(Rocker Lab)
The founder of the company Rocket Lab, Peter Beck, presented a new concept of the Neutron mid-range rocket and its main characteristics.
The rocket will be capable of placing 8-15 tons of payload into low-earth orbit, carbon composites will be used to create it, and the rocket's nose cone will unfold rather than be dropped.
At the moment, Rocket Lab is actively using its Electron lightweight two-stage launch vehicle, which is launched from New Zealand.
The company wants to make the first stage of the rocket reusable and has already tested the return of the stage by parachute and catching in flight with the help of a helicopter.
In March of this year, the company announced the start of development of its new Neutron medium-class launch vehicle.
The rocket must be two-stage, with a reusable first stage, which must use its own engines for return, not parachutes.
On December 2, 2021, the founder of the company, Peter Beck, presented a new concept of the Neutron rocket and briefly spoke about its characteristics.
The material for the rocket body will be carbon composites, its length will be 40 meters, its diameter, 7 meters; and the inner diameter of the fairing - 5 meters.
Neutron will be powered by the new Archimedes liquid propellant rocket engine - seven for the first stage and one for the second stage. The engine will run on methane-liquid oxygen fuel pair.
Beck said Neutron would be capable of launching 8 tons of payload into LEO with first stage return or 15 tons without stage return. The launch weight of the rocket will be 480 tons.
A special feature of the Neutron will be its head fairing, combined with the first stage.
The fairing will not be dropped, but will open into four parts, releasing the second stage with a payload, after which it will close again.
The first rocket launch is expected to take place in 2024 from the Wallops Space Center in the United States.
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