Launch

Kepler Communications signed a launch agreement with Innovative Space Logistics (ISL) working with GK Launch Services to deploy two satellites into sun-synchronous orbit in Second Quarter (Q2) to Third Quarter (Q3) 2020. The satellites will be the first of multiple batches of the next-generation platform, forming part of Kepler’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation for global...

The Jason-2/Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM), the third in a U.S.-European series of satellite missions designed to measure sea surface height, successfully ended its science mission on Oct. 1. NASA and its mission partners made the decision to end the mission after detecting deterioration in the spacecraft’s power system. Jason-2/OSTM, a joint NASA mission with...

Virgin Galactic revealed a new contract with the Italian Air Force for a research flight on the company’s SpaceShipTwo system during which Italian researchers will actively conduct experiments while they are in space. The contract marks the first time a government department has funded a human-tended research flight on a commercial space vehicle. The mission,...

Houston-based Intuitive Machines selected SpaceX to launch its lunar lander, Nova-C, to the Moon in 2021 on a Falcon 9 rocket. NASA awarded Intuitive Machines the first mission task order under the CLPS contract on May 31. It calls for Intuitive Machines to develop, launch, and land Nova-C on the lunar surface with a payload...

The Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), awarded a sole source, five-year, $1.18 billion Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) modification of the Delta IV Heavy contract, saving $455 million. This modification was awarded to United Launch Alliance (ULA) for Launch Operations Support (LOPS), in support of five NRO Launch (NROL)...

Rocket Lab revealed that Astro Digital is the customer for Rocket Lab’s ninth Electron mission, and fifth mission of 2019. The dedicated mission is scheduled to take place during a 14-day launch window opening on October 15 NZDT (14 October UTC). The mission will lift-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Māhia...

The detailed definition of the design of Europe’s new Ariane 6 launcher was validated at the closing meeting of the Critical Design Review (CDR) held in Paris on September 25, which brought together the project management teams from the European Space Agency (ESA), French space agency CNES, Arianespace, and ArianeGroup. This step marks the end...

Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne is a rather unique launch vehicle. It’s a rocket that deploys, or drops, from a customized Boeing 747 — a “Flying Launchpad,” so-to-speak. One of those aircraft, a former passenger airliner operated by Virgin Atlantic, was purchased by Virgin Galactic in 2015, renamed “The Cosmic Girl” and designated to be used as...

Ball Aerospace delivered the Operational Land Imager 2 (OLI-2) for Landsat 9, completing development of the instrument on schedule and under budget. Ball will continue to support instrument integration and spacecraft-level testing, working closely with NASA and the Landsat 9 spacecraft provider. The Operational Land Imager 2 design is a virtual copy of the instrument’s...

Elon Musk spoke about his vision of a brighter future for humanity on Saturday evening in South Texas. Musk acknowledged that there are a lot of problems here on Earth, and it is important for those to get fixed. But it is also important to give people hope for the future and a sense of...