On Tue, 16 Dec 2003 09:32:24 -0800 (PST) Bill Clawson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Didn't this rocket, or one just like it, flew once > before sometime in either 2001 or 2002? It looks like > Mr. Kobayashi and company have succeeded in increasing > the range of that prior flight.
Indeed, they have. As far as I know, Dr. Inatani and his team have already conducted RVT flight test campaigns as follows, including the latest RVT#3. The 1st flight test/May 1999 (RVT#1) (2 flights conducted within 2 days :the maximum altitude of4 meters) The 2nd flight test/Jun. 2001(RVT#2) (3 flights within 3 & half days :the last flight altitude of 22 meters) The 3rd flight test/Oct. 2003(RVT#3) (3 flights within 7 days :the maximum altitude of 42 meters) *** movie ********************** RVT#2 2001/06/25 3rd flight http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/dtc/saisiyo/0625rvt6-42.mov RVT#2 2001/06/22 1st flight http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/dtc/saisiyo/rvt6.mov ********************************* For further interests, "Flight Demonstration and a Concept for Readiness of Fully Reusable Rocket Vehicles" by Yoshifumi Inatani, ISAS. http://www.spacefuture.com/archive/flight_demonstration_and_a_concept_for_readiness_of_fully_reusable_rocket_vehicles.shtml "The leading edge of Japanese rocketry" Space Future Journal - May.15.02 Dr. Iwatani talks about Japanese rocketry & other RLV topics, with some humor. http://www.spacefuture.com/journal/journal.cgi?art=2002.05.15.little_spacecraft_that_could > I am sorry to say > that I didn't read the links any further vis a vis > their fuel combination. Do you know if JAXA has > attempted to use different fuel combinations besides > LOX and LH2? I checked the JAXA site, and found that they have an intresting project of developing LNG(liquid natural gas) engine and propellant tanks for the second stage of GX launch Vehicle. They are trying to use liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas combination. Studies on LNG Propulsion System:GX Launch Vehicle http://www.jaxa.jp/missions/projects/rockets/lng/index_e.html http://www.nasda.go.jp/projects/rockets/gx/index_e.html GX Launch Vehicle Main Characteristics (Provisional) http://www.nasda.go.jp/projects/rockets/gx/component_01_e.html#characteristics GX Launch Vehicle Configuration http://www.nasda.go.jp/projects/rockets/gx/component_02_e.html#configuration Imamura Akira [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ ERPS-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list
