SPARK (rocket)

SPARK
	Super Strypi rocket on the launch pad
Function	Expendable launch system
Manufacturer	University of Hawaii; Aerojet Rocketdyne; Sandia
Country of origin	United States
Size
Height	17 m (56 ft)
Diameter	1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
Mass	28,240 kg (62,260 lb)
Stages	Three
Capacity
Payload to 400 km SSO
Mass	250 kilograms (550 lb)
Associated rockets
Family	Strypi
Launch history
Status	In development
Launch sites	Barking Sands
Total launches	1
Success(es)	0
Failure(s)	1
First flight	3 November 2015
	[edit on Wikidata]

SPARK, or Spaceborne Payload Assist Rocket - Kauai, also known as Super Strypi,^[2] is an American expendable launch system developed by the University of Hawaii, Sandia and Aerojet Rocketdyne.^[3] Designed to place miniaturized satellites into low Earth and Sun-synchronous orbits, it is a derivative of the Strypi rocket which was developed in the 1960s in support of nuclear weapons testing. SPARK is being developed under the Low Earth Orbiting Nanosatellite Integrated Defense Autonomous System (LEONIDAS) program, funded by the Operationally Responsive Space Office of the United States Department of Defense.

Configuration

SPARK is designed as a three-stage all-solid carrier rocket, with a spin-stabilized first stage known as LEO-46 and an active attitude control system on the second and third stages. It is launched using a new rail-guided system.^[4] It is expected to have a payload capacity of 250 kilograms (550 lb) to a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometres (250 mi).^[5] Launches will be conducted from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands.^[6] Aerojet Rocketdyne will produce the motors for all three stages and Sandia is the prime contractor for the rocket's systems. The United States Air Force has provided launch support.

History

ORS-4

The first launch of SPARK, named ORS-4, took place on November 3, 2015^[7] and was carrying HiakaSat (formerly called HawaiiSat-1^[1]) and several secondary payloads,^[4]^[8] including the Edison Demonstration of Smallsat Networks.^[9] The mission was supposed to test the rocket at its full payload capacity. However, telemetry showed the rocket tumbling soon after liftoff, and the U.S. Air Force released a statement, saying that the "experimental Super Strypi launch vehicle failed in mid-flight shortly after liftoff".^[10]^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Graham, William (November 3, 2015). "Super Strypi conducts inaugural launch – Fails during first stage". NASA Spaceflight. Archived from the original on 2015-11-08. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
^ "HawaiiSat-1". eoPortal Directory. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
^ Krebs, Gunter. "SPARK". Gunter's Space Page. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
^ ^a ^b Stephen Clark (30 October 2015). "Inaugural launch of small-class rocket on hold in Hawaii". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
^ "Overview" (PDF). Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
^ Taylor, Brian. "Innovative Satellite Launch Program" (PDF). School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
^ "Spaceflight now". Archived from the original on 2012-06-09. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
^ "Missions". Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory, University of Hawaii. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
^ Hall, Loura. "Swarming Space for Science". NASA. Archived from the original on 2015-11-05. Retrieved 2015-11-01.
^ "Live coverage: Maiden flight of Super Strypi launcher fails". Spaceflightnow.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-06. Retrieved 2015-11-06.
^ "'Super Strypi' Rocket Suffers Failure Shortly After Launch". Grasswire.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-11-03.

[Specs-1] Graham, William (November 3, 2015). "Super Strypi conducts inaugural launch – Fails during first stage". NASA Spaceflight. Archived from the original on 2015-11-08. Retrieved 2015-11-11.

[eop-2] "HawaiiSat-1". eoPortal Directory. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.

[GSP-3] Krebs, Gunter. "SPARK". Gunter's Space Page. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.

[sfn-20151030-4] Stephen Clark (30 October 2015). "Inaugural launch of small-class rocket on hold in Hawaii". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.

[5] "Overview" (PDF). Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.

[6] Taylor, Brian. "Innovative Satellite Launch Program" (PDF). School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.

[7] "Spaceflight now". Archived from the original on 2012-06-09. Retrieved 2014-05-31.

[8] "Missions". Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory, University of Hawaii. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.

[9] Hall, Loura. "Swarming Space for Science". NASA. Archived from the original on 2015-11-05. Retrieved 2015-11-01.

[10] "Live coverage: Maiden flight of Super Strypi launcher fails". Spaceflightnow.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-06. Retrieved 2015-11-06.

[11] "'Super Strypi' Rocket Suffers Failure Shortly After Launch". Grasswire.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-11-03.

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v t e Orbital launch systems
List of orbital launch systems Comparison of orbital launch systems
Current	Angara 1.2 A5 Ariane 6 Atlas V Ceres 1 1S Chollima-1 Electron Falcon 9 Block 5 Falcon Heavy Firefly Alpha Gravity-1 GSLV H-IIA H3 Hyperbola-1 Jielong 1 3 KAIROS^† Kaituozhe 2 Kinetica 1 Kuaizhou 1 1A 11 Long March 2C 2D 2F 3A 3B/E 3C 4B 4C 5 5B 6 6A 7 7A 8 11 11H LVM3 Minotaur I IV V C Nuri OS-M1^† Pegasus XL Proton-M PSLV Qaem 100 Qased RS1^† Shavit 2 Simorgh SLS Block 1 Soyuz-2 2.1a / STA 2.1b / STB 2-1v SSLV Starship Tianlong-2 Unha Vega C Vulcan Centaur Zhuque 2
In development	Antares 330 Bloostar Cyclone-4M Deca Epsilon S Eris Gravity-2 Hyperbola-2 Irtysh Kuaizhou 21 31 Long March 9 10 12 Miura 5 MLV Neutron New Glenn New Line 1 NGLV Nova OS-M 2 4 Orbex Prime Pallas-1 Red Dwarf SLS Block 1B Block 2 Soyuz-7 Terran R Tianlong-3 VLM Vega E Zero Zhuque 3 Zuljanah
Retired	Antares 110 120 130^† 230 230+ Ariane 1 2 3 4 5 ASLV Athena I II Atlas B D E/F G H I II III LV-3B SLV-3 Able^† Agena Centaur Black Arrow Conestoga^† Delta A B C D E G J L M N 0100 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 II III IV IV Heavy Diamant Dnepr Energia Epsilon Europa I^† II^† Falcon 1 Falcon 9 v1.0 v1.1 v1.2 "Full Thrust" Feng Bao 1 GSLV Mk I H-I H-II H-IIB Juno I Juno II Kaituozhe-1 Kosmos original 1 2/2I 3 3M Lambda 4S LauncherOne Long March 1 1D^† 2A 2E 3 3B 4A Mu 4S 3C 3H 3S 3SII V N1^† N-I N-II Naro-1 Paektusan^† Pilot-2^† R-7 Luna Molniya M L Polyot Soyuz original FG L M U U2 Soyuz/Vostok Sputnik Voskhod Vostok L K 2 2M R-29 Shtil' Volna^† Rocket 3 Safir 1 1A 1B Saturn I IB V Scout X-1 Blue Scout II^† X-2^† X-2M X-3 X-3M X-4 X-2B^† B A B-1 D-1 A-1 E-1 F-1 G-1 Shavit original 1 SLV Space Shuttle SPARK^† Sparta SS-520 Start-1 Terran 1^† Thor Able Ablestar 1 2 Agena A B D Burner 1 2 Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena SLV-2G SLV-2H Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Tsyklon R-36-O original 2 3 Universal Rocket UR-500 Proton Proton-K Rokot Strela Vanguard Vega original VLS-1^† Zenit 2 2M 2FG 3SL 3SLB 3F Zhuque 1^†
Classes	Sounding rocket Small-lift launch vehicle Medium-lift launch vehicle Heavy-lift launch vehicle Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future Symbol ^† indicates past or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but never succeeded (never did or has yet to perform a successful orbital launch)

v t e Orbital launch systems developed in the United States
Active	Atlas V**^†† Electron Falcon 9 Block 5 Falcon Heavy Firefly Alpha Minotaur I IV V C Pegasus XL RS1^† SLS Block 1 Vulcan Centaur
In development	Antares 330 Daytona I MLV New Glenn Neutron Nova Red Dwarf SLS Block 1B Block 2 Starship Terran R
Retired	Antares 110/120/130/230/230+^††† Athena I II Atlas B D E/F G H I II III LV-3B SLV-3 Able Agena Centaur Conestoga Delta A B C D E G J L M N 0100 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 II III IV IV Heavy Falcon 1 Falcon 9 v1.0 v1.1 v1.2 "Full Thrust" H-I* Juno I Juno II LauncherOne N-I* N-II* Pilot Rocket 3 Saturn I IB V Scout Space Shuttle SPARK Sparta Terran 1 Thor Able Ablestar Agena Burner Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Vanguard
* - Japanese projects using US rockets or stages ** - uses Russian engines ^† - never succeeded ^†† - no new orders accepted ^††† - used Ukrainian first stage