Orbital ATK’s Last-Generation Launch Vehicle
Seems like Orbital ATK’s PR editors removed the next sentence: “We’ll just need that money upfront, instead.”
Main Engine Cut OffSeems like Orbital ATK’s PR editors removed the next sentence: “We’ll just need that money upfront, instead.”
A great piece by Chris Bergin and Noel Munson of NASASpaceFlight on the storied histories of launch complexes 11 and 36, and what Blue Origin plans for their future.
Read the whole post over on Masten’s blog. Great to see progress on safer storable propellants and Masten’s lander. There’s also a video from a few months ago of MXP-351 performance testing.
Certainly sounds like NASA’s plans have changed since their EM-2 payload RFI went out back in October.
Docking standards are convoluted.
Great rundown of Starliner progress, complete with some talk about RD-180 certification.
NASA announced the selection of 133 proposals for Phase II of the SBIR program. One of the more exciting proposals selected is from Altius Space Machines, titled “Lightweight, High-Flow, Low Connection-Force, In-Space Cryogenic Propellant Coupling”.
It’s a shame that SpaceX is getting so distracted by all their other projects.
An absolute wealth of information about SpaceX’s 2017 from Chris Bergin of NASASpaceFlight.com.
It’s somewhat of a lackluster response to all the excitement this past week to say “Oh yeah? Well we’re lobbying for the obvious next step of Commercial Cargo!”
To me this reads a lot like Blue Origin isn’t quite ready to talk about any additional plans, but wanted to make their voice heard alongside SpaceX. As I said on this week’s podcast, none of the old insiders (Boeing, Lockheed, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Orbital ATK, …) are going to invite SpaceX and Blue Origin into their club. They have to insert themselves into these conversations, and will inevitably ruffle some feathers doing it.