You probably have never heard about the rocket ever before, or even the launch site, but a co pletely new US rocket will fly to space in the next few hours from Hawaii!
You probably have never heard of the Super Strypi rocket. That is normal, because the developers really keep this project under the wraps! It's a small rocket developed as an upgrade from an existing sounding rocket that can carry about 300 kilograms to Low Earth Orbit.
The 3 stage all-solid fuel rocket was developed by a group of organizations lead by the U.S. Air Force’s Operationally Responsive Space office, with input from Aerojet, the University of Hawaii and Sandia National Laboratories. The project was aimed to build and fly a "quick response" rocket to fly small satellites into orbit at very short notice (but see below).
The rocket will fly from a launch site new to the satellite launch arena. The Pacific Missile Range Facility on the west tip of Kauai Island, Hawaii is more related to Aegis system and AA missile tests than space launches, but today a mobile rail launcher will house the first space launch from Hawaii.
Well, for such a simple launch system.....it really took a very long time for the first flight to reach the pad. This first flight was first scheduled in 2013 and was delayed by 2 years due to various issues - and a recent report stated that it and other various "satellite quick launch systems" developed by the US military are nowhere near operational! Ouch...
So amid its uncertain future, the first flight has finally come. Currently the launch is scheduled at 02:30 UTC (3:30 pm local) and it will carry 13 small satellites from various US institutions. Live coverage is available at http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/11/03/ors-4-mission-status-center/.
Good luck!
You probably have never heard of the Super Strypi rocket. That is normal, because the developers really keep this project under the wraps! It's a small rocket developed as an upgrade from an existing sounding rocket that can carry about 300 kilograms to Low Earth Orbit.
The 3 stage all-solid fuel rocket was developed by a group of organizations lead by the U.S. Air Force’s Operationally Responsive Space office, with input from Aerojet, the University of Hawaii and Sandia National Laboratories. The project was aimed to build and fly a "quick response" rocket to fly small satellites into orbit at very short notice (but see below).
The rocket will fly from a launch site new to the satellite launch arena. The Pacific Missile Range Facility on the west tip of Kauai Island, Hawaii is more related to Aegis system and AA missile tests than space launches, but today a mobile rail launcher will house the first space launch from Hawaii.
Well, for such a simple launch system.....it really took a very long time for the first flight to reach the pad. This first flight was first scheduled in 2013 and was delayed by 2 years due to various issues - and a recent report stated that it and other various "satellite quick launch systems" developed by the US military are nowhere near operational! Ouch...
So amid its uncertain future, the first flight has finally come. Currently the launch is scheduled at 02:30 UTC (3:30 pm local) and it will carry 13 small satellites from various US institutions. Live coverage is available at http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/11/03/ors-4-mission-status-center/.
Good luck!
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