NASA and the Private Sector - Page 207

In another major reversal from March, downrange landings in the ocean are now no longer planned for the rocket, and missions that cannot return to the launch site would be expended —which would increase the total payload capacity of the rocket from 8,000 kg, with stage one return, to 15,000 kg with an expended first stage and fairings.

For the upper stage, Beck noted that it has competing design requirements. “It has to be the lightest and the most high-performing structure as part of the launch vehicle, but it also has to be the lowest cost because for Neutron, at least at this point in time, it’s a disposable stage.”

To this, and based on the clamshell design of the opening firings, the second stage is hung from the payload separation plane. According to Beck, Neutron’s second stage is “incredibly strong and the lightest upper stage ever in history.”

Overall, Neutron is now 7 m in diameter at its base with an increased payload fairing diameter of 5 m. The overall height of the rocket has not changed and remains 40 m.

The rocket will be made of Rocket Lab’s own carbon composite material. Peter Beck had previously noted that this material was not under consideration for reusable rockets, but in today’s update, he said, “Sometimes carbon composites get a tough rap because they’re expensive to manufacture and slow to produce. Not the case. We’re gonna do this fast.”

Beck went on to say that the plan is to use automated fiber placement. “3-D printing really changed the game when it came to rapid manufacture. With metallic 3-D printing, we measure the speed in millimeters per minute. With automated fiber placement, you measure the speed in meters per minute.”

“We have already shown with Electron that carbon composites are an ideal material for an orbital rocket,” said Beck. “Now, thanks to Neutron, it’s gonna really come into its own as a rocket material of the future.”

Back further noted that prototype tanks for Neutron’s two stages are already being built and that the first hot-fire test of the new Archimedes engine is planned for 2022.

Notably absent from the presentation was an estimate on the first launch date, which had previously been 2024. Also absent was mention of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia which had been planned as the initial launch site for the vehicle.

Instead, Beck mentioned a launch facility devoid of most equipment – as simple as possible.

A switch away from Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport would make sense given Neutron’s desire to use a very simple launch pad and its switch of propellants from RP-1 kerosene and liquid oxygen (the ground support equipment for which is already present at Pad 0A) to liquid methane and liquid oxygen.

On December 03 2021 01:19 {CC}StealthBlue wrote:
So only a couple of the Neutron's will be reused... what?



Source

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1466440518271832064