Double trouble for Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit as aborted test flight and COVID-19 keep both grounded
(2020/12/14)
- Reference: 1607957711
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/12/14/space_in_brief/
- Source link:
In brief Richard Branson might have to wait a little longer to ride in Virgin Galactic's sub-orbital jalopy, SpaceShip Two VSS Unity, [1]after an aborted test flight saw the spacecraft return to Spaceport America in New Mexico.
[2]It would have been the first rocket-powered flight from the company's New Mexico base, the window for which opened on 11 December. Alas, it was not to be; the onboard computer that monitors the rocket motor was disconnected, halting ignition and triggering an automatic abort.
Disappointing stuff for those queueing for a ride, but a handy demonstration of the safety systems as Space Shuttle veteran "CJ" Sturckow and Virgin Galactic's Chief Pilot, Dave Mackay, brought VSS Unity back to the ground.
Before the flight, Virgin Galactic [3]had noted the changes it had had to make in light of restrictions implemented as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It wasn't alone. [4]There was bad news from another of Branson's space tentacles, Virgin Orbit. The company is in the business of air-launching the uncrewed LauncherOne and had been making solid progress toward a second test after May's [5]9 seconds of power (followed by an unscheduled shutdown and an unplanned rendezvous with the ocean).
The company found itself short of staff ahead of a final dress rehearsal after some were sent to precautionary quarantine following contact tracing undertaken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Consequently," it said, "we've fallen below the number of staff we feel we require to prudently and safely proceed with pre-launch operations."
For now, the launch is on hold until the impact can be assessed.
A final note: if you love space, love Earth and love its people, please take the proper precautions. Social distance and wear your mask. Simple, individual actions can save lives — and can keep our communities, our economies, and even our rocket launches on track. — Virgin Orbit (@Virgin_Orbit) [6]December 13, 2020
Easy ESA Rider
The European Space Agency (ESA) is to fling more cash at [7]Thales Alenia Space Italy and Avio with a €167m contract to develop the reusable and uncrewed Space Rider transportation system.
The contract will cover the flight model, which includes a re-entry module and orbital service module. The [8]first flight of the system is planned for the third quarter of 2023 and should see the spacecraft launch from French Guiana atop a Vega-C.
[9]Good luck with that .
[10]#ICYMI ESA signed contracts this week for developing the reusable [11]@esa_SpaceRider spacecraft up to its maiden flight in 2023 👉 [12]https://t.co/KQwhBgmE5L [13]pic.twitter.com/k4zyt4gktt — ESA (@esa) [14]December 10, 2020
Space Rider is all about providing regular, uncrewed access to space and [15]can carry up to 800kg [PDF] to orbit. A mission is expected to last at least two months in orbit before the re-entry module returns to a soft landing and a turnaround time of less than six months before the next mission.
It sounds a little similar to the US Space Force's mysterious [16]X-37B , most recently launched in May atop an Atlas V, which has been gliding to autonomous runway landings for the last ten years. The Space Rider will, however, make use of a parafoil as part of its return to Earth.
Boeing's Calamity Capsule to fly again in 2021
Surprising nobody, Boeing's Calamity Capsule [17]is now targeting 29 March for a second crack at an uncrewed demonstration mission to the International Space Station (ISS). There had been hope that this mission would fly in 2020, but as the end of the year neared, this seemed increasingly unlikely.
The first demonstration around this time last year resulted in a premature return to Earth for the CST-100 Starliner after a [18]timer error saw the spacecraft burn through its attitude control fuel before getting anywhere near the ISS. Investigators picking through the data were alarmed to find just [19]how close the uncrewed mission came to catastrophe . NASA used the dread words "risk of spacecraft loss" in a [20]stark assessment of Boeing's pisspoor processes and the frantic work of those on the ground to rescue the mission.
While the capsule made it back safely, a repeat of the flight test has been deemed necessary before crew will be crammed into the capsule. Should this second test (dubbed Orbital Flight Test 2) go well, the first crew might launch in the summer of 2021 before operational missions can commence. ®
Get our [21]Tech Resources
[1] https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1337902122885582848
[2] https://www.virgingalactic.com/articles/virgin-galactic-flight-test-program-update-spaceflight-from-new-mexico-progress/
[3] https://www.virgingalactic.com/articles/virgin-galactic-flight-test-program-update-ypreparing-for-first-rocket-powered-flight-from-new-mexico/
[4] https://twitter.com/Virgin_Orbit/status/1337911913036959744
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2020/05/27/virgin_orbit_postmortem/
[6] https://twitter.com/Virgin_Orbit/status/1337912421231386624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[7] https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/space/press-release/thales-alenia-space-and-avio-sign-european-space-agency-space-rider
[8] https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Space_Rider/ESA_signs_contracts_for_reusable_Space_Rider_up_to_maiden_flight
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/19/esa_vega_failure/
[10] https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICYMI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11] https://twitter.com/esa_SpaceRider?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12] https://t.co/KQwhBgmE5L
[13] https://t.co/k4zyt4gktt
[14] https://twitter.com/esa/status/1337069255288877061?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[15] https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/space_transportation/Space_Rider_factsheet_HiRes_ok.pdf
[16] http://www.boeing.com/defense/autonomous-systems/x37b/index.page
[17] https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2020/12/10/nasa-and-boeing-target-new-launch-date-for-next-starliner-flight-test/
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2019/12/23/cst_100_lands/
[19] https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/08/nasa_boeing_starliner/
[20] https://www.theregister.com/2020/02/10/more_software_errors_beset_boeings_calamity_capsule/
[21] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
[2]It would have been the first rocket-powered flight from the company's New Mexico base, the window for which opened on 11 December. Alas, it was not to be; the onboard computer that monitors the rocket motor was disconnected, halting ignition and triggering an automatic abort.
Disappointing stuff for those queueing for a ride, but a handy demonstration of the safety systems as Space Shuttle veteran "CJ" Sturckow and Virgin Galactic's Chief Pilot, Dave Mackay, brought VSS Unity back to the ground.
Before the flight, Virgin Galactic [3]had noted the changes it had had to make in light of restrictions implemented as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It wasn't alone. [4]There was bad news from another of Branson's space tentacles, Virgin Orbit. The company is in the business of air-launching the uncrewed LauncherOne and had been making solid progress toward a second test after May's [5]9 seconds of power (followed by an unscheduled shutdown and an unplanned rendezvous with the ocean).
The company found itself short of staff ahead of a final dress rehearsal after some were sent to precautionary quarantine following contact tracing undertaken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Consequently," it said, "we've fallen below the number of staff we feel we require to prudently and safely proceed with pre-launch operations."
For now, the launch is on hold until the impact can be assessed.
A final note: if you love space, love Earth and love its people, please take the proper precautions. Social distance and wear your mask. Simple, individual actions can save lives — and can keep our communities, our economies, and even our rocket launches on track. — Virgin Orbit (@Virgin_Orbit) [6]December 13, 2020
Easy ESA Rider
The European Space Agency (ESA) is to fling more cash at [7]Thales Alenia Space Italy and Avio with a €167m contract to develop the reusable and uncrewed Space Rider transportation system.
The contract will cover the flight model, which includes a re-entry module and orbital service module. The [8]first flight of the system is planned for the third quarter of 2023 and should see the spacecraft launch from French Guiana atop a Vega-C.
[9]Good luck with that .
[10]#ICYMI ESA signed contracts this week for developing the reusable [11]@esa_SpaceRider spacecraft up to its maiden flight in 2023 👉 [12]https://t.co/KQwhBgmE5L [13]pic.twitter.com/k4zyt4gktt — ESA (@esa) [14]December 10, 2020
Space Rider is all about providing regular, uncrewed access to space and [15]can carry up to 800kg [PDF] to orbit. A mission is expected to last at least two months in orbit before the re-entry module returns to a soft landing and a turnaround time of less than six months before the next mission.
It sounds a little similar to the US Space Force's mysterious [16]X-37B , most recently launched in May atop an Atlas V, which has been gliding to autonomous runway landings for the last ten years. The Space Rider will, however, make use of a parafoil as part of its return to Earth.
Boeing's Calamity Capsule to fly again in 2021
Surprising nobody, Boeing's Calamity Capsule [17]is now targeting 29 March for a second crack at an uncrewed demonstration mission to the International Space Station (ISS). There had been hope that this mission would fly in 2020, but as the end of the year neared, this seemed increasingly unlikely.
The first demonstration around this time last year resulted in a premature return to Earth for the CST-100 Starliner after a [18]timer error saw the spacecraft burn through its attitude control fuel before getting anywhere near the ISS. Investigators picking through the data were alarmed to find just [19]how close the uncrewed mission came to catastrophe . NASA used the dread words "risk of spacecraft loss" in a [20]stark assessment of Boeing's pisspoor processes and the frantic work of those on the ground to rescue the mission.
While the capsule made it back safely, a repeat of the flight test has been deemed necessary before crew will be crammed into the capsule. Should this second test (dubbed Orbital Flight Test 2) go well, the first crew might launch in the summer of 2021 before operational missions can commence. ®
Get our [21]Tech Resources
[1] https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1337902122885582848
[2] https://www.virgingalactic.com/articles/virgin-galactic-flight-test-program-update-spaceflight-from-new-mexico-progress/
[3] https://www.virgingalactic.com/articles/virgin-galactic-flight-test-program-update-ypreparing-for-first-rocket-powered-flight-from-new-mexico/
[4] https://twitter.com/Virgin_Orbit/status/1337911913036959744
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2020/05/27/virgin_orbit_postmortem/
[6] https://twitter.com/Virgin_Orbit/status/1337912421231386624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[7] https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/space/press-release/thales-alenia-space-and-avio-sign-european-space-agency-space-rider
[8] https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Space_Rider/ESA_signs_contracts_for_reusable_Space_Rider_up_to_maiden_flight
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/19/esa_vega_failure/
[10] https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICYMI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11] https://twitter.com/esa_SpaceRider?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12] https://t.co/KQwhBgmE5L
[13] https://t.co/k4zyt4gktt
[14] https://twitter.com/esa/status/1337069255288877061?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[15] https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/space_transportation/Space_Rider_factsheet_HiRes_ok.pdf
[16] http://www.boeing.com/defense/autonomous-systems/x37b/index.page
[17] https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2020/12/10/nasa-and-boeing-target-new-launch-date-for-next-starliner-flight-test/
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2019/12/23/cst_100_lands/
[19] https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/08/nasa_boeing_starliner/
[20] https://www.theregister.com/2020/02/10/more_software_errors_beset_boeings_calamity_capsule/
[21] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Just one more demo of Calamity before it carries people?
Gene Cash
> Thank goodness the failure didn't happen when there were people on board.
This is why you do unmanned TEST flights, and why the Shuttle was so terrifying, you couldn't do unmanned test flights... the first flight had crew aboard.
Re: Just one more demo of Calamity before it carries people?
Anonymous Coward
Sure. However:
1. This wasn't one of the design-cycle tests. It was supposed to be the final demonstrator. The system had been through *all* previous tests and design reviews with everything fully signed off. How did a major problem remain until this late?
2. Suppose this problem had been something that happens, say, one time in three, or one in ten? The demonstrator flight could have been absolutely fine, and instead the humans would have been caught up in it. That's scary.
3. To make a safe system, you're reliant on all those design reviews and certifications covering all possibilities. And yet, they clearly missed something very major here. Reminiscent of another notorious Boeing product?
"why the Shuttle was so terrifying, you couldn't do unmanned test flights..."
LDS
Since it didn't return floating below a parachute where winds brought it. Anyway the Russian copy made an unmanned test flight - but it had some power on descent.
Up And Down
Imhotep
I just don't see the market. 80 KM is about the height StarShip just hit for a test, isn't it? If that is the target, then you won't really be going in to space, will you? And your view from the ship wouldn't be what we think of as space, would it?
Seems like they had a window of opportunity that they missed. Now people will be expecting an orbital flight.
Space Shuttle veteran "CJ" Sturckow
macjules
He didn't get to where his is today by not knowing how to fly a space shuttle.
Just one more demo of Calamity before it carries people?
One failed launch proves that the system is dangerous; one successful launch does not prove that the system is safe.
Thank goodness the failure didn't happen when there were people on board.