Launch
Arianespace targets 2023 for lunar Ariane 6 rideshare mission
Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël said the Ariane 6 rideshare mission will be able to deliver 8,500 kilograms into a lunar transfer orbit.
Firefly partners with Aerojet Rocketdyne, mulls AR1 engine for Beta launch vehicle
Firefly Aerospace on Oct. 18 said it is collaborating with Aerojet Rocketdyne to increase the performance of its upcoming Alpha launch vehicle, and is considering Aerojet Rocketdyne’s AR1 engine for a future launch vehicle.
Rocket Lab launches Astro Digital satellite
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched a single cubesat for Astro Digital Oct. 16, placing the satellite into a much higher orbit than previous Electron launches.
China begins preparations for crucial Long March 5 rocket launch
China is set to attempt a return-to-flight of its largest rocket at the end of the year, with success required for the country to proceed with its major space ambitions.
NASA considering purchase of additional Soyuz seats
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — NASA expects to buy at least one more Soyuz seat from Russia to provide assured access to the International Space Station should commercial crew vehicles suffer additional delays.
In a media briefing after a visit to Sp…
Kirk Pysher out as president of ILS
WASHINGTON — The president of International Launch Services is out a day after the company’s successful Proton launch.
Khrunichev, the owner of ILS, announced Oct. 10 that Kirk Pysher was no longer president, but did not give a reason f…
Pegasus launches ICON space science mission
A long-delayed NASA space science satellite finally reached orbit Oct. 10 on a Pegasus rocket, a launch vehicle with an uncertain future.
45th Space Wing commander: Changes underway to support commercial launch
Brig. Gen. Schiess: “We have to improve turnaround both with new technology and processes."
Northrop Grumman’s satellite servicer MEV-1, Eutelsat satellite, launch on ILS Proton
An International Launch Services Proton rocket carried Northrop Grumman’s first satellite-servicing spacecraft and a communications satellite for Eutelsat to orbit Oct. 9.
SpaceX says rideshare missions will launch on time, even if partly empty
SpaceX plans to launch regular Falcon 9 rideshare missions starting in March and won’t delay launches for tardy customers, a company executive said Oct. 8.
Kepler books Soyuz for first two service-grade satellites
As it explores changes to its constellation orbit and spacecraft design, Kepler Communications on Oct. 7 said it nonetheless secured launch slots for its first two fully commercial satellites.
DARPA scoping the market for small satellite launchers
As it plans future experiments DARPA wants to take advantage of the growing availability of launch options.
Air Force awards $98.5 million ‘completion contract’ to ULA for launch services for three Atlas 5 missions
The U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center announced Oct. 1 it has awarded a $98.5 million contract to United Launch Alliance to complete three Atlas 5 missions scheduled to launch in 2020.
Air Force awards ULA $1.18 billion contract to complete five Delta 4 Heavy NRO missions
The award covers the launch operations costs for five classified NRO missions — NROL-44, NROL-82, NROL-91, NROL-68 and NROL-70.
30 Years in Space: a look at SpaceNews’ legacy
On July 20, 1989, the 20th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush, stood on the steps of the National Air and Space Museum and announced his administration’s intent to return humans to the moon and eventually send crews to Mars. At about the same time Bush was announcing his Space Exploration Initiative, what was then known as the Times Journal Company was making plans for a new weekly newspaper that would cover the growing space field.
