A powerful new small satellite launcher failed to deploy its wings on its first attempt.
ABL Space Systems’ RS1 rocket completed its first orbital mission on Tuesday (Jan. 10), lifting off from the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Kodiak Island, Alaska at 6:27 p.m. EST (2327 GMT; 2:27 p.m. local time). Alaska).
According to ABL representatives, the two-stage rocket fell short on its debut flight and failed to deliver a pair of cubesats into low Earth orbit (LEO) as planned.. (The launch was not broadcast live.)
“After takeoff, RS1 experienced an anomaly and shut down prematurely. The team is working on our anomaly response procedures in coordination with the PSCA and the FAA.” ABL announced this on Twitter (opens in new tab) 23 minutes after takeoff. (Abbreviations refer to Pacific Space Complex-Alaska and US Federal Aviation Administration.)
Around midnight EST on Tuesday, the ABL released more information via Twitter. All nine of RS1’s first stage engines shut down simultaneously and the rocket fell back to the launch pad and was destroyed. the company explained (opens in new tab).
“As expected in this scenario, the launch vehicle was damaged. All personnel are safe and the fires are contained. We plan to return to flight once investigations are complete. We thank our stakeholders and the space community for their expressions of support,” ABL said in another tweet (opens in new tab).
Tuesday was the second straight day that the release showed an anomaly. Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket failed to enter orbit on the company’s maiden liftoff from the UK on Monday (January 9), resulting in the loss of nine satellites.
Related: History of rockets
Growing area
Small satellites have two ways to get into orbit: they can hitch a ride on large rockets like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 as “glide” delivery payloads, or they can get special rides in smaller vehicles that take them where they want to go.
In recent years, Rocket Lab has dominated the special ride market with its Electron vehicle, which has more than 30 orbital missions under its belt. But other companies are trying to make their place in this field. For example, Virgin Orbit made four consecutive spaceflights before Monday’s failure, and Firefly Aerospace made its first orbit in October 2022 with Alpha.
(Another company, Astra, first successfully deployed payloads with Rocket 3 in March 2022, but the company retired that vehicle after several failures and is now working on a larger rocket.)
Founded in 2017, California-based ABL also aims to become a major player in small systems launches with the RS1, which the company calls GSO, and its associated ground system.
The 88-foot-tall (27-meter) RS1 has nine E2 engines of the ABL in the first stage and one E2 engine in the second stage. According to ABL’s user manual, the expendable rocket is capable of launching a payload of up to 2,975 pounds (1,350 kilograms) into LEO. (opens in new tab).
The company is currently asking $12 million for the RS1 to take off—a relatively low price point for this kind of launch power. By comparison, Rocket Lab is asking about $7.5 million for its Electron mission, which can deliver about 660 pounds (300 kg) to LEO.
ABL emphasizes its commitment to vertical integration and simplicity of design as the key to the success it envisions. In addition, the RS1 and GSO are both easily portable and deployable. The ground system fits standard shipping containers, for example, and can be installed anywhere in the world with a flat pad.
“With RS1 and GSO, we can launch wherever we need to,” states ABL’s website. (opens in new tab).
ABL—which has yet to reveal what that acronym stands for—already has significant customer buy-in for its vision. For example, in 2021, the company signed a contract with aerospace giant Lockheed Martin. (opens in new tab) For up to 58 missions by 2029.
Success on Tuesday’s debut mission would be a major step toward achieving such ambitious goals. However, the setback may not be a major setback for ABL in the long run; after all, rocket debuts often don’t go according to plan.
Lost cubes
Although Tuesday’s mission was a test flight, RS1 carried a functioning spacecraft the size of a shoebox. cubes Called VariSat 1A and VariSat 1B, Citing EverydayAstronaut.com (opens in new tab).
The cubes, weighing about 24 pounds (11 kg) each, would complete a network of three satellites operated by VariSat LLC. VariSat 1C is safe in orbit; it was launched aboard Falcon 9 in May 2022 along with five dozen other satellites.
The main objective of the VariSat 1 mission is to “test and achieve a flight legacy with a satellite designed to support HF. [high frequency] maritime data communications,” according to one document (opens in new tab) With the US Federal Communications Commission.
The ABL first attempted to launch its debut mission in mid-November, but failed to do so, experiencing multiple aborts in a one-week window. The company later scrapped the attempt on December 8, the second day of the next release window, after seeing abnormal data from RS1. ABL stayed until January 9 to deal with the issue, then delayed the flight for an additional day due to weather conditions.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 12:30 a.m. ET on January 11 with more information about the anomaly provided by ABL Space Systems.
Mike Wall is the author of “There (opens in new tab)” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Carl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter. @michaeldwall (opens in new tab). follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or Facebook (opens in new tab).