Excerpt from the Droo Aerospace Gazette, vol. 175 December 5, 2021.
Flurry of activity at DSC
The Droo Space Center is no stranger to
the kind of frenzied activity often displayed by colonies of social insects(think of an ant hill). As the foremost center of aerospace research and a tourist hub for rocket enthusiasts, it's no surprise that it's always a busy place.
Over the last few weeks, however, the pace and scale of this activity has increased dramatically. Aircraft of all shapes and sizes buzz in and out, turning the two runways and associated taxi lanes of the complex into glorified parking lots. Engineers, site technicians, professional photographers, all manner of personnel stream in and out of buildings by the dozen. Vehicles charge back and forth across the grounds, shuttling equipment and personnel about.
The RQ-3 prototype seen previously at the DSC, has returned and appears to be on a round-the-clock flight schedule, spending only enough time on the ground to refuel and undergo basic maintenance.
Without a doubt, the focal points of these activities are the Vehicle Assembly Building(VAB) and the main launch pad. Due to the nature of the VAB and some of the classified projects taking place inside it currently, we can only speculate on what may be inside. However, the work taking place on the launchpad is a significant indication of an upcoming launch, as well as the presence of OrbITech employees on site.
OrbITech previously attempted the first flight of their Magellanic 1 launch vehicle from the same pad earlier this year. The test(OTF-1) was remarkably successful, even managing to achieve a temporary orbit; however, a number of bugs in the flight software as well as second stage engine issues lead to the loss of the test payload. Perhaps they've found a solution and are finally ready to try again. OrbITech declined to comment, but we may not have to wait very long to find out.
The FAA has also declared a large area around and to the east of the DSC as a "No-Fly-Zone" starting tomorrow and potentially lasting into early next week, and the local Coast Guard has also issued a similar statement warning boats and ships to avoid the area and that it will be closed to all access indefinitely.
Altogether, the chances are high that we'll be seeing a rocket launch of some sort within the coming week.