Questions tagged [upper-stage]
Questions about the stage(s) of a rocket after the first, used to establish an orbit, or a trajectory beyond Earth orbit.
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Optimal Propulsion Strategy for a Mars Mission
I am designing a mission to Mars for a class project aimed at studying Mars' space weather. The mission is constrained to use a single Vega-C launch.
I need to determine whether using a propulsion ...
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Why was a solid fuel rocket chosen as the 3rd stage for the Europa Clipper launch?
According to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_48#Use_on_New_Horizons a solid fuel Star 48 “kick stage” was chosen as the 3rd stage in the launch of Europa Clipper.
Solid fuel rockets have ...
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Is there a purpose in developing a 5 kg kick stage (Star 5A)?
A follow up to Why does the Star-5A have such a bad mass ratio? A comment left by @RussellBorogove says
...the Star-5A is extremely small, at 4.6kg. At that size, the usual observed scaling ...
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How did this upper stage end up on a collision course with the moon?
The upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket that launched the DSCOVR spacecraft is expected to accidentally crash into the moon soon.
How did it get into this position? I found answers here that say it was,...
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Why is Ariane-5's upper stage appear to vent exhaust post engine cut off?
I was surprised to see, with unaided eyes, a rocket like object in the skies on Dec 25, 2021 (Indian time) around the same time as JWST launch. My coordinates were approximately ...
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How do kick motors distance themselves from their payload after their burn, if at all?
I saw Space News' An object is now orbiting alongside China’s Shijian-21 debris mitigation satellite
recently about a "new object" orbiting near a relatively newly launched satellite. The ...
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How does the Falcon 9 upper stage settle its propellants?
I understand the upper stage separates with the use of pneumatic pushers, but what settles the propellants in the upper stage tanks so that the propellant is pushed back to the intake? The pushers ...
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How are upper stage engines chilled down?
To chill down an engine, cryogenic propellant is pushed through the engine. This is fine for the first stage because the chill down propellant can just flow out the nozzle and on to the ground/the ...
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How is it provided for that the uppermost stage doesn't orbit with the capsule/satellite together?
After a spacecraft reaches orbit and jettisons its last stage, that stage would be in the same orbit too. What are methods to avoid this, or isn't it cared about?
In case of the Space Shuttle, the ...
user43968
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Puzzler; what can we learn about the distance and direction of Earth from this cool SpaceX-tweeted image of Earth and a vacuum nozzle?
The 18-June-2021 Spacex-tweeted below says:
View from Falcon 9's second stage Merlin Vacuum engine
There is information out there about the approximate exit diameter and length of the nozzle and ...
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How much debris will hit the ground from the Long March 5B compared to the debris from a GTO upper stage?
It was commented that there are currently 22 SpaceX upper stages in orbit that will eventually reenter in an uncontrolled fashion. PcMan pointed that out when I asked Why the Long March 5B wasn't ...
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Why two engines on stage 2 of New Glenn if it's disposable?
From a controls perspective, two engines is nice, as it's the minimum required for roll control.
A single engine would give you just pitch and yaw control, so you'd need a separate system just for ...
user39728
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What eventually happened to the Curiosity/Perseverence cruise stages?
The first event to occur when Curiosity or Perseverance arrived at Mars was the separation of the cruise stage. What were the ultimate destinations of the cruise stages?
Continuing on in space? (...
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Main reasons for a 2nd burn of a 2nd stage in Earth orbit?
I have seen that sometimes the second stage of a rocket is turned on and off, then after a while turned on and off again.
What are the main reasons that second burn of a second state is initiated ...
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What was "inertial" about the Inertial Upper Stage?
The Inertial Upper Stage was a rocket upper stage that could boost payloads launched on the Space Shuttle or Titan rockets to higher orbits or to interplanetary missions.
What was inertial about this ...
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