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  #1  
Old 03-21-2018, 03:54 AM
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blackshire blackshire is offline
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Default Secret space shot!

Hello All,

This evening (last night now, at this hour) on our Alaska state radio news, there was a report about an upcoming space launch at the Pacific Spaceport Complex (see: http://akaerospace.com/gallery/paci...-complex-alaska ) on Kodiak Island, Alaska. The first commercial launch customer (all previous launches there have been government ones)—which has not yet revealed its identity—has requested that the U.S. Coast Guard clear the range’s safety zone between April 6 and April 13. Also:

I suspect that the “mystery range user” is either Vector Space Systems (see: http://vector-launch.com/ ), or perhaps Rocket Lab (see: http://rocketlabusa.com/ ), both of which have previously announced their intentions to launch their orbital launch vehicles from PSC. (In fact, Alaska Aerospace Corporation/PSC personnel helped Rocket Lab develop their Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand launch complex, and last month PSC posted a notice [see: http://akaerospace.com/news/company...launches-kodiak ] regarding Vector Space Systems’ launch plans.)

I hope this information will be helpful.
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Old 03-21-2018, 07:57 PM
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The mystery has deepened...a few minutes ago, another state news report repeated the April 6 - 13 launch window, but added (quoting Alaska Aerospace Corporation) that neither Vector Space Systems nor Rocket Lab are involved. It could be a suborbital launch services company rather than an orbital one (most of the 19 previous launches from the Pacific Spaceport Complex were suborbital rather than orbital).
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Old 03-21-2018, 08:38 PM
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It's a super duper double secret mission. Agents 86 and 99 will deliver the payload one hour before launch. Hymie is already on location. He will plug in and activate the sensitive payload. If you want to discuss it further, we will have to use the Cone of Silence 3.1, internet edition.




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Old 03-21-2018, 08:48 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tbzep
It's a super duper double secret mission. Agents 86 and 99 will deliver the payload one hour before launch. Hymie is already on location. He will plug in and activate the sensitive payload. If you want to discuss it further, we will have to use the Cone of Silence 3.1, internet edition.




I was hoping for "hover cover" (the weather here would be perfect). :-)
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Old 03-21-2018, 09:53 PM
frognbuff frognbuff is offline
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Old 03-21-2018, 10:42 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frognbuff
Interesting--while that rocket may not be intended to be a stage of an operational launch vehicle, a larger number (more than five) of even their "small" 4,000 lbf electrically-pumped RP-1/LOX engines could power a micro-launcher first stage (or, in smaller numbers--even one--an upper stage). Astra Space's intended 8,000 - 10,000 lbf MON-30/MMH engines would provide even more capability, and that propellant combination is also relatively storable.

In any event, I wish them luck; we need new engines and launch vehicles.
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Old 03-22-2018, 11:23 AM
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Old 03-22-2018, 12:19 PM
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Thank you for posting this article! The different "date ranges" are interesting... This sort of thing isn't unprecedented, as UP Aerospace (which launches their commercial SpaceLoft sounding rockets from their rail launcher [with split shelter building] near White Sands) once hosted a secretive launch of a winged spaceplane (or launch vehicle) subscale test model.
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Old 03-22-2018, 12:23 PM
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Agents 86 and 99 may be involved with this, but 007 wants nothing to do with it.
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Old 03-22-2018, 12:33 PM
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Ventions and the follow on company does private tests at our site on non-public days.

http://abc7news.com/technology/sky7...lameda/3097474/

Jerry
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