Launch

United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully launched a missile warning satellite called the Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (SBIRS GEO) Flight 5 on Tuesday for the U.S. Space Force. A ULA Atlas V rocket in the 421 configuration took off at 1:37 p.m. ET from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station...

Rocket Lab released preliminary details after an Electron launch failure on May 15, and said data reviews suggest an engine computer detected an issue after the stage 2 engine ignited, and the computer commanded a safe shutdown.  The failure took place on May 15, during Rocket Lab’s 20th Electron mission “Running Out Of Toes,” carrying...

ABL Space Systems has won its fourth launch contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. The launcher in development has received a “Responsive Launch II” from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The DIU’s responsive launch program looks to partner with commercial launch providers that can “enable precision delivery of payloads to prescribed orbits with minimal...

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has denied Momentus’ request to approve its Vigoride orbital transfer vehicle for upcoming launch due to national security concerns.  Momentus is in the midst of a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger with Stable Road Acquisition in order to go public. The FAA denial was revealed in a Stable...

Geospatial intelligence and global monitoring services BlackSky could be ready to launch the eighth and ninth satellites of its Earth observation constellation on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket as early as Saturday, May 15. The mission, “Running Out of Toes,” will send the two LeoStella-designed Gen-2 satellites to orbit from Rocket Lab’s Complex 1 in...

Virgin Orbit announced it will launch its next LauncherOne mission carrying payloads for the US Department of Defense, the Royal Netherlands Air Force, and SatRevolution in June. The launch will take place at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California and will be the first since Virgin Orbit’s successful Launch Demo 2 mission in...

SpaceX successfully executed a high-altitude flight test of its Starship rocket Wednesday evening, nailing the landing. This was the first successful high-altitude Starship test to date. The prototype SN15 took off from the site in Boca Chica, Texas, on May 5. Fueled by three Raptor engines, Starship climbed toward a 10 km altitude, at which...

Smallsat launcher in development Firefly Aerospace has closed an oversubscribed $75 million Series A funding round, which values the company at more than $1 billion. The funding round, announced May 4, was led by DADA Holdings, with participation by Astera Institute, Canon Ball LLC, Reuben Brothers Limited, SMS Capital Investment LLC, Raven One Ventures, The...

SpaceX launched another batch of 60 Starlink satellites on Tuesday afternoon. A Falcon 9 rocket took off from Launch pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral Florida at 3:01 p.m. ET.  The first stage was successfully recovered on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean, marking the ninth recovery for the booster....

Virgin Orbit took another step toward bringing space launch capabilities to the United Kingdom by contracting AVS Added Value Solutions UK (AVS) to build a ground operating system at the U.K. spaceport in Cornwall. AVS was one of a handful of tier-1 U.K. suppliers who bid for the contract. Virgin Orbit said in its announcement...