Launch

SpaceX successfully launched the TURKSAT 5A satellite on Thursday evening in its first launch of 2021. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellite took off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 7 at 9:15 p.m. ET. The payload separated about 33 minutes after liftoff. Turksat reported...

Arianespace reported $1 billion euro ($1.2 billion) in sales in 2020, approximately the same level of sales as 2019, in a year-end update released Thursday. The European launcher also reported a backlog worth more than 3.2 billion euros ($3.9 billion).  Reviewing its 2020 performance, Arianespace highlighted 10 launches in 2020: three by Ariane 5; five...

The U.S. Space Force-developed Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) Flight System (EFS) is to demonstrate the launch of up to 18 multi-mission national security and civil satellites from NASA‘s Landsat-9 Earth Observation (EO) satellite. Landsat-9 is slated to launch from the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 401 rocket this September at...

Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) revealed Wednesday that it has successfully completed the Key Decision Point (KDP) C for NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE). KDP-C provides NASA approval for the project to begin final design and fabrication, known as Phase C, and establishes baselines for its official schedule and budget. This AWE mission...

SpaceX has been awarded a $150.5 million firm-fixed-price contract from the Space Development Agency to launch its Tranche 0 transport and tracking layer satellites.  The award, announced by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on Dec. 31, is for standalone launch services for two launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, with the first...

Momentus has pulled its Vigoride orbital transfer vehicle from the upcoming SpaceX Transporter 1 Falcon 9 launch set for Jan. 14, to allow for more time for FAA approval of its spacecraft. The company announced Monday that the mission will be manifested to a subsequent SpaceX launch in 2021. The Vigoride is an in-orbit transport...

An Arianespace Soyuz rocket orbited a French defense satellite on Dec. 29 in Arianespace’s final launch of 2020. The Soyuz rocket carrying the CSO-2 satellite took off from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana at 1:42 p.m. local time. The satellite was deployed to Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) 59 minutes after liftoff. Total payload mass...

Firefly Aerospace and Adaptive Launch Solutions (ALS) have signed a multi-year launch services agreement that includes four Alpha launches beginning in 2021. ALS, which designs multi-manifest hardware, avionics, and sequencers, will be the launch service provider for the second and third Alpha flights, planned for 2021. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.  Firefly...

Voyager Space Holdings plans to acquire a majority stake in Nanoracks through Nanoracks parent company XO Markets, the companies announced Dec. 23. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Voyager said it plans to put growth capital into the business.  Nanoracks offers satellite deployment solutions and has launched more than 1,000 projects to...

The commission set up by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Arianespace to investigate the Vega launch failure in November has released its findings. Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël said in a Dec. 17 press release that the findings may allow a return to flight for the Vega by the end of the first quarter of...