Launch
Stories about the companies building a ride to space.
The Spaceport Company Wins DIU Contract
The Spaceport Company, a startup aiming to supply mobile, floating launch pads for responsive launch, won a $1.5M contract from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) through its National Security Innovation Capital (NSIC) program, the company announced Monday. Under the contract, The Spaceport Company will develop a resilient sea platform that can be deployed in rough…
Virgin Galactic Launches Final Test Flight Ahead of Commercial Service
Virgin Galactic took to the skies yesterday, launching the final VSS Unity test flight before beginning commercial service. The Unity 25 mission tested the ship’s technical function as well as the astronauts’ experience. This was the company’s first spaceflight in nearly two years after a pause for an FAA investigation and fifth in total. The…
South Korea’s Nuri Rocket Lifts Off with Commercial Payload
South Korea’s Nuri rocket, also called KSLV-II, successfully completed its third launch today, marking the first time a Korean launch vehicle carried commercial payloads to space. Three’s company: Lifting off from Korea’s Naro Space Center, the Nuri launcher deployed eight satellites into orbit, including three from domestic companies: Lumir, Justek, and Kairo Space. Those satellites…
Ursa Major Receives AFRL Contract for Draper and Arroway Engines
Ursa Major received a contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) on Tuesday to test a prototype of its new Draper engine for hypersonics and to continue developing its Arroway engines. AFRL awarded these funds aiming to decrease US dependence on foreign propulsion systems for space launch, a key goal of its rocket propulsion…
Ax-2 Takes Off
The second-ever commercial astronaut mission to the ISS has embarked on its journey. Mission recap: Right on schedule at 5:37pm ET yesterday, the Axiom Mission 2 (aka Ax-2) crew of four successfully lifted off from KSC in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9. The crew included: AlQarni and Barnawi will be the…
Astra Reports Q1 2023 Results
Astra ($ASTR) reported earnings for Q1, revealing significant cutbacks in spending as the company pushes ahead on Rocket 4 development. By the numbers $ASTR stock was trading at $0.39 at EOD Monday. Closing contracts: Astra is continuing its Launch System 2 development and progressing toward a Rocket 4 launch as it chases down deals. The…
ULA Conducts Vulcan Testing Ahead of Maiden Flight
ULA rolled its Vulcan rocket to the pad Friday and completed tank testing ahead of its expected first flight readiness firing test for the rocket’s BE-4 engine later this week. “With success here, and a resolution of the Centaur V ground test anomaly, we are projecting for a Vulcan Cert-1 Launch this summer,” said ULA…
Stratolaunch Completes Preliminary Hypersonic Vehicle Test
Stratolaunch successfully completed a key step on the way to flying its hypersonic vehicle on Saturday with the separation and landing of its Talon-A test vehicle from the Roc carrier aircraft. Stratolaunch 101 The Mojave, CA-based company was founded in 2011 by late Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen with ambitions to build hypersonic test vehicles. Its…
Virgin Galactic Releases Q1 Results, Details Upcoming Flight
Virgin Galactic ($SPCE) is returning to space after a nearly two-year hiatus. The company provided further details on the upcoming crewed test flight yesterday, along with its Q1 financial results. By the numbers: Virgin Galactic burned through $136M of operating cash in Q1 as it prepares for its first commercial flight and invests heavily in…
Rocket Lab Launches NASA’s Storm Chaser Cubesats
Two NASA storm-tracking satellites lifted off aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle last night in New Zealand, putting the first half of the planned four-satellite constellation into orbit. The “Rocket Like A Hurricane” mission was the first of two launches that will build the Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation…
University of Texas Races Towards the Kármán Line with its Liquid-Fueled Rocket
The University of Texas Rocket Engineering Lab is set to hot fire test its engine today as it ramps up to a Kármán Line launch attempt in 2024. UT is one of 20+ schools racing to be the first collegiate group to launch a liquid-fueled rocket to space. Although the Kármán Line has been achieved…
Relativity Developing New 3D Printing Tech for Terran-R
Relativity is adding two new 3D printing technologies to its repertoire to build the larger, heavy-lift Terran-R, CEO Tim Ellis told Payload. “Aeon R is a pretty giant engine. Not just thrust, but I think the size of it,” Ellis said. “So the two new printing technologies are necessary to start doing some hybrid additive…
China Reveals Designs for a Fully-Reusable Rocket
China unveiled plans for a fully-reusable Long March 9 rocket configuration Sunday at its 2023 Space Day ceremony in Hefei, China. The CNSA aims to begin testing the vehicle, which looks a lot like Starship, by the late 2030s. The fully reusable configuration is noteworthy given China has still yet to nail a partially reusable…
