Launch

Virgin Orbit will launch the first satellite developed in Wales on the launcher’s first mission out of Spaceport Cornwall in the United Kingdom this summer. Space Forge, which is based in Wales capital city of Cardiff, signed a launch agreement with Virgin Orbit this week.  Space Forge is developing fully returnable satellites that are designed...

Smallsat launcher company Astra released an update on its investigation into the Rocket 3.3. launch failure on Feb. 10.  Astra said in a Monday announcement that the payload fairing did not deploy before upper stage ignition because of an electrical issue caused when the separation mechanisms fired in an incorrect order. “Due to the disconnection,...

OneWeb’s board of directors voted to suspend all launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and Arianespace is suspending Soyuz launches as the companies rejected steep demands from the Russian space agency Roscosmos. This development could impact OneWeb’s plans to start commercial service, NSR analyst Claude Rousseau tells Via Satellite.  On Wednesday, Roscosmos Director General...

SpaceX launched a batch of Starlink satellites on Thursday morning, as the constellation is getting global attention for providing internet connectivity in the Ukraine.  A Falcon 9 rocket took off from Launch Complex 39A at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Thursday morning at 9:25 a.m ET, carrying 47 Starlink satellites. SpaceX confirmed at...

Update on March 3: OneWeb’s board of directors has voted to suspend all launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the company said in a statement early Thursday. An upcoming OneWeb launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome is in jeopardy after Russian space agency Roscomos placed intense demands on OneWeb, launcher Arianespace, and the United Kingdom government, amid...

Rocket Lab is cementing its presence on the East Coast of Virginia, selecting Wallops Island as the launch and landing site for its new reusable Neutron rocket, after a competitive process to find a location. The comprehensive deal with the state, backed up by $45 million in development funding from Virginia, also includes manufacturing and...

The private equity firm AE Industrial Partners (AEI) on Thursday said it has agreed to acquire a “significant stake” in Firefly Aerospace, a deal that would add to its portfolio in the space market. Terms of the deal, which requires approval by U.S. regulators, were not disclosed. AEI is acquiring the stake from Noosphere Venture Partners, an investment...

Northrop Grumman subsidiary SpaceLogistics sold its first Mission Extension Pod (MEP), the next generation of satellite servicing vehicles. Australian satellite operator Optus has agreed to purchase an MEP for its D3 satellite in 2025, the companies announced Tuesday.  Separately, SpaceLogistics signed a launch agreement with SpaceX for a planned spring 2024 launch of the Mission...

A number of law firms have filed or announced intent to file shareholder class action lawsuits against Astra Space, after a critical analyst report and the company’s launch failure on Thursday. Astra called the claims “without merit” in filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  Astra’s mission for NASA on Feb. 10 failed after...

SpaceX Chief Engineer Elon Musk gave an update on Thursday on the Starship rocket, the massive rocket SpaceX is building to develop a human presence on Mars and deploy Starlink satellites and other payloads.  Speaking from the Starship development base at Boca Chica, Texas, Musk gave an overview of the vehicle, projecting Starship to bring...