actions and that the company will be inspecting all of the hardware more closely in the short term. After the abort, SpaceX also examined the engines in its fleet that will be used for upcoming launches. They looked for any exhibiting this early startup behavior and singled out five various engines on three different rockets. Two were on the Falcon 9 rocket that will launch three NASA astronauts and one Japanese astronaut in November, a mission called Crew-1.

After this testing, SpaceX opened up all of the engines and found the same lacquer inside. SpaceX also noted that the lacquer was found mostly on newer engines that had been built recently, not the engines that have already flown to space and back. Now, the company is in the process of swapping out the engines ahead of Crew-1, which is tentatively set for November 14th at 7:49PM ET. “Two, three days is roughly what you need to take it out,” Koenigsmann said regarding the engine swap. “And then another two, three days to put it back in again.”

Ultimately, SpaceX won’t fly Crew-1 until a few days after the company launches a joint European and American satellite called Sentinel-6, which is designed to map the world’s oceans. SpaceX found an affected engine on the Falcon 9 rocket for that flight and had to swap it out, too. NASA wants to see how that launch goes f

Starlink, Elon Musk's Space Internet in beta: the price has been revealed, and it's not cheap

499 dollars for antenna and router, plus 99 dollars for the service: these are the prices of the beta of the Starlink “space” connectivity service offered by SpaceX. They also leak information on speeds and latencies.

by Manolo De Agostini published 28 October 2020 , at 10: 58 in the Telephony channel

SpaceX

SpaceX invited some users to join the public beta of the Starlink program , the offer of ultra-broadband connectivity directly from space which aims, thanks to tens of thousands of satellites, to offer Internet all over the world, even in the most remote areas. The beta test, called Better Than Nothing Beta , requires users to purchase at 499 dollars for the equipment needed to communicate with satellites and pay 99 dollars per month to use of the service.

In an email sent by SpaceX to the first beta users, we read (via The Verge) of a variable speed between 50 Mbps and 150 Mbps, with latencies from 20 to 40 milliseconds over the next few months as SpaceX will work to improve these values by adding new satellites to the constellation and installing more ground stations to receive signals from satellites. “There will also be short periods of lack of connectivity”, underlines the company led by Elon Musk, adding that latency should drop to 16 – 19 ms in the 2021.

In order for Starlink to work in every area of the planet, SpaceX intends to create a constellation of at least 12. 00 0 satellites in low earth orbit in order to guarantee uninterrupted ultrabroadband internet services. Such a large number of satellites is required for a satellite to be over any area of the world at any one time. For now SpaceX has brought into orbit approximately 800 satellites, necessary to guarantee a beta service in a confined area, but the goal is to rise to tens of thousands within the decade.

Read also: SpaceX Starlink: do you want to try the ” satellite ” internet? Here is the site to pre-register!

To connect to the system users must buy a dish and a dedicated Wi-Fi router. SpaceX has also made an app available to allow users to configure their systems: through augmented reality, the app allows you to search for free areas of the sky in order to allow direct and uninterrupted communication between the dish and the satellites.

According to the analysis of an astronomer, 3% of the Starlink satellites launched by SpaceX would be wandering out of control. A number not dangerous at present, but worrying in view of the final dimensions of the constellation.

by Manolo De Agostini published 19 October 2020 , at 11: 18 in the channel Science and technology

SpaceX

The constellation of Starlink satellites already counts 775 active items , but SpaceX has already the approval to get to about 12 mila and then aims to launch others 30 mila, thus arriving at 42 thousand . Numbers that are scary and that will create a great crowding in orbit, which is already full of old satellites and space debris . SpaceX’s goal is “noble” (as well as economic), that is to cover the entire planet with ultra-broadband connectivity, even the most remote areas, but certainly not without dangers, such as the rate of satellite malfunctions which could lead to collisions .

According to an estimate, approximately 3% of Starlink satellites are no longer functional , over which there would be zero or little control. The satellites of the SpaceX constellation were designed to be maneuverable via an ion engine and even deorbit to burn in the atmosphere , but if the thrusters or communications do not work properly, the satellites could find themselves wandering in an uncontrolled way becoming a danger to other satellites and future human space missions, as already partially stated by the CEO of Rocket Lab last week.

Jonathan McDowell, astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, explained to Business Insider that he came to the estimate of 3% by analyzing the movement data satellites collected by SpaceX and the US government , showing which Starlink satellites have returned to Earth and which ones would not be under control. The 3% did not include the 45 satellites that SpaceX “pushed” intentionally out of initial orbit.

“I would say their failure rate is not striking , “McDowell told Business Insider. “It’s no worse than anybody else’s failure rates. The concern is that even a normal failure rate in such a large constellation will lead to a lot of space junk “. If SpaceX can indeed launch 42 thousand satellites as expected, a rate of 3% failure means something like “1260 satellites from 250 kg the size of a desk that goes aimlessly around the Planet “.

According to ESA data from last February, there were approximately 3200 satellites not functioning in the earth’s orbit , potential bullets ready to collide with other satellites creating a lot of space debris. In recent weeks, for example, there would have been a close transition defined as “very high risk” (a probability of 10% collision) between a dead satellite and the reject of a rocket body. Fortunately, that has not happened.

SpaceX claims that its satellites naturally deorbit or burn in Earth’s atmosphere if propulsion systems fail. However, this is a process that can take up to five years, according to the company. In filings filed with the Federal Communications Commission, SpaceX downplayed the risk, stating that it “considers unacceptable a bankruptcy of 10 or 5 percent of satellites to deorbit, and even a rate of 1 percent is unlikely. “

Read also: The community Science and SpaceX Starlink: Inevitable Clash?

Should 1% of the Starlink satellites lose any maneuverability, SpaceX still believes that there is “about 1% chance for decade for any failed SpaceX satellite to collide with one of the tracked debris. ” So much ado about nothing then? If you focus on SpaceX, perhaps yes, but if you think that Elon Musk’s company is not the only one working to bring tens of thousands of satellites into orbit, then the problem takes on very different connotations.

OneWeb plans to create a constellation consisting of 48 thousand satellites and Amazon wants to reach 3200 with its Kuiper fleet, just to name a few. In the case of satellites totally out of control, the collisions could create clouds of small debris that are very dangerous for future space launches.

Accidental tests and collisions that have already occurred, as well as 500 events in total, generated almost 130 millions of debris fragments in Earth’s orbit whizzing at more than 28 thousand kilometers per hour. If the space junk problem should

keyword: SpaceX

Virgin Galactic: VMS Eve and SpaceShipTwo tests continue

VMS Eve took off for the second time

SpaceShipTwo flight tests continue

Valve’s Gabe Newell is sending a gnome to space

SpaceX Crew-1 will depart on November 14 due to an engine change

An engine problem causing the postponement of SpaceX Crew-1

A paint problem

Starlink's first speed results promise to far outperform traditional satellite internet

SpaceX is replacing two engines on its Falcon 9 rocket ahead of next crewed mission

Starlink, Elon Musk's Space Internet in beta: the price has been revealed, and it's not cheap

Starlink beta extended to $ 99 per month for satellite internet

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SpaceX, 3% of Starlink satellites may be dead. A problem for the future?