Aerojet Rocketdyne Leonidas Small Launch Vehicle

[bobbymike]

http://rocket.com/Leonidas

LEONIDAS

The LEONIDAS program objective is to develop a low cost, small satellite launch capability. Aerojet is the sole source supplier of the 3-stage propulsion system using robust and affordable Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs): LEO-46, LEO-7, and LEO-1.

 

[blackstar]

Re: Aerojet Rocektdyne Leonidas Small Launch Vehicle

Launching from Hawaii. I'm a little surprised--the website says 2014, but a few months ago I went to their press conference at the National Space Symposium and they were talking about a launch this fall. I don't know if it has slipped.

 

[bobbymike]

Launching from Hawaii. I'm a little surprised--the website says 2014, but a few months ago I went to their press conference at the National Space Symposium and they were talking about a launch this fall. I don't know if it has slipped.

I searched their website and couldn't find any specifications on the stages LEO-46, 7 and 1? Any idea of the size and thrust of these SRM's?

 

[Archibald]

(best impersonation of Homer Simpson voice)

Hmmm... a Leonidas rocket...

http://www.sucreriesbelges.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Marques-belges-Leonidas-3.jpg

 

[blackstar]

Launching from Hawaii. I'm a little surprised--the website says 2014, but a few months ago I went to their press conference at the National Space Symposium and they were talking about a launch this fall. I don't know if it has slipped.

I searched their website and couldn't find any specifications on the stages LEO-46, 7 and 1? Any idea of the size and thrust of these SRM's?

Let me look through the material that I got from them, assuming that I can find it. The rocket has something like three different names. It's confusing.

 

[blackstar]

I found the stuff I have. Leonidas also goes by the name of Super Strypi. I think it has one other name as well.

 

[bobbymike]

Thank you Blackstar

Also known as SPARK - Space Borne Payload Assist Rocket.

 

[blackstar]

Thank you Blackstar

Also known as SPARK - Space Borne Payload Assist Rocket.

Has this launch slipped? I thought I saw somewhere that it has slipped from this fall into 2014.

 

[bobbymike]

blackstar - have not heard.

On the last page of your attachments it says 'develop 3 new solid rockets'

Any idea of size (length, diameter), thrust ISP?

 

[blackstar]

blackstar - have not heard.

On the last page of your attachments it says 'develop 3 new solid rockets'

Any idea of size (length, diameter), thrust ISP?

Nope.

Hey, let me ramble...

I was at the National Space Symposium in April and the ironic thing was that I was at a luncheon event (and the really ironic thing was that for some reason they gave me a free ticket to this event). So I'm talking to the woman next to me and learn that she's from Hawaii, where I had gone last fall on business. So we're talking about Hawaii and then she mentions that she's holding a press conference in a couple of hours because they're going to launch a satellite into orbit from Hawaii. And I did a double take. What?! I hadn't heard of this at all. So I went to the press conference, took some notes, asked a few questions. All of this stuff was news to me. But I don't remember if they talked about the rocket all that much. It was a rather weird affair, because the Hawaii people want to talk about local development and how this is great for schoolkids and all that, and meanwhile it is funded by the military's Operationally Responsive Space office, and it is intended to develop a military capability.

 

[cardonet]

blackstar - have not heard.

On the last page of your attachments it says 'develop 3 new solid rockets'

Any idea of size (length, diameter), thrust ISP?

Details @ http://www.govsupport.us/ORSSSEA/Documents/FinalEA.pdf
see §2.2.1

 

[bobbymike]

blackstar - have not heard.

On the last page of your attachments it says 'develop 3 new solid rockets'

Any idea of size (length, diameter), thrust ISP?

Details @ http://www.govsupport.us/ORSSSEA/Documents/FinalEA.pdf
see §2.2.1

Great find thanks much!!

 

[jjnodice]

I am not attending, but Super Strypi and Soldier-Warfighter Responsive Deployer for Space (SWORDS) are on the agenda for the US Space and Missile Defense Symposium this week in Huntsville, AL.

 

[blackstar]

I am not attending, but Super Strypi and Soldier-Warfighter Responsive Deployer for Space (SWORDS) are on the agenda for the US Space and Missile Defense Symposium this week in Huntsville, AL.

Ironically, I'm in Huntsville, but not for that reason.

I wonder if they have produced any AIAA papers? Might be worth a look through their archive.

 

[jjnodice]

I did a quick search and came up with this:

http://www.incose-la.org/Blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Super_styrpi_ssciii2.pdf

Hopefully this is not off topic. Doesn't say Leonidas, talks about Super Strypi.

 

[blackstar]

Hopefully this is not off topic. Doesn't say Leonidas, talks about Super Strypi.

Heh, they're the same thing.

 

[blackstar]

I just skimmed that paper. Although it does not have a date, the number implies that it was written in the late 1990s.

It mentions SLC-5 at VAFB as a possible launch site. I've been to SLC-5 a few times. It is a former Scout launch site that was closed down when Scout was discontinued in the early 1990s. When I was there the last time--must have been around 2004 or so--SLC-5 was still in decent shape. It's all closed up, although I would not trust the water or electricity after being shut off for a few decades, and at the very least the machinery in the launch erector and the launch shed would have to be completely refurbished, or more likely replaced with something from the current century.

I've got pictures somewhere, but I took them with a film camera, so I'd have to scan them.

 

[Byeman]

I just skimmed that paper. Although it does not have a date, the number implies that it was written in the late 1990s.

It mentions SLC-5 at VAFB as a possible launch site. I've been to SLC-5 a few times. It is a former Scout launch site that was closed down when Scout was discontinued in the early 1990s. When I was there the last time--must have been around 2004 or so--SLC-5 was still in decent shape. It's all closed up, although I would not trust the water or electricity after being shut off for a few decades, and at the very least the machinery in the launch erector and the launch shed would have to be completely refurbished, or more likely replaced with something from the current century.

I've got pictures somewhere, but I took them with a film camera, so I'd have to scan them.

It has been demo'ed

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=vafb&ll=34.608001,-120.625151&spn=0.003528,0.008256&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&hnear=Vandenberg+AFB,+Santa+Barbara,+California&t=h&z=18

 

[blackstar]

It has been demo'ed

Wow!

When I was there--less than ten years ago--it was still in good shape. I don't know why they would tear it down when there are a lot of other structures that are in worse shape. Then again, some are historical, and some are not wanted for other things.

 

[blackstar]

It has been demo'ed

Wow!

When I was there--less than ten years ago--it was still in good shape. I don't know why they would tear it down when there are a lot of other structures that are in worse shape. Then again, some are historical, and some are not wanted for other things.

I was out there on Friday. Went to the old SLC-5 site. Took some pictures of the dirt where a launch facility used to be. The only things left are the entrance signs. Also saw SLC-6 just over the hill. I'll see if I can post some pictures.

 

[bobbymike]

http://www.rocket.com/article/aerojet-rocketdyne-completes-successful-leo-46-rocket-motor-test

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 13, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aerojet Rocketdyne, a GenCorp (NYSE:GY) company, today announced that its Low Earth Orbiting Nanosatellite Integrated Defense Autonomous System (LEONIDAS) first stage solid propellant rocket motor (LEO-46) successfully completed a hot-fire static test at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Aerojet Rocketdyne monitored the full-scale, full-duration firing of the 52-inch diameter by 40-foot long motor as it generated nearly 300,000-lbf of thrust during the 73-second test. LEO-46 is the first stage of a three-stage propulsion system developed for the Super Strypi rail-launched, spin stabilized launch vehicle.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BvAnFKiCAAAuAqU.jpg:large
------------------------------------------------------
Would make a nice IRPGSM (Intermediate Ranged Prompt Global Strike Missile)

 

[GeorgeA]

Would make a nice IRPGSM (Intermediate Ranged Prompt Global Strike Missile)

Well, they certainly drop enough hints in the press release to make sure we know the motors can be used for purposes other than small launch vehicles.

 

[Hanse]

Would make a nice IRPGSM (Intermediate Ranged Prompt Global Strike Missile)

Well, they certainly drop enough hints in the press release to make sure we know the motors can be used for purposes other than small launch vehicles.

Nothing wrong with that. I'm more dismayed that they define these as "large" motors considering Aerojet was the builder of the 260" dia motor. These are medium-sized at best.

 

[blackstar]

Would make a nice IRPGSM (Intermediate Ranged Prompt Global Strike Missile)

Well, they certainly drop enough hints in the press release to make sure we know the motors can be used for purposes other than small launch vehicles.

Nothing wrong with that. I'm more dismayed that they define these as "large" motors considering Aerojet was the builder of the 260" dia motor. These are medium-sized at best.

It's all marketing.

Also, relative. They're larger than most of the rest of the stuff they make, right?

 

[bobbymike]

Question for the experts at SPF;

Minuteman III - first stage 66" diameter (I can't find total stage length but guessing about 32+ ft?) total thrust 210,000 lbs.
Leonides - 52-inch diameter by 40-foot long motor as it generated nearly 300,000-lbf of thrust during the 73-second burn.

So Leonides produces ~40% more thrust from a smaller diameter, yet longer, rocket motor. If my volume of a cylinder calculation is correct the MMIII stage I has a greater volume of propellant at the shorter length/larger diamter and produces less thrust.

With the information given can we discern if this is propellant related improvement or could there be other factors at play?

Thanks

 

[blackstar]

I don't have an answer to your question, but I can add some useless information:

Some ICBM stages have been converted (repurposed) to launch satellites. These tend to give rather rough rides during launch. When I looked at the data I think their acceleration was something like 8+ gees. That's because they're essentially ICBMs and getting off the pad fast is very important (there's probably some kind of requirement of getting out of the blast radius of an X megaton nuclear explosion in Y number of seconds--wouldn't it be interesting to know that requirement?). One of these has been proposed for going into production again and the company producing it is reformulating the propellant for a slower, longer burn to decrease that initial acceleration. They don't need that performance.

So there I am, not answering your question.

 

[bobbymike]

blackstar - thanks!

I follow energetics research and development since reading about the IHPRPT program back in the 90's and its' goals of producing much improved Isp, mass fractions and payload performance of solid propellants. So when I saw the Leonidas, apparent, jump in thrust over an ICBM first stage of somewhat similar dimensions it made me curious if this was maybe a new solid rocket propellant formulation.

http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA411290

 

[blackstar]

Look up the Athena C and Taurus and its variants. I did not mention which ones they changed formulation on because I don't remember and I'm too lazy to look up. But I think that the original Athena has lower energy propellants. And I think that the proposed Athena C has a different propellant formulation. And if you remember the Sprint ABM, that had very fast burning propellants. So clearly there is a range of propellants.

 

[bobbymike]

http://aviationweek.com/space/usaf-s-super-strypi-small-launcher-set-fly-october

 

[blackstar]

http://aviationweek.com/space/usaf-s-super-strypi-small-launcher-set-fly-october

Yeah, well, we'll see...

This thing was originally supposed to fly in fall of 2013. Numerous delays since then. From what I've been able to gather, it is really an earmark hidden in the ORS program. There's no clearly defined need for it.

I feel sorry for the people who built the payload for the initial launch. They finished years ago and waited and waited and no ride into orbit. A number of them were students. And the payload was pretty much married to this launch vehicle, so if it doesn't fly, then the payload probably doesn't get repurposed to another rocket.

 

[bobbymike]

http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/11/03/ors-4-mission-status-center/

Super Strypi launch

 

[blackstar]

From SMC:

"#ORS4 mission on an experimental Super Strypi rocket failed in mid-flight after liftoff from PMRF at 5:45 p.m. HST. More info to come"