4 ms·

Virgin Orbit has succeeded in putting its first satellites in space

35 points by jfk13 6y ago

Razengan 6y ago
A headline 50 years in the making.
arijun 6y ago
Cool! Because I was curious: Rocket Lab's Electron is about $27k/kg payload, while Virgin's Launcher One is "less than" $40k/kg to the same orbit. So more, but not crazy if you need some of the benefits Virgin gives, like a slightly bigger payload maximum (300 vs 225kg) or ability to launch from the US (or possibly the UK soon?) Still, I wonder if there's enough business at that size to support a more expensive entrant.
- PopeDotNinja 6y ago
  I wonder how viable this business model is without a 747, which will be ending it’s production run soon. I’m sure used 747s will be around for a long time, but at maintenance costs go up, parts availability goes down, etc. Eventually the 747 will not be viable, and I’m not sure there’s a suitable replacement.
  - randallsquared 6y ago
    That's decades away, though. In less than one decade, we may see daily Starship launches for prices that completely obsolete this.
- bryanlarsen 6y ago
  Rocket lab's max payload is now 300kg, and they now have a pad in Virginia. https://www.rocketlabusa.com/about-us/updates/rocket-lab-increases-electron-payload-capacity-enabling-interplanetary-missions-and-reusability/#:~:text=August%204%2C%202020%20%E2%80%93%20Rocket%20Lab,300%20kg%20(660%20lbs) https://www.rocketlabusa.com/about-us/updates/rocket-lab-inc....
- niffydroid 6y ago
  Doesn't launching from a plane rather than a launch pad indicate you need less infrastructure (a launch pad), fuel differences etc. I can imagine this is a good way to quickly get a satellite in the air from any location and into a preferred orbit. Although this means you need the rocket and satellite already made and stored.
  - bryanlarsen 6y ago
    Astra needs a lot less ground facilities than Virgin Orbit does.
dll 6y ago
One of the satellites launched was for amateur radio; at the time of this comment it doesn't look like anybody's heard anything from it: https://www.amsat.org/tlm/leaderboard.php?id=5&db=FOXDB https://www.amsat.org/tlm/leaderboard.php?id=5&db=FOXDB
bryanlarsen 6y ago
Earlier discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25815229 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25815229
sam_goody 6y ago
Can someone who follows this industry tell how this compares to SpaceX, Rocket Labs and Blue Origin, etc. Also, do we have to worry that all of the satellites that are going up en masse will start raining down on our heads?
- onethought 6y ago
  No one really compares to spaceX... they are just doing it different and at a ridiculous pace. Rocket lab are interesting in that they have a satellite bus (standard), so use their sensors and just connect on with your magic device... so it opens up space to a whole host of companies Blue origin... yet to make orbit right? Do they even count? Some super cool tech going on though. I don’t think we have to worry about satellites... expended stages and parts maybe...
- nickik 6y ago
  Its direct competition to Rocket Labs, it really has little to do with Blue Origin. Blue Origin is interested in big rockets and sub orbital. SpaceX doesn't even play the same sport. Virgin Orbit has an interesting concept but they have invested gigantic amounts of money compared to their small launch competition. Its hard for me to see how they would ever be profitable. Getting to Orbit is hard, but as RocketLab learned, going from there to mass production and costumer payload integration is very challenging. That said, VO already has way more people then RocketLab did when the company reached Orbit.
  - PaulHoule 6y ago
    I thought Blue Origin was following a path similar to Starship but they've been distracted by suborbital flight -- technologically it is a real thing but there is no market for it.
    - nickik 6y ago
      I wouldn't say that is the case. So BlueOrigin is basically a self funded research shop. They built many experimental vehicles of increasing size. This end up with their suborbital New Shepard. This was to be their first commercial vehicle and they have spent many years doing iteration on that. There is some market there but its questionable how big. Once BlueOrigin had figured out the landing stuff and SpaceX was showing orbital landing already. BlueOrigin stated to spend a lot more money and seriously started building a Falcon Heavy class vehicle called 'New Glenn'. This 'New Glenn' rocket is really quite huge, but it is very likely not gone launch before 2022. New Glenn is not quite on Starship level, its is more comparable to Falcon Heavy. It does not have a concept of second stage re-usability (at least not to land it). BlueOrigin is also working on a moon lander platform. Together with some other companies the bid on NASA Moon Lander contract. For BlueOrigin suborbital might be a distraction but its the only remotely commercial thing they have. New Glenn is years away.
alokdhari 6y ago
Bransons vigin rocket not virgin anymore

35 points by jfk13 6y ago

A headline 50 years in the making.

Cool! Because I was curious: Rocket Lab's Electron is about $27k/kg payload, while Virgin's Launcher One is "less than" $40k/kg to the same orbit. So more, but not crazy if you need some of the benefits Virgin gives, like a slightly bigger payload maximum (300 vs 225kg) or ability to launch from the US (or possibly the UK soon?) Still, I wonder if there's enough business at that size to support a more expensive entrant.

PopeDotNinja 6y ago
I wonder how viable this business model is without a 747, which will be ending it’s production run soon. I’m sure used 747s will be around for a long time, but at maintenance costs go up, parts availability goes down, etc. Eventually the 747 will not be viable, and I’m not sure there’s a suitable replacement.
- randallsquared 6y ago
  That's decades away, though. In less than one decade, we may see daily Starship launches for prices that completely obsolete this.
bryanlarsen 6y ago
Rocket lab's max payload is now 300kg, and they now have a pad in Virginia. https://www.rocketlabusa.com/about-us/updates/rocket-lab-increases-electron-payload-capacity-enabling-interplanetary-missions-and-reusability/#:~:text=August%204%2C%202020%20%E2%80%93%20Rocket%20Lab,300%20kg%20(660%20lbs) https://www.rocketlabusa.com/about-us/updates/rocket-lab-inc....
niffydroid 6y ago
Doesn't launching from a plane rather than a launch pad indicate you need less infrastructure (a launch pad), fuel differences etc. I can imagine this is a good way to quickly get a satellite in the air from any location and into a preferred orbit. Although this means you need the rocket and satellite already made and stored.
- bryanlarsen 6y ago
  Astra needs a lot less ground facilities than Virgin Orbit does.

dll 6y ago

One of the satellites launched was for amateur radio; at the time of this comment it doesn't look like anybody's heard anything from it: https://www.amsat.org/tlm/leaderboard.php?id=5&db=FOXDB https://www.amsat.org/tlm/leaderboard.php?id=5&db=FOXDB

bryanlarsen 6y ago

Earlier discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25815229 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25815229

sam_goody 6y ago

Can someone who follows this industry tell how this compares to SpaceX, Rocket Labs and Blue Origin, etc. Also, do we have to worry that all of the satellites that are going up en masse will start raining down on our heads?

onethought 6y ago
No one really compares to spaceX... they are just doing it different and at a ridiculous pace. Rocket lab are interesting in that they have a satellite bus (standard), so use their sensors and just connect on with your magic device... so it opens up space to a whole host of companies Blue origin... yet to make orbit right? Do they even count? Some super cool tech going on though. I don’t think we have to worry about satellites... expended stages and parts maybe...
nickik 6y ago
Its direct competition to Rocket Labs, it really has little to do with Blue Origin. Blue Origin is interested in big rockets and sub orbital. SpaceX doesn't even play the same sport. Virgin Orbit has an interesting concept but they have invested gigantic amounts of money compared to their small launch competition. Its hard for me to see how they would ever be profitable. Getting to Orbit is hard, but as RocketLab learned, going from there to mass production and costumer payload integration is very challenging. That said, VO already has way more people then RocketLab did when the company reached Orbit.
- PaulHoule 6y ago
  I thought Blue Origin was following a path similar to Starship but they've been distracted by suborbital flight -- technologically it is a real thing but there is no market for it.
  - nickik 6y ago
    I wouldn't say that is the case. So BlueOrigin is basically a self funded research shop. They built many experimental vehicles of increasing size. This end up with their suborbital New Shepard. This was to be their first commercial vehicle and they have spent many years doing iteration on that. There is some market there but its questionable how big. Once BlueOrigin had figured out the landing stuff and SpaceX was showing orbital landing already. BlueOrigin stated to spend a lot more money and seriously started building a Falcon Heavy class vehicle called 'New Glenn'. This 'New Glenn' rocket is really quite huge, but it is very likely not gone launch before 2022. New Glenn is not quite on Starship level, its is more comparable to Falcon Heavy. It does not have a concept of second stage re-usability (at least not to land it). BlueOrigin is also working on a moon lander platform. Together with some other companies the bid on NASA Moon Lander contract. For BlueOrigin suborbital might be a distraction but its the only remotely commercial thing they have. New Glenn is years away.

alokdhari 6y ago

Bransons vigin rocket not virgin anymore