Video Caption: The second stage of RS1 completes Acceptance Testing in Mojave, CA and ships to Kodiak, AK for launch.
Editor’s Note: The inaugural launch is set for this summer from Alaska.
Tag: launch vehicles
INNOSPACE Signs Technology Agreement with Brazil for Suborbital Rocket Flight Test From Alcantara
The launch of the first civilian test launch vehicle, the “HANBIT-TLV”, is planned for the fourth quarter of 2022.
BRASILIA (AEB PR) — INNOSPACE, a South Korean space startup manufacturer of small launch vehicles, has signed an agreement with the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA) to launch SISNAV, an inertial navigation system project supported by the Financier of Studies and Projects ( Finep) of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (MCTI) and by the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB).
“Alcântara Spaceport has the conditions to host various activities related to space activity, which go beyond placing satellites in Earth orbit. In this case, we have the exemplary situation in which both a vehicle and an inertial system will be tested, both under development. We are sure that this initiative by DCTA and INNOSPACE will open a new chapter in our history of access to space”, said AEB President Carlos Moura.
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Astra Space Signs Agreement to Launch from SaxaVord UK Spaceport
ALAMEDA, Calif., May 10, 2022 (Astra Space PR) — Astra Space, Inc. (“Astra”) (Nasdaq: ASTR) and SaxaVord UK Spaceport today announced that they are partnering to increase access to space, by providing dedicated orbital launch services to a growing satellite market. Subject to the entry of definitive agreements and regulatory approvals, rocket launches are expected to begin in 2023.
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HyPrSpace Raises €1.1M in Seed Funding to Develop Reusable Hybrid Micro-Launch Vehicle
BORDEAUX, France (HyPrSpace PR) – HyPrSpace, a startup specializing in the design of space launchers, has announced that it has raised €1.1 million from the Geodesic fund, the French Tech Seed fund managed on behalf of the French government by Bpifrance as part of France 2030, and private investors. This funding will allow the startup to strengthen its teams to accelerate the development of its OB-1 reusable launcher, and to offer a fast, economical, sovereign and more environmentally friendly orbiting service!
Founded in 2019 by Alexandre Mangeot, Sylvain Bataillard and Vincent Rocher, HyPrSpace aims to develop a launcher using a propulsion technology that facilitates access to space: Hybrid propulsion. This technology is reliable, inexpensive and has a lower carbon footprint, but until now it has suffered from a technological lock-in that makes the engines unusable for launch applications.
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Aphelion Aerospace Completes Rocket Engine Development Test and Continues with Launch Vehicle Design for Suborbital Launch Demonstration
LAKEWOOOD, Colo., April 22, 2022 (Aphelion Aerospace PR) — Aphelion Aerospace is proud to announce reaching a major milestone in developing the company’s commercial launch services with the completion of critical propulsion system testing. The team recently spent two weeks at the company’s test facility in Wyoming integrating a rocket engine and support systems on a ground test stand and conducting a series of hot fire tests. The test activity was conducted with support from Aphelion Aerospace’s propulsion R&D partner, Frontier Astronautics, at their facility near Chugwater, WY.
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bluShift Aerospace Announces Receipt of First Launch Contract Payment from MaxIQ
Virginia-based MaxIQ has made their first payment to bluShift Aerospace for suborbital launch services aboard their first full-scale commercial rocket
BRUNSWICK, Maine (bluShift Aerospace PR) – On Earth Day 2022 bluShift Aerospace, a Maine-based New Space startup, announced receipt of the first tranche towards its ongoing launch contract with Virginia-based Space STEM educator and space launch broker MaxIQ Space. The receipt constitutes the first tranche of payment for suborbital launch services aboard bluShift’s first full-scale commercial flight, Starless Rogue Beta.
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Rocket Lab Secures Multi-Launch Contract with HawkEye 360, Confirms First Launch Planned from Virginia
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Rocket Lab PR) — Rocket Lab (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a leading launch and space systems company, today announced it has been selected by Virginia-based HawkEye 360 to launch three Electron missions for the radio frequency geospatial analytics provider. The first of the three missions is scheduled to be Rocket Lab’s inaugural Electron mission from Launch Complex 2 on Wallops Island, Virginia, ushering in an era of Rocket Lab launches from U.S. soil from no earlier than December 2022.
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Virgin Orbit Suffers Net Loss of $157.3 Million in 2021
- Successfully launched 7 customer satellites onboard its LauncherOne rocket during the Above the Clouds mission on January 13, 2022, the company’s third successful launch.
- Full year 2021 revenue increased to $7.4 million, up from $3.8 million in the prior year period.
- Growing backlog of contracts, including selection by NASA’s launch service program to support the agency’s VADR missions.
- Completed its going public transaction and began trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange on December 30, 2021.
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Virgin Orbit PR) — Virgin Orbit (Nasdaq: VORB) (“Virgin Orbit” or the “Company”), the responsive launch and space solutions company, today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2021.
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Celestia Aerospace Closes 100 Million Euro Seed Round from Invema Ltd.
Pioneering solution for the development, launch, and operation of nanosatellites
BARCELONA, 15 March 2022 (Celestia Aerospace PR) — Invema Group LTD, with headquarters in London and international offices in Arizona (USA), Miami (USA), Toronto (Canada), Bogotá (Colombia), Casablanca (Morocco), Tunis (Tunisia), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and Dubai (United Arab Emirates), invests 100 million euros [USD $111 million] in the orbital solutions company Celestia Aerospace located in Barcelona.
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Rocket Lab Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Financial Results, Issues Guidance for the First Quarter 2022
- $2.8 million net income for fourth quarter
- $117.75 million net loss for the year
- $27.5 million in revenues for fourth quarter
- $62.2 million in revenues for the year
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Rocket Lab PR) — Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced financial results for its fiscal fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2021.
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South Korea Delays Nuri Launch Vehicle’s Second Flight by 1 Month
South Korea has postponed the second flight of its Nuri (KSLV-II) booster by a month to mid-June to allow engineers to correct flaws that caused the rocket to fail on its maiden flight in October.
Nuri’s second flight is schedule for June 15, with the launch window extending until June 23, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) said in a press release. The original launch date was May 19.
Nuri failed on its maiden flight when the rocket’s third shut down prematurely due to a leak in the oxidizer tank. A dummy payload was released, but it was not able to enter orbit due to the early engine shutdown. KARI has said that the first two stages performed as expected.
Nuri is South Korea’s first domestically produced launch vehicle. It is designed to place payloads weighing up to 1,500 kg into low Earth orbit.
CNES Mobilizes for Micro- and Mini-launchers
PARIS (CNES PR) — Several calls for projects and calls for applications have just been launched in the field of micro and mini-launchers to promote the emergence of French and European projects in this innovative segment, complementary to current launchers.
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Video of ABL Space Systems’ Recent Test Stand Anomaly in Mojave
Progress RSC Boss Gives Updates on Soyuz-5, Angara, Sea Launch and Amur-SPG Rockets, Aist Satellites
MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — Director General of the Progress Rocket and Space Center (Samara, part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) Dmitry Baranov summed up the results of the enterprise’s work in 2021 and spoke about plans for the future.
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Launch Provider Isar Aerospace Wins European Commission’s 10 Million Euros EIC Horizon Prize
- Isar Aerospace wins European Commission’s EIC Horizon Prize “Low-Cost Space Launch” for its launch service solution for independent space access and receives 10 million euros
- Isar Aerospace solidifies its position as Europe’s leading microlauncher company
- The prize marks an important moment in Europe’s path to achieving sovereignty in space
Munich, Brussels, 25 January 2022 (Isar Aerospace PR) – Isar Aerospace, the leading European launch service provider focusing on small and medium satellite deployment, announced today that it has won the European Commission’s EIC Horizon Prize “Low-Cost Space Launch”, receiving 10 million euros in prize money. The European Commission’s award was given to Isar Aerospace for its launch service solution using ‘Spectrum’, a two-stage launch vehicle that offers flexible and cost-efficient access to space for small and medium-sized satellites and constellations and drives the quest for European sovereignty in space.
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