CALVEIN Team Targets Flight of NLV Flight Development Unit No. 1 (P-5XL) for Dec. 4-5 Weekend

(Also available at http://www.garvspace.com/News.htm)

Work is progressing on the initial Flight Development Unit - 1 (FDU-1) of the Nanosat Launch Vehicle (NLV) first stage. CSULB students have converted the full-scale mockup of the NLV first stage into the FDU-1 configuration and are now using it as a reference as they develop the airframe and propulsion system for the actual flight vehicle.

For cost reasons, this first FDU is essentially a greatly enlarged version of one our current Kimbo/Prospector class of vehicles and referred to as Prospector-5XL. It therefore has low fidelity and performance relative to an operational NLV first stage. While the NLV would be capable of delivering 10 kg to low earth orbit, P-5XL is expected to reach altitudes around 10,000 ft. Recovery may be attempted. The targeted launch date is Saturday, Dec. 4 at the MTA with Sunday, Dec. 5 as backup.

The primary objective for this development task is to obtain experience with building, testing, handling and launching vehicles of this scale. Subsequent FDU's will incrementally evolve towards the high-performance NLV design as resources become available.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE MTA FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO ATTEND THE LAUNCH ATTEMPT

Per Reaction Research Society policy, people attending tests are now required to obtain full-year membership PRIOR to the test date. CSULB affiliates (students, faculty and friends) interested in attending the test* and who are not already RRS members should submit a completed application form available on the RRS website at http://www.rrs.org along with $35 check (made payable to the RRS) to Prof. Besnard by Dec. 1.

For operations at the Mojave Test Area, including logistics and direction information, click here.

For additional information about either the CALVEIN project and/or the cooperative program between CSULB and Garvey Spacecraft Corporation, please contact the following project representatives:

Dr. Eric Besnard Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dept. California State University, Long Beach 1250 Bellflower Blvd Long Beach, CA 90840 Tel:(562) 985-5442 Fax:(562) 985-1669 Email:besnarde@csulb.edu

John Garvey Garvey Spacecraft Corporation 389 Haines Avenue Long Beach, CA 90840-1841 Tel:(562)-498-2984 Email: info@garvspace.com

(*) Participants in activities at the MTA do so as individual club members separate from their affiliations with any other organization

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