Launch

An orbital debris removal research project by Astroscale Japan Inc. is to launch later this month or in early March aboard an Electron rocket by Rocket Lab. The Rocket Lab Electron, carrying Astroscale’s ADRAS-J satellite, is to lift off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. “The mission is the first phase of an orbital debris...

SpaceX launched NASA’s satellite mission to study ocean health, air quality, and the effects of climate change into orbit early Thursday morning. After being rescheduled twice due to weather conditions, PACE — the Plankton, Aerosol, Climate, ocean Ecosystem satellite — launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral...

Rocket Lab launched its first mission of 2024 on Wednesday, launching four space situational awareness (SSA) satellites for Spire Global and NorthStar Earth & Space. The Electron mission took off from Launch Complex 1 at 19:34 NZDT and deployed the satellites to a 530 km circular Earth orbit.  NorthStar Earth & Space confirmed the success...

Starlab, the future commercial space station, will launch on a SpaceX Starship rocket under a new launch agreement announced Wednesday. Starlab Space, a joint venture between Voyager Space and Airbus, announced SpaceX will launch the space station to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) in a single mission.  Wednesday’s announcement did not give a specific timeframe, but said...

Virgin Galactic has completed its first spaceflight this year and its 11th overall. Interestingly, the latest flight was the first flight that all four seats aboard VSS Unity were occupied by private astronauts. The flight took place on Friday 26 Jan. Virgin Galactic’s next mission, expected in the second quarter of 2024, will include both...

Firefly Aerospace has made a key breakthrough with the US Government. It has been selected by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to serve as a launch provider with Firefly’s Alpha rocket. As part of the NRO’s Streamlined Launch Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Contract (SLIC), the agreement has a 10-year ordering period with a ceiling value of...

MyRadar has tapped Exolaunch for the deployment of its first two HORIS pathfinder satellites. The satellites, HORIS-1 and HORIS-2, are set to launch on upcoming SpaceX rideshare missions. The company, which is trying to make its mark in the weather data services arena, announced the deal Jan. 24. The HORIS pathfinder satellites represent the initial...

Ten years ago, governments around the globe forecast a broad swath of new rockets would be in service by now. No one would have predicted that SpaceX would dominate the global launch market, and become the de facto provider for satellite operators looking for an assured ride to space. This year, three new heavy launch...

Impulse Space is working to simplify access to Geostationary Orbit (GEO), unveiling a new high-performance kick stage on Wednesday called Helios, designed to take 5 tons from Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) to GEO in less than a day.  Impulse Space is led by CEO and founder Tom Mueller, who was a founding member of SpaceX and...

A group of four space situational awareness satellites for Spire Global and NorthStar Earth & Space will be Rocket Lab’s first launch of 2024. Rocket Lab announced Monday it plans to launch the mission no earlier than Jan. 18 from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.  These satellites will be the first of NorthStar’s space...