Antares (Taurus II)

[Salo]

http://www.orbital.com/CargoResupplyServices/

Updated Taurus II & COTS/CRS Development Flight Milestones[/size]
February 2011

Orbital has released an updated milestones chart to the reflect the most current projections for the integration, testing and operations of its Taurus II and Cygnus spacecraft for the COTS and CRS programs.

[Dave Bowman]

Скажите, а производство НК-33 сейчас востанавливают?

[Salo]

Ждут пока заплатят за проданные в середине 90-х.

[Dave Bowman]

А американцы не собираются сами делать?

[Salo]

Когда соберутся, мы об этом обязательно узнаем.

[Salo]

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/news/ribbon-cut.html

NASA Ushers In New Space Exploration Era At Wallops Flight Facility[/size]

NASA ushered in a new era of space exploration at its Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Tuesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony opening the new Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF).

The HIF will support medium-class mission capabilities. The first customer to use the facility will be Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., with its Taurus II launch vehicle.

"With this state-of-the-art building, NASA demonstrates its commitment to the success of the nation's commercial launch industry," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, "We have already seen some fantastic progress and are looking forward to more this year. Wallops, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and Orbital have been working together to bring the Taurus II vehicle to the launch pad this coming fall under tough mission schedules. That effort is impressive and a model we should emulate whenever possible."

Orbital will conduct missions for NASA under the agency's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services project and Commercial Resupply Services contract. Integration of the Taurus II at the new facility will begin this month, with the first launch expected later this year. "Today is about bringing jobs, jobs and more jobs to the Lower Shore -- jobs for today and jobs for tomorrow," said Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, chairwoman of the Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice and Science, which funds NASA. "I'm so happy to see our federal facilities like Wallops bringing the innovation economy to the community with this world-class international launch site that will soon launch science missions and take cargo to the International Space Station."

"The Horizontal Integration Facility is a vital part of our operation at the Wallops Flight Facility," said Dave Thompson, chairman and CEO of Orbital Sciences Corp. "The capability it provides to process two Taurus II vehicles simultaneously puts us in an excellent position to support NASA with missions to the International Space Station."

The facility is 250 feet long, 150 wide and 60 feet high. Its bay provides dual horizontal processing with 70-and 50-ton bridge cranes. Built in approximately 16 months, the HIF has adjacent laboratory and warehouse space. Its safety features include a deluge fire suppression system and a blast-attenuating wall.


Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden cut the ribbon at the new Horizontal Integration Facility at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Is., Va. Credit: NASA Wallops/Jacob Owen

[Salo]

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/AJ26_20110319.html

Commercial Rocket Engine Testing Continues at NASA Center[/size]
03.19.11


AJ26 engine test fired on March 19. Image Credit: NASA

NASA's Stennis Space Center is moving ahead in supporting Orbital Sciences Corporation testing of Aerojet's AJ26 engines for commercial cargo flights to the International Space Station.

Orbital plans to launch the first of eight scheduled unmanned cargo missions to the ISS in early 2012. Key steps already have been taken toward that goal as Orbital has successfully tested the Aerojet AJ26 engines that will power the first stage of their Taurus II rocket. Tests on each of the engines were performed by a team of Orbital, Aerojet and John C. Stennis Space Center engineers at NASA's south Mississippi test facility. The latest test was conducted on March 19 on the E-1 Test Stand.

The initial two engines, tested earlier this year, will be delivered to Orbital at the Wallops Flight Facility launch site in Virginia for integration with the Taurus II's first stage core.

Orbital is developing its Taurus II's cargo logistics system under the joint Commercial Orbital Transportation Services demonstration project with NASA, and is scheduled to carry out its ISS cargo resupply missions under the Commercial Resupply Services contract.

[SpaceR]

Кстати о птичках, и вторая ОКПС уже отправлена в штаты, вроде бы ещё неделю назад или даже раньше.
Именно она будет использована в "инаугурационном" пуске Тауруса-2.

[Theoristos]

14-го отправлена. Вместе с отсеком удержания.

[Salo]

http://www.orbital.com/TaurusII/

Taurus II Program Update

March 2011

A formal dedication ceremony of the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) where Taurus II rockets will be assembled, tested took place on March 22, 2011.  NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Maryland U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski, Orbital Chairman and CEO David Thompson, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations William Gerstenmaier, Goddard Space Flight Center Director Robert Strain and Wallops Flight Facility Director William Wrobel were on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony. Even before the official dedication, operations at the HIF were in full gear with the stage one core to be used for hot fire testing and the Transport Erector, Launcher (TEL) undergoing integration and testing.
The TEL fixture will serve as the support structure of the Taurus II rocket as it is transported in a horizontal orientation along the approximately 1 mile route from the HIF to Pad 0A.  At the pad, hydraulic erection actuators will rotate the TEL and the rocket to a vertical position, where the TEL will function as the umbilical support structure.  Transport of the disassembled TEL required six trucks for the cross-country trip from the fabrication facility in California to Wallops.
Meanwhile at our Chandler Arizona facility, the fairing and adapter ring have been mounted on a test stand in advance of protoflight testing that will occur later this month.  Amanda Davis, Engineering Manager for the upper stack of the vehicle is pictured to provide scale.
Finally, with all the concrete poured at the pad site (6600 cubic yards or approximately 21.7 million pounds), and installation of the fuel farm ongoing, we produced a composite image of an aerial photo of the actual pad and an artist’s rendering of the rocket and TEL to provide an idea of how the pad and rocket will appear prior to launch.


U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Cut the Ribbon at the HIF (NASA photo)


The Taurus II Stage One Core and TEL in the HIF


The Fairing and Adapter Ring on the Test Stand at Chandler


Composite Image of an Aerial Photo of Pad 0A and an Artist's Rendering of Taurus II

[Дмитрий В.]

Кстати о птичках, и вторая ОКПС уже отправлена в штаты, вроде бы ещё неделю назад или даже раньше.
Именно она будет использована в "инаугурационном" пуске Тауруса-2.

А первая где будет использована?

[hecata]

Кстати, горизонтальная интеграция завоевывает штаты, подумалось мне.

[SpaceR]

Кстати о птичках, и вторая ОКПС уже отправлена в штаты, вроде бы ещё неделю назад или даже раньше.
Именно она будет использована в "инаугурационном" пуске Тауруса-2.

А первая где будет использована?

Для всех намеченных наземных тестов, включая огневые.
Позднее (при хорошем состоянии) возможно ее использование в одном из пусков.

[Петр Зайцев]

Кстати, горизонтальная интеграция завоевывает штаты, подумалось мне.

Самое время сделать вертикальную на Ангаре, подумали хруничевцы.

[hecata]

Кстати, горизонтальная интеграция завоевывает штаты, подумалось мне.

Самое время сделать вертикальную на Ангаре, подумали хруничевцы.

А разве там вертикальная? KSLV точно горизонтально собирали.

[Dude]

The Fairing and Adapter Ring on the Test Stand at Chandler

корпус яхты

[Дмитрий В.]

The Fairing and Adapter Ring on the Test Stand at Chandler

корпус яхты

Ага, у Абрамовича оттяпали! :lol:

[LRV_75]

корпус яхты

Сейчас второй обтекатель поставят и будет подводная лодка  

[pragmatik]

корпус яхты

Сейчас второй обтекатель поставят и будет подводная лодка  

надеюсь, не на последний пуск глонасов намекают.

[LRV_75]

надеюсь, не на последний пуск глонасов намекают.

Не, не на последний, на крайний  :wink: