Finance

What Stratolaunch Systems Corp. (SSC) claims is the “world’s largest aircraft” has completed its first low-speed taxi test. Scaled Composites, a Northrop Grumman subsidiary, is constructing and testing the Stratolaunch aircraft within SSC facilities at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California. (Video courtesy of Stratolaunch Systems Corp.) “It was a lot less intimidating...

Arianespace has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to launch the Characterising Exoplanet Satellite (CHEOPS), which is its upcoming exoplanet mission as part of ESA’s science program. Arianespace will launch the satellite from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, between late 2018 and early 2019 using a Soyuz...

The Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) has had a high profile year, with one significant failure and another record-breaking launch. Now, the agency is pivoting to launch smallsat constellations with a new, smaller launch vehicle that would weigh just 100 tons. Read more at The Economic Times.

Vector announced it will conduct a dedicated launch in 2018 featuring one of Astro Digital’s satellites for remote sensing applications. Astro Digital plans to engage Vector to launch at least 12 such satellites as part of a larger constellation, with an option to then continue operations at a pace of two to four dedicated satellite...

SpaceX successfully completed its 13th cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) this afternoon. The launch marked the first time SpaceX used previously flown hardware — a Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule — to send cargo up to the ISS, signifying NASA’s confidence in the viability and reliability of its reusable launch vehicles. Notably,...

Arianespace has successfully launched satellites 19, 20, 21 and 22 in the Galileo constellation, using an Ariane 5 heavy launcher on behalf of the European Commission and under a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA). The launch took place on Dec. 12 from the Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana. Arianespace...

Sierra Nevada has selected Azur Space to provide solar panels for its first Dream Chaser spacecraft. The Dream Chaser is scheduled to provide cargo services to and from the International Space Station (ISS) for at least six missions between 2019 and 2024 as part of NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services Contract (CRS2). Azur Space will manufacture the...

Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed a successful hot-fire test of a controllable solid rocket motor under the U.S. Air Force Demonstration and Validation Post Boost Study A program. According to Aerojet Rocketdyne Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President Eileen Drake, applying this technology could provide increased mission flexibility and capability in a future post boost propulsion...

Orbital ATK announced that its Cygnus spacecraft, following a successful stay as a part of the International Space Station (ISS), is now set to deploy a record number of CubeSats in orbit before reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere. The mission, dubbed OA-8, marks the fourth time that Cygnus has been used for NanoRacks CubeSat deployments...

L3 Technologies has entered into an agreement with United Launch Alliance (ULA) to become the exclusive provider of avionics and related services for its new Vulcan Centaur rocket system, delivering an estimated $1 billion-plus in mission-critical systems and services, over a 10-year period. Under the agreement, ULA and L3 will integrate the companies’ design and...