NASA’s much delayed and very expensive SLS heavy-lift launch vehicle (HLV) has coming under renewed criticism as SpaceX’s partly reusable commercial HLV has advanced into its stage testing programme (the main super-booster stage is nearly constructed while the...
Relativity Space, an American company developing “3-D printed” rockets, has been given a contract by the US military to launch an STP (Space Test Program) payload in 2023. Its upcoming rocket, named Terran-1, is expected to conduct its maiden flight later...
Rocket Lab announced on 1 March 2021 that it plans to merge with Vector Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC (Special-purpose acquisition company) to become listed on the NASDAQ. The deal is expected to close in “Q2 2021” and has valued the company at US$4.1...
During February 2021 DARPA extended its Blackjack commitment with Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT) by exercising part of an option to purchase six additional satellites from the company. The option stems from an original Blackjack order made with BCT in June 2020. DARPA...
On 18 February 2021 General Atomics has contracted Firefly Aerospace to launch the OTB-2 (MAIA) mission to LEO in 2022. The mission is targeting a circular 740 km, polar orbit. Firefly will utilise one of its Firefly Alpha launch vehicles for the mission. It is...
On 16 February 2021 upcoming American, launch provider ABL Space Systems announced that it had secured two commercial payloads for its maiden launch, planned for Q2 2021. ABL is developing the RS1 small launch vehicle capable of carrying 1,350 kg to LEO. The customer...
