Archive for XR2 (Artemis) Medium power booster Project

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The next launch windows for the Artemis fleet.

May30
by cgould on May 30, 2010 at 5:13 AM
Posted In: XR2 (Artemis) Medium power booster Project

Here’s a list of the next launch windows for the Artemis project.

June 12th – Harmon flying field.  Artemis booster #2, and the first flights of booster #4.

July 3rd – Pichman’s field.  Artemis booster #1 in a night launch…

TBD: A return trip to the Amherst field for another series of higher altitude launches – this time on Aerotech E15 White lighting engines!  We may even try to do this at the NY Power meed the weekend of July 23rd in Geneseo, NY!

Back to Booster #4 for a moment:  This one was just completed late last week (week of May 24th) and it is the last of the Artemis I boosters to be built.  The fleet of four boosters is now complete.  We will be thinking of names for these booster rockets, and will let you know what they are in the weeks ahead.

The next step in the Artemis program: We are currently designing a “heavy lift / high altitude” version of the Artemis booster called Artemis II.  The plan is to outfit the Artemis II booster with a dual deploy system to allow it to fly to the 5,000 foot ceiling at the Amherst, OH field.  It will also be a bit larger than the largest Artemis I configuration currently in operation.   Depending on performance, a modified version of Artemis II called Artemis II heavy could possibly be used to carry the Carina Shuttle into the sky when that project begins in a few years…

There’s your Artemis Program update for today.  Stop by in a few days when we talk more about the upcoming Artemis missions for the next launch windows!

((( )))

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Latest Artemis missions May 23rd launches.

May25
by cgould on May 25, 2010 at 2:41 AM
Posted In: XR2 (Artemis) Medium power booster Project

(May 23, 2010 – Amherst, OH)

The month of May was a busy one for project Artemis! A total of twelve missions.

We wrapped up our missions for the month of May on the 23rd with four flights.

The first mission of the day was ALS0013, the first flight of the official ArtemisV payload aerocraft on booster #3. Performance was perfect.

Artemis booster #3 on the pad awaiting the beginning of mission ALS013

Mission ALS013 begins!

The second mission, ALS0014, was the return flight of Artemis booster #1 (Big Red). We flew the Artemis 1E payload section, and the return to the air flight was absolutely picture perfect.

Artemis booster Big Red takes to the sky on mission ALS014

Mission #3 (ALS0015), another flight of booster #3. This one turned into a nail biter!

After a picture perfect launch, we experienced a shock cord failure causing separation of the booster from the parachute. The booster section free-fell from 850 feet. The landing happened to be in a water logged section of the field, so the booster was fine. The 1E payload was recovered a ways away in perfect condition (it came down extra slow on the parachute).

Artemis booster #3 at liftoff for mission ALS015

Mission #4 (ALS0016) was not a scheduled mission, but one we could not pass up. The first flight to break the 1,000 foot celing. Artemis booster #3 was quickly repaired, and put to the task of this feat. We loaded an Aerotech F12 black jack composite motor, and sent her off to over 1700 feet. Flight was spectacular, and was a great conclusion to the missions in the month of May.

Artemis booster #3 closing on a spectacular note with a high altitude launch on an Aerotech F12 black jack motor!

The next scheduled missions are set for June 12. More info to come!

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Next Artemis program Launch Windows / First steps to next program

May22
by cgould on May 22, 2010 at 4:09 AM
Posted In: Carina Shuttle Project, XR2 (Artemis) Medium power booster Project

The next few Artemis project launch windows.

Weather permitting, Artemis booster #1 (Big Red) will make a return to the skies as she makes her first operational flight on May 23rd at the Skybusters Amherst, OH field.  “Big Red” has been grounded since the flight tests flown on missions ALS-001 through ALS-004.   Some design changes had to be made as well as some damage repairs.

May 23rd will also bring the first flight of Artemis booster #4 (the booster that rounds out the fleet of four Artemis class  booster rockets).

A total of three flights are scheduled for the Artemis program.  There will be flights of the Artemis V-a payload stages – both flown on the new booster, and the Artemis 1E payload section will be on “Big Red”.

After Sunday’s flights, the next launch windows are June 12th at Harmon Field, and a night flight on July 3rd at Pichman’s field.

First steps towards the Sagitta booster project.

There will be two Pegasus class high performance rockets constructed to test construction techniques that will be employed in the Sagitta heavy lift booster rocket.  The Pegasus rocket will be much smaller than the Artemis airship configurations, and its missions will involve high speed / high altitude missions.

The Sagitta booster will be used for flying heavy payloads, and a version of the booster will be used in the Carina Shuttle project.

The first Sagitta booster missions are set for summer 2011.

The Carina shuttle project is scheduled to begin spring / summer 2013.

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