Welcome to Edition 5.42 of the Rocket Report! We apologize for missing last week, but we had a family reunion to attend. However, we’re back and excited to announce that we’ll be doubling up our space coverage with a big hire! Be sure to check back next week for more details. As always, we welcome reader submissions and if you don’t want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below. This report covers small, medium, and heavy-lift rockets, as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.
Virgin Galactic sets next flight date. Virgin Galactic is planning to conduct the first commercial flight of its SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle in late June on a mission for the Italian Air Force. The flight will carry three people from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy. This is pretty impressive considering Virgin Galactic announced a target of starting commercial service in the second quarter of 2023 more than half a year ago, and they appear to have stuck to that.
Firefly acquires Spaceflight. Firefly Aerospace has acquired Spaceflight, a company that provides orbital transfer and last-mile services for satellites. This acquisition furthers Firefly’s ambition to become an integrated provider of both launch and in-space services. “The combination of Spaceflight’s on-orbit experience with Firefly’s launch vehicles, Blue Ghost landers, and Space Utility Vehicles is an overnight game changer for our customers and investors,” said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace.
Ursa Major lays off 27 percent of staff. The Colorado-based engine manufacturer has laid off 80 people, or a little more than a quarter of its workforce, to better meet the needs of its national security customers. Ursa Major has had some commercial success, selling its engines to companies such as Stratolaunch and Phantom Space. We wish the best of luck to those affected by the layoffs.
X-Bow claims second successful launch. X-Bow is developing “cost-effective,” additively manufactured solid rocket motors for suborbital and orbital rockets. The company conducted the second test launch of its “Bolt Rocket” and considers it a huge mission success. In April, X-Bow won a $60 million Strategic Funding Increase award under the US Air Force’s AFWERX program to help finance further development of X-Bow’s proprietary advanced manufacturing technology for rapid production of low-cost rocket motors.
China builds pad for solid rocket launches. China has broken ground on a new launch pad dedicated to commercial solid rockets to help boost access to launch facilities. The new pad for solid rockets and its related infrastructure is expected to be finished within 180 days. The first launch of a liquid rocket from the commercial spaceport is expected in early 2024.
Space exploration has seen tremendous progress over the past few decades, with the industry now networked across the globe. But one issue that continues to plague the industry is the debris created by rocket launches that can be hazardous to anyone near the launchpad or along its trajectory. While the industry has made some strides in minimizing the debris created by a launch, the problem still persists.
In light of this, China has recently taken a major step in tackling the issue of falling debris created after a rocket launch. Chinese officials have begun experimenting with a range of new technologies, including 3D printing and high-speed cutting machines to design and create specialized aerodynamic panels specifically for a rocket’s fuel-tank. The panels, called fins, are designed to reduce the amount of debris created when the rockets reenter the atmosphere.
At the same time, China has also announced the delay of their highly anticipated Vulcan launch. Initially scheduled for launch earlier this month, the launch was postponed due to an unforeseen technical issue. While the original launch date was not released, it was expected to occur sometime in May of 2021.
Though the Vulcan rocket delay may prove to be a minor setback, the progress made in the field of debris reduction is still something to celebrate. The technology being employed by the Chinese could potentially prove to be invaluable for the future of the industry and open the door for even more innovations as the industry continues to develop new ways of making space exploration safer and more efficient. With companies like SpaceX leading the way, this field of study is only going to become more rewarding over time.
