CarbonIceDragon t1_jcdwvz4 wrote
Reply to comment by LexusLand in Virgin Orbit pauses operations for a week, furloughs nearly entire staff as it seeks funding by Realistic-Cap6526
What about Firefly? They've technically made it to orbit if only briefly and not the one they wanted, which while not a success at least shows progress over companies that haven't gotten even that far, and if I recall correctly also have some kind of deal to sell some of their engines to Northrop Grumman?
Relativity sounds very cool with their 3d printing thing and I really want them to be successful especially on account of that probably leading to some interesting technological development, but surely trying new things like that also makes them a somewhat less safe bet than companies using more conventional rocket building techniques?
Aceticon t1_jcetnwd wrote
Making it to orbital height briefly is not making to orbit, it's just a balistic trajectory that happens to have a high enough apogee.
It takes more energy (possibly much more) than that to actually "make it to orbit" a state which amongst other things has the noteable characteristic that things don't just fall down from it immediatelly after reaching it (they can, over time, end up falling down from lower orbits were there is drag from the top of Earths athmosphere, but when things just go up and the fall back down again they haven't made it to orbit)
CarbonIceDragon t1_jcg4gv1 wrote
I'm aware of that, but didn't their rocket's second flight make an actual orbit, just one so low that the satellites ended up deorbiting in the next few days? Or have I been misinformed about this?
Xeglor-The-Destroyer t1_jchfrf9 wrote
No you're correct. They did make orbit on their most recent launch, just lower than the intended one.
Ruseriousmars t1_jce1u0w wrote
"Technically made it to orbit if only briefly." No need for an explanation but all I thought of upon reading that is the humorous "only a little pregnant" :)
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