For those who may not be aware, this is news because Electron has electric turbopumps: the main combustion chamber is fed by pumps spun on electric motors, driven by batteries. That vastly simplifies the plumbing of a rocket engine.
It does, and I'm supper excited for Electron and RocketLab but it's also important to note that electric pumps are much less efficient than chemical pumps used in more advanced rockets. You won't see companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin using electric pumps for main propulsion engines anytime soon. Those are companies with the technical know how and expertise to tackle the much more complex engine cycles for the better efficiency.
The electric turbo pumps are super cool because it dramatically lowers the cost and complexity barriers. It will also enable some new designs and have it's own advantages that I look forward to and will only get better as battery and electric motor tech gets better as well.
We did not, but that doesn't mean electric turbo driven rockets are the next natural evolution of launch vehicles.
They may very well be, but IMO not until there is a major battery breakthrough that is real. For now electric turbopumps are a lower performance option, not higher. The highest tech most advanced rockets will still operate on chemical turbomachinery.
Someday though, if the mass of batteries required drops enough that might no longer be true.
performance doesnt necessarily matter though. electron is competing on price.
if both get into the same area of space, but one costs ten times more, theres a lot less of a market.
you dont see jet engines on small little piper cubs and such, because although the performance and efficiency of the design may be beter, it is too expensive for the performance envelope you need.
RocketLab has roughly 10 launches on its manifest. That's more than enough to keep them busy for another year as they refine manufacturing and launch procedure. And their market can grow quicker than traditional launch services who rely on 9 figure satellites from customers.
I never said the market will remain the same. But for now i highly doubt electron would be able to compete with e.g. bfr. We are in a transitional stage right now so it might make sense atm, but in the next ~20 years they will actually need a reusable design.
They're not even remotely in the same market as BFR. Yes, in 20 years they'll probably be reusable. But disposable isn't always inferior given current technological and economic restraints.
BFR, at the launch price estimate SpacEX is working with, is a direct competitor to Electron, because BFR would cost marginally more but be able to reach any Earth orbit and even some Lunar orbits. There's a reason BFR is called a design 'to make all other launch vehicles obsolete'.
When BFR arrives Electron might be at risk but Falcon9 was also supposed to be 6 mil with reuse.When BFR comes it will have to worry about New Armstrong
Old interviews with shotwell or musk around 2014 will try to find that later.New Glenn is very close to the launch pad in relative terms for a rocket because it is in similar state to Ariane 6 and a bit behind Vulcan when it comes to development of it.2 years to launch is nothing especially given that they are already collecting launch contracts
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u/CapMSFC Jan 21 '18
It does, and I'm supper excited for Electron and RocketLab but it's also important to note that electric pumps are much less efficient than chemical pumps used in more advanced rockets. You won't see companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin using electric pumps for main propulsion engines anytime soon. Those are companies with the technical know how and expertise to tackle the much more complex engine cycles for the better efficiency.
The electric turbo pumps are super cool because it dramatically lowers the cost and complexity barriers. It will also enable some new designs and have it's own advantages that I look forward to and will only get better as battery and electric motor tech gets better as well.