Launch
HyImpulse hybrid rocket motor roars to life for the first time
HyImpulse completed the first hot-fire test of the company’s 16,800-pounds-force hybrid rocket motor on Sept. 15. Credit: HyImpulse
SpaceX’s GPS contract modified to allow reuse of Falcon 9 boosters
Gwynne Shotwell: "We are pleased that they see the benefits of the technology.”
Arianespace’s revised OneWeb contract drops Ariane 6, two Soyuz launches
Arianespace and OneWeb on Sept. 21 announced a revised launch contract that covers OneWeb’s constellation deployment with three fewer launches than originally planned.
Intelsat taps Maxar for fifth C-band satellite, capping order spree
Intelsat has signed a satellite contract with Maxar Technologies, placing the final order in a one-time surge in manufacturing deals triggered by the Federal Communications Commission’s upcoming C-band spectrum auction.
Polar launches from Cape won’t affect future of Vandenberg
Despite the successful demonstration of a launch to polar orbit from Cape Canaveral, the U.S. Space Force doesn’t foresee shifting launches to those orbits there from Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Air Force Research Laboratory’s NTS-3 satellite to launch on ULA’s Vulcan
The 1,250-kilogram NTS-3 satellite is being built by L3Harris under an $84 million contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Vega C debut slips to mid-2021
Europe’s next-generation Vega C rocket won’t launch until at least the middle of 2021, the rocket’s manufacturer said Monday.
Chinese Kuaizhou-1A rocket launch ends in failure
Launch of a Kuaizhou-1A satellite carrying a remote sensing satellite has ended in ambiguity and likely failure following liftoff from Jiuquan.
Astra launch terminated during first-stage burn
Astra launched its Rocket 3.1 vehicle late Sept. 11, but the flight ended during the small launch vehicle’s first-stage burn.
ULA studying long-term upgrades to Vulcan
United Launch Alliance is looking at a three-core version of its Vulcan Centaur rocket, although an executive said that such a vehicle is “pretty far out on the horizon.”
Virgin Orbit asks OneWeb bankruptcy court to mandate payment for canceled launches
Virgin Orbit has asked OneWeb’s bankruptcy court to require OneWeb pay $46.3 million on a contract termination fee for 35 LauncherOne missions it canceled in 2018
First H3 launch slips to 2021
The Japanese space agency JAXA announced Sept. 11 that the first launch of the country’s new H3 rocket will be delayed to no earlier than the spring of 2021 because of problems with the rocket’s main engine.
Northrop Grumman to terminate OmegA rocket program
Northrop Grumman statement: “We have chosen not to continue development of the OmegA launch system at this time."
DoD watchdog: There’s nothing wrong with how Air Force certifies new launch vehicles
The DoD IG was asked to look at whether the Air Force complied with its own guidelines when it certified SpaceX’s rockets to launch national security payloads.
Space Force: Too early to say if military will need ‘super heavy’ launch vehicles
Brig. Gen. Cothern: What type of launch vehicles will be needed “depends on the threats."
