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Yesterday the meeting with the investors of Rocket Laba New Zealand-US company that is among the most promising when it comes to light launchers and which is now preparing the debut of its medium pitcher known as Neutron (which will rank higher than the current Electron). The aim is to have a solution that has a high capacity to carry a payload into orbit but that can have a high launch rate.
These are objectives shared with Elon Musk’s SpaceX but which are addressed in a different way. The latter first focused on Falcon 1 (light carrier) and then quickly switched to Falcon 9 (medium carrier) and Falcon Heavy (heavy carrier) and finally began development of Starship with a two-stage solution. Rocket Lab Neutron instead it will have a decidedly different design with the fairing integrated and non-separable and the possibility of placing a spacecraft in the upper area to transport astronauts (although this part is being evaluated, but not excluded).
After all Peter Beck (CEO of the company) stated in the past “I think anyone who isn’t developing a reusable launch vector right now is developing a product with no future because it’s so obvious that this is a fundamental approach that needs to be thought about from day one.”. This strategy will be followed with both Electron that with Neutron covering different customer needs.
Rocket Lab Neutron: the new design of the space rocket
According to what the company reported during investor day, the company has currently chosen the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi owned by NASA (and used for example for the SLS test) for testing and development of the Archimede reusable motors (up to 2.1 meters high) which will be used in the new carriers, 9 for the first stage 1 for the second stage. The propellants used will be liquid oxygen and methane, as for Starship and other carriers. Unlike the latter, no steel will be used but composite materials.
Rocket Lab then chose the state of Virginia for the production and assembly plant of the new space rockets with also launch and landing platforms that will be positioned on the sea. Also according to the indications given during the meeting, it was decided to use part of the knowledge acquired with Electron for Neutron (obviously by enlarging the models).
The software, the avionics, the communications part, the command and control center, the production system and the test operations will be similar to those of Electron. By the end of 2023with regard to Neutronshould be completed: part of the engine tests, construction of the assembly buildings, structures of the first and second stages, tanks of the two stages, avionics and management software and construction of the third launch site.
Neutron plant and launch and landing sites in Virginia (USA)
As for the design, Rocket Lab Neutron will still have i fairing not separable from the first stage with the second stage which will be contained within them. This will allow you not to have to recover them once that part of the mission is finished, reducing operating costs. What has changed is that it will no longer be four different sections but only two (making them more robust according to the company).
For the first time shown the tank in composite material
The reusable space rocket Neutron it should be tall 42.8 meters with a diameter of fairing of 5 meters. It will be reusable as regards the first stage and the fairing and its mission profiles will be LEO, GEO and interplanetary based on the choice of whether or not to reuse the rocket. The payload can be up to 15 tons (not reusable) or 13 tons (reusable). Now all that remains is to see if all the promises will be fulfilled, but Peter Beck seems to have clear ideas.
Gift ideas, why waste time and risk making mistakes?
GIVE A GOOD AMAZON!
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