Space Launch
This page contains information regarding
launches and launch systems. This page is
far from complete and should be considered
as a personal notebook.
See also:
Table of contents:
Launch related schedules
Upcoming
Reports
International Space Station launch info
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Overview:
Notable rockets:
- Atlas (ULA)
- Atlas V https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_V#Variants
- upper stage Centaur rocket with American-built RL10 engine burning LO2 & LH2 as fuel.
- first stage with Russian-built RD-180 engine burning kerosene & LO2 as fuel.
- first stage assist can be performed by a range of strap-on SRB boosters that are asynchronously mounted.
- Falcon (Space X)
- Ariane (ESA)
- Delta (ULA)
- Electron (Rocket Lab)
Rockets by country / organisation
- Russia (Roscosmos)
- ISRO (India)
- China
- Orbital ATK
- Data Matrix for different existing rockets (incl some planned rockets for reference).
Comparison (data may deviate/fluctuate)
Rocket | F9 | FH | SLS B1(A) | SLS B2 | New Glenn | Saturn V | BFR | Atlas V | Delta IV Heavy | Ariane 5 | Ariane 6 | Long March 9 | Long March 5 | Soyuz 2 | Proton |
Payload | 22.8 | 63.8 | 70(105) | 130 | 45(2),70(3) | 140 | 150(250) | 20.5 | 28.8 | 21 | 12/20 | 140 | 23 | 7(1a),8.2(1b) | 22.8 |
Flight | 2010 | 2018 | 2024* | 2030 | 2020 | 1967 | 2022 | 2002 | 2004 | 1996 | 2020 | 2025 | 2016 | 2004 | (M)2001 |
cost/launch | 62M$ | - | - | - | - | 1B$ | - | 109M$ | 400M$ | 200M$ | 90M$ | ? | ? | 80M$ | ? |
table notes: cost/launch are monetary values of 2016! Payload (to LEO) in metric tons.
Similar comparisons:
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Space vehicles & stations
References
Current
Crewed
Un-crewed (ISS docking "certified")
Other
Planned vehicles
Crewed & re-usable...
- Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (Orion MPCV) - wiki/Orion_(spacecraft)
- 2014 HEO flight testing, 2019? uncrewed, 2021? crewed
- Boeing&Bigelow, Crew Space Transportation, CST-100 Starliner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CST-100_Starliner
- first flight planned 2018, delayed to 2019 or 2020.
- SpaceX, Crew Dragon, Dragon V2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_2
- Capable of Propulsive landing by design, but decided to land exclusively by parachute in ocean on demand of NASA (the capsule will also not have landing legs as planned).
- August 2018 (Uncrewed), December 2018 (Planned).
- Blue Origin, New Shepard booster & crew capsule (sub-orbital?).
- Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), Dream Chaser Cargo System
Un-crewed
I wonder...
- Q. are there any vehicles planned that can do retrieval from space? SpaceRetrieval
- Q. are there any stations planned that will have: radial acceleration aka centripetal force aka "artificial gravity"? SpaceGravity
...and what would it take to achieve these goals - economically?
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Factual data
Rocket technology notes
Glossary
- STS = Space Transportation System. reusable manned space vehicles beyond the Apollo Program, aka Space Shuttle Program.
- CRS = Commercial Resupply Services (to ISS) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Resupply_Services
- (S)LC = (Space) Launch Complex (@CCAFS or @KSC)
- VAB = Vehicle Assembly Building
- MES = Main Engine Start
- MECO = Main Engine Cut-Off (SECO = Second Engine Cut-Off)
- Delta-v = Change in velocity
- FT - Full Thrust
- NRO = US government customer (National Reconnaissance Office) with usually top secret payloads.
- LOS = Loss of Signal – a phrase used during launch when communication with the vehicle is temporarily lost (might be normal, wait for AOS)
- AOS = Acquisition of Signal
- RUD – Rapid Unplanned/Unscheduled Disassembly – rocket speak for catastrophic failure
- LOM = Loss of Mission – The mission failing irrecoverably, often due to the the launch vehicle failing/exploding
- LOV = Loss of Vehicle – Mission failure due to launch vehicle failure
- more https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/wiki/acronyms, https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/stsover-acronyms.html
- SRB = Solid Rocket Boosters
- LOx / LO2 / LH2 = liquid oxygen / liquid hydrogen propellant
- RP-1 = (Rocket Propellant-1 or Refined Petroleum-1) highly refined form of kerosene (similar to jet fuel, used specifically as rocket fuel).
- RTLS = Return To Launch Site - originally for NASA Space Shuttle, re-used for SpaceX rockets; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_abort_modes
- ASDS = Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship
- Max-Q = maximum aerodynamic pressure/stress
- WDR = Wet Dress Rehearsal
- GSE = Ground Support Equipment
- NET = Not Earlier Then
- CAA = Crew Access Arm
- STP = Space Test Program provider for the US DoD; Payloads over time: http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sat/stp.htm .
Related interesting references
Space Ports (quickref)
Overview:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceport
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rocket_launch_sites
- USA
- CCAFS/SLC = Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (wikip link). launches: Delta, Scout, Atlas, Titan, Saturn, Athena, Falcon 9
- VAFB = Vandenberg Air Force Base (wikip link). launches: Delta, Scout, Atlas, Titan, Taurus, Athena, Minotaur, Falcon 9
- KSC/LC = Kennedy Space Center (wikip link) (17 Saturn, 134 Space Shuttle)
- Russia
- Baikonur Cosmodrome - southern Kazakhstan (wikip link). launches: R-7/Soyuz, Kosmos, Proton, Tsyklon, Zenit, Energia
- ESA
- CSG = Centre Spatial Guyanais / Guiana Space Centre - northwest of Kourou in French Guiana (wikip link). launches: 7 Diamant, 207 Ariane, 8 Soyuz-2, 3 Vega
Space (launch) Organisations
Common list (incl. manufacturers)
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