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Rocket Lab readies back-to-back launches for NASA’s climate change research mission

NASA’s PREFIRE mission requires two satellites to be deployed to precise orbits one after the other, demonstrating Electron’s highly responsive launch capability.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) global provider in launch services and space systems, announced it is preparing two back-to-back Electron launches to deploy NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission.

The two dedicated missions will each deploy one satellite to a 525km circular orbit from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand. The first mission – named ‘Ready, Aim, PREFIRE’ – is scheduled to launch no earlier than May 22, 2024. The launch date of the second mission – named ‘PREFIRE And Ice’ – will be scheduled to take place within three weeks of the successful deployment of the first PREFIRE mission. The missions will be Rocket Lab’s 48th and 49th Electron launches overall and its sixth and seventh launches of 2024. The launch will broadcast live at www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream

NASA’s PREFIRE mission is a climate change-focused mission that will systematically measure the heat, in the form of infrared and far-infrared wavelengths, lost from Earth’s polar regions for the first time. Extreme storms, flooding, and coastal erosion are examples of weather outcomes that are influenced by climate conditions in the Arctic and Antarctica. Once deployed to their separate orbits, the two PREFIRE satellites will criss-cross over the Arctic and Antarctica measuring thermal infrared radiation – the same type of energy emitted from a heat lamp – that will make climate models more accurate and help predict changes caused by global warming. PREFIRE consists of two 6U CubeSats with a baseline mission length of 10 months.

“Helping climate scientists better understand climate change means they need precisely located measurements of Earth’s polar heat loss, which NASA’s PREFIRE mission is setting out to achieve, and helping the PREFIRE mission achieve its science objectives means its satellites need precise and accurate deployments to their locations in space,” says Rocket Lab Founder and CEO, Peter Beck. “It’s these types of missions where Electron really thrives as the leading launch provider for dedicated small satellite missions. We have an excellent track record of delivering NASA’s payloads to exactly where they need to go and when they need to, and we’re looking forward to adding to that tally further with these next back-to-back launches.”

PREFIRE is the latest to join Rocket Lab’s list of NASA science and technology missions launched on Electron in recent years. These include the CAPSTONE mission to the Moon launched by Electron and deployed by a Rocket Lab Explorer spacecraft bus; two back-to-back Electron launches for the TROPICS mission in May 2023; the recent NASA Starling mission launched on Electron; and NASA’s ACS3 mission launched last month on a rideshare mission.

Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. They deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle, the Photon satellite platform, and the Company is developing the large Neutron launch vehicle for constellation deployment. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered 180+ satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft platform has been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a third launch pad in Virginia. To learn more, visit www.rocketlabusa.com.

SpaceX launches Europe’s Galileo satellites the first time from U.S. and retires a record breaking Falcon 9 workhorse

Photo of Galileo L12 launch captured by Satnews from SpaceX video stream.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched the European Commission’s Galileo L12 mission to medium Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, April 27 at 8:34 p.m. ET.

SpaceX tied its rocket-reuse record on Saturday night (April 27) set earlier this month by a different Falcon 9 booster, on a launch of SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites..

“Due to the additional performance required to deliver the payload to medium Earth orbit, this mission marks the 20th and final launch for this Falcon 9 first stage booster,” SpaceX wrote in the mission description.

SpaceX achieved other milestones with the launch of its Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Saturday. The weekend flight marked the first time that the European Commission’s Galileo satellites (similar to the United State’s Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites) launched onboard an American-made rocket and from U.S. soil.

The launch added to the Galileo constellation, Europe’s equivalent of the United States’ Global Positioning System (GPS). Twenty-eight Galileo satellites have launched to date, all of them on Russian-built Soyuz rockets or Europe’s Ariane 5.

However the Ariane 5 retired last summer without a new source and Europe had ended most of its space ties with Russia following the latter’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. As a result the European Space Agency contracted with SpaceX to launch up to four Galileo craft over two launches in 2024 making Saturday’s mission the first of two liftoffs.

The Galileo Second Generation satellites will be launched in pairs, interconnected and connected to the launcher until separation. Each satellite is over 2000 kg and when stacked, they reach a towering height of seven meters. This configuration has undergone vibration tests at ESA’s Hydraulic Multi-axis Shaker (Hydra) and received mechanical qualification. Image: ESA

Due to the additional performance required to deliver the payload to medium Earth orbit, this mission marks the 20th and final launch for this Falcon 9 first stage booster, which previously launched GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2, Intelsat G-33/G-34, Transporter-6, Intuitive Machines IM-1, and 13 Starlink missions.

The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at 8:34 p.m. EDT (0034 UTC). The first stage booster on this mission, tail number B1060 in the SpaceX fleet, launched for a 20th and final time. SpaceX did not plan to recover B1060 “due to the additional performance requirement to deliver the payload to medium Earth orbit.”

“The last time a first stage was expended during a Falcon 9 mission was 146 flights ago in November 2022,” SpaceX said in a social media post following the launch. “On most Falcon 9 missions, enough propellant remains in the first stage after stage separation to enable landing, recovery, and ultimately reuse on future missions.”

Because it wasn’t recovered, SpaceX removed the hypersonic grid fins at the top of the booster as well as the four landing legs.

The two-part payload fairing protecting the two Galileo satellites were recovered from the Atlantic Ocean by the recovery vessel, Bob, named for former NASA astronaut, Bob Behnken of the Demo-2 mission. SpaceX noted that this was also the 200th mission that used flight-proven payload fairings.

SpaceX added that it is in the process of qualifying both its boosters and its payload fairings for up to 40 missions each. They credit the data gathered on Falcon vehicle flights to furthering their development of the significantly larger and entirely reusable Starship rocket and their stated goal of “making life multi-planetary.”

During a press conference at the European Space Summit in Seville, Spain, in November 2023, Thierry Breton, the European Commission’s commissioner for the internal market, said that the continent’s lack of an orbital class rocket meant America, and SpaceX in particular, was their next logical option.

“We have four satellites to launch [in 2024] and given that Ariane 6 is still not going to be available, I accepted a proposal from ESA to use SpaceX,” Breton said. “We’re talking about very critical satellites. And so, we’re still negotiating with the American side and once that’s been finalized, yes, we will have two launches for four satellites, which will be carried out by SpaceX.”

Breton noted that the second launch via SpaceX is anticipated in July 2024.

While B1060 was not being recovered on this flight, it marked the most flight proven booster to launch a customer payload. The previous record was held by the same booster when it launched Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lunar lander on its 18th flight in February.

SpaceX’s update for Galileo L12 Mission the first of two Florida launches this weekend

SpaceX is targeting Saturday, April 27 at 8:34 p.m. ET for a Falcon 9 launch of the European Commission’s Galileo L12 mission to medium Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If needed, there is a backup opportunity on Sunday, April 28 at 8:30 p.m. This will be the final launch for this Falcon 9 booster, more information below.

According to weather officials, there’s a 75% chance of favorable weather conditions at the time of the launch. The forecast calls for a temperature of 72°F, light rain, 94% cloud cover, a wind speed of 20mph and 0.14in of rain.

Due to the additional performance required to deliver the payload to medium Earth orbit, this mission marks the 20th and final launch for this Falcon 9 first stage booster, which previously launched GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2, Intelsat G-33/G-34, Transporter-6, Intuitive Machines IM-1, and 13 Starlink missions.

SpaceX has 2 weekend launches beginning with 2 satellites for Europe’s Galileo navigation system

Six mind-blowing facts about Galileo

SpaceX will launch 2 Galileo satellites into MEO from Europe’s Galileo navigation system on Saturday, April 27. The launch window is from 5:34 PM – 6:11 PM PDT

Though SpaceX has not publicly announced this mission, a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational warning shows this launch window will open Saturday, April 27, 2024.

  • Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch Galileo satellites for the European Space Agency’s global navigation system from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
  • Launch window: 8:29 p.m. to 9:11 p.m. EDT Saturday, April 27, 2024
  • Location: Launch pad 39A
Galileo Search and Rescue

Galileo is currently the world’s most precise satellite navigation system, serving over four billion smartphone users around the globe since entering Open Service in 2017. All smartphones sold in the European Single Market are now guaranteed Galileo-enabled. In addition, Galileo is making a difference across the fields of rail, maritime, agriculture, financial timing services and rescue operations.

Galileo supporting aviation

A flagship program of the European Union (EU), Galileo is managed and funded by the European Commission. Since its inception, ESA leads the design, development and qualification of the space and ground systems, as well as procuring launches. ESA is also entrusted with research and development activities for the future of Galileo within the EU program Horizon Europe. The EU Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA) acts as the service provider, overseeing the market and application needs and closing the loop with users.

SSC achieves operational acceptance of OPIR Battlespace Awareness Center (OBAC) on FORGE

Space Systems Command’s Space Sensing program executive office, headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, has delivered the first of two software deliveries to operations in the Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Battlespace Awareness Center (OBAC) at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado.

Aerial photo of Buckley Space Force Base, courtesy of USAF.

Delivery of the FORGE framework to the OBAC provides increased cyber resilience, and enhanced mission applications to operators. OBAC operations on FORGE bolster the OPIR battlespace awareness and technical intelligence missions with significant cyber-security improvements and enhanced missile detection and tracking. Additionally, the operational trial period preparing for this delivery provided opportunities to significantly stress the FORGE framework with real-world events.

Located in the Mission Control Station at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado, the Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Battlespace Awareness Center (OBAC) provides near-real-time OPIR data exploitation products that deliver situational awareness to Space Delta 4 operators and other users. Photo is courtesy of U.S. Space Force.

Notably, the framework performed in family with the legacy system, enabling the battlespace awareness and technical intelligence mission as the OBAC’s operational baseline. Proven sustainment of mission capability on the FORGE framework is essential to ensure coordination of a successful defense against threats around the world.

The FORGE capability architecture is foundational to provide OPIR data to operational warfighters, and to enable the U.S. Space Force’s pivot to a resilient missile warning, tracking, and defense architecture. The FORGE ground system will support continued operations of legacy Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS), as well as the next generation of OPIR sensors including Next Gen OPIR GEO & Polar, and Resilient Missile Warning / Missile Track MEO space systems.

FORGE provides a modern, cyber-resilient, flexible, scalable, and government-owned open architecture needed to support the development, integration, and delivery of OPIR processing applications for rapid response to emerging threats.

The FORGE framework facilitates open architectures that maximize utilization of the OPIR constellation as well as accelerating the ability for new capabilities to be added frequently and efficiently. It enables the use of existing Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS), Government Off-The-Shelf (GOTS), and Free or Open-Source Software (FOSS) products, enabling a rapid pivot to new solutions depending on mission needs. This approach expands opportunities for a wide range of vendors, thus empowering the government to have access to the latest industry innovations while simultaneously strengthening and increasing resiliency in the weapon system and industrial base.

Marking a significant step towards transforming the Nation’s ability to respond to new missile threats by considerably reducing the time between development and operations, this operational delivery provides new OPIR capabilities to the 2d, 8th and 11th Space Warning Squadrons, as well as the 64th Cyberspace Squadron.

This effort will demonstrate the ability to host vital data processing applications on the FORGE Framework, while in an operational environment, during a robust Operational Acceptance (OA) campaign.

“Our Nation’s ability to quickly sense and make sense of OPIR observations is crucial in maintaining decision-making advantage against adversarial threats and their advanced missile technologies,” said U.S. Space Force Col. Robert Davis, Space Force program executive officer for Space Sensing. “This effort enables target tracking earlier and for a longer duration, which significantly increases the event custody chain. Timely response to threats requires a modern architecture capable of hosting data from a range of new and legacy sensors that enables the development of applications to address these threats. FORGE’s modular architecture with an agile development approach is showing that you can deliver fast even in tough, complex mission areas. I’m extremely excited about what the combined government and industry team has already been able to do, and I look forward to the next operational capability delivery.”

“This first delivery is the start of many deliveries to come,” said U.S. Space Force Lt. Col. Morgan Sparks, FORGE materiel leader. “Our next delivery will build on our cyber resilience and provide even greater capability to the warfighter, modernizing the operator interface with modern data visualization technologies while significantly improving our nation’s ability to detect stealthier and additional quantities of threats sooner, and to track them longer. We look forward to continuing to build upon this strong foundation to enable faster deliveries to operators.”

“Partnerships with the operations community have been paramount in our development process,” said Mr. Jonwa Kim, senior materiel leader, Strategic Missile Warning Ground Delta. “It is through the strength of these partnerships that will ensure our nation possesses the most advanced strategic missile warning capabilities to meet new and emerging threats.”

“Ensuring our acquisition efforts further enable operators to combat space threats is paramount in our procurement and development processes,” said U.S. Space Force Capt. Malik McCoy, FORGE framework program manager and former Space Delta 4 operator. “Our shoulder-to-shoulder partnership with operational users provided relevant perspectives and shaped our approach. We drove cyber resilience and advanced mission applications into the system, transitioning our legacy systems to a more modern architecture. These efforts are paramount to provide a timely defense to counter new and emerging missile threats.”

Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force’s field command responsible for acquiring, developing, and delivering resilient capabilities and groundbreaking technologies to protect our nation’s strategic advantage in, from, and to space. SSC manages a $15.6 billion space acquisition budget for the Department of Defense and works in partnership with joint forces, industry, government agencies, academic and allied organizations to accelerate innovation and outpace emerging threats. Our actions today are making the world a better space for tomorrow.

NASA’s Voyager 1 resumes sending engineering updates to Earth

NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is depicted in this artist’s concept traveling through interstellar space, or the space between stars, which it entered in 2012.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

After some inventive sleuthing, the mission team can — for the first time in five months — check the health and status of the most distant human-made object in existence.

For the first time since November, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is returning usable data about the health and status of its onboard engineering systems. The next step is to enable the spacecraft to begin returning science data again. The probe and its twin, Voyager 2, are the only spacecraft to ever fly in interstellar space (the space between stars).

Voyager 1 stopped sending readable science and engineering data back to Earth on November 14, 2023, even though mission controllers could tell the spacecraft was still receiving their commands and otherwise operating normally. In March, the Voyager engineering team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California confirmed that the issue was tied to one of the spacecraft’s three onboard computers, called the flight data subsystem (FDS). The FDS is responsible for packaging the science and engineering data before it’s sent to Earth.

After receiving data about the health and status of Voyager 1 for the first time in five months, members of the Voyager flight team celebrate in a conference room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on April 20.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

More about the above photo:
In a conference room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, members of the Voyager mission team gathered April 20, 2024, to find out if an issue on Voyager 1 had been partially resolved. Just after 6:40 a.m., a cheer went up around the room as the group heard back from the spacecraft: It was returning engineering data for the first time since November 2023.

Nearly two full days earlier, the team had sent a series of commands to move a section of software code used by the flight data subsystem (FDS) computer to a new location. The physical location where the code was previously stored has been damaged, causing the mission to go five months without receiving science or engineering data. But the commands were a success, and the team received data about the health and status of the spacecraft, prompting celebration.

The commands were sent on April 18, 2024. Due to Voyager 1’s distance from Earth – over 15 billion miles or 24 billion kilometers – a radio signal takes about 22 ½ hours to travel to the spacecraft, and 22 ½ hours to return to Earth.

Shown are Voyager team members Kareem Badaruddin, Joey Jefferson, Jeff Mellstrom, Nshan Kazaryan, Todd Barber, Dave Cummings, Jennifer Herman, Suzanne Dodd, Armen Arslanian, Lu Yang, Linda Spilker, Bruce Waggoner, Sun Matsumoto, and Jim Donaldson.
In a conference room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, members of the Voyager mission team gathered April 20, 2024, to find out if an issue on Voyager 1 had been partially resolved. Just after 6:40 a.m., a cheer went up around the room as the group heard back from the spacecraft: It was returning engineering data for the first time since November 2023.

Nearly two full days earlier, the team had sent a series of commands to move a section of software code used by the flight data subsystem (FDS) computer to a new location. The physical location where the code was previously stored has been damaged, causing the mission to go five months without receiving science or engineering data. But the commands were a success, and the team received data about the health and status of the spacecraft, prompting celebration.

The commands were sent on April 18, 2024. Due to Voyager 1’s distance from Earth – over 15 billion miles or 24 billion kilometers – a radio signal takes about 22 ½ hours to travel to the spacecraft, and 22 ½ hours to return to Earth.

Shown are Voyager team members Kareem Badaruddin, Joey Jefferson, Jeff Mellstrom, Nshan Kazaryan, Todd Barber, Dave Cummings, Jennifer Herman, Suzanne Dodd, Armen Arslanian, Lu Yang, Linda Spilker, Bruce Waggoner, Sun Matsumoto, and Jim Donaldson.

Launched over 46 years ago, the twin Voyager spacecraft are the longest-running and most distant spacecraft in history.

The team discovered that a single chip responsible for storing a portion of the FDS memory — including some of the FDS computer’s software code — isn’t working. The loss of that code rendered the science and engineering data unusable. Unable to repair the chip, the team decided to place the affected code elsewhere in the FDS memory. But no single location is large enough to hold the section of code in its entirety.

So they devised a plan to divide the affected code into sections and store those sections in different places in the FDS. To make this plan work, they also needed to adjust those code sections to ensure, for example, that they all still function as a whole. Any references to the location of that code in other parts of the FDS memory needed to be updated as well.

The team started by singling out the code responsible for packaging the spacecraft’s engineering data. They sent it to its new location in the FDS memory on April 18. A radio signal takes about 22 ½ hours to reach Voyager 1, which is over 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth, and another 22 ½ hours for a signal to come back to Earth. When the mission flight team heard back from the spacecraft on April 20, they saw that the modification worked: For the first time in five months, they have been able to check the health and status of the spacecraft.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory — California Institute of Technology

During the coming weeks, the team will relocate and adjust the other affected portions of the FDS software. These include the portions that will start returning science data.

Voyager 2 continues to operate normally. Launched over 46 years ago, the twin Voyager spacecraft are the longest-running and most distant spacecraft in history. Before the start of their interstellar exploration, both probes flew by Saturn and Jupiter, and Voyager 2 flew by Uranus and Neptune.

Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA.

Rocket Lab’s New Zealand success deploys satellites to separate orbits 500km apart for KAIST and NASA

Following payload deployment to two separate orbits, Electron’s Kick Stage completed a final engine burn to lower its altitude and speed up its reentry to help reduce space junk.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) , a global leader in launch services and space systems, today deployed two satellites to two different orbits approximately 500km apart on its 47th Electron mission.

The ‘Beginning Of The Swarm’ (B.T.S) mission lifted-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand at 10:32 NZST on April 24th, 2024 with payloads for the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and NASA. The primary payload, NEONSAT-1 by KAIST, was first deployed by Electron to a 520km circular Earth orbit before Electron deployed NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System to a higher circular orbit at 1,000km.

NEONSAT-1 will perform Earth-observation of the Korean Peninsula for KAIST, which will then pair the satellite’s data with artificial intelligence to monitor for natural disasters in the region. NEONSAT-1 is the first of 11 satellites for KAIST’s planned constellation to image the Korean Peninsula several times daily.

The second mission deployed today was NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System, which is a technology demonstration of new materials that use sunlight to propel a spacecraft. Much like a sailboat is powered by wind pushing against a sail, solar sails employ the pressure of sunlight for propulsion to move around. This mission plans to test how well new composite booms unfurl the sail from the spacecraft – which is about the size of a toaster – to an area about the size of a small apartment. Data from this mission will be used for designing future larger-scale composite solar sail systems for space weather early warning satellites, asteroid and other small body reconnaissance missions, and missions to observe the polar regions of the Sun.

The capability to deploy two satellites more than 500km apart on the same launch is enabled by Electron’s Kick Stage, a small stage with engine relight capability to enable last-mile delivery. After deploying NEONSAT-1, Electron’s Kick Stage completed multiple in-space burns of its Curie engine to raise its apogee and circularize its orbit before deploying the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft. The Kick Stage then completed a [fourth] and final engine light to perform a deorbit maneuver that returned the stage closer to Earth to speed up its eventual deorbit, helping to reduce long term orbital debris.

Today’s successful mission was Rocket Lab’s fifth launch of 2024, continuing Electron’s streak as the United States’ second-most frequently launched rocket annually.

Details of Rocket Lab’s next Electron mission will be announced shortly

Rocket Lab’s ‘Beginning Of The Swarm’ mission launch window is open and ready for business

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All is ready for the window of opportunity to occur during a 14-day launch window that opens on April 24th in order to launch Rocket Lab’s Beginning of the Swarm mission for South Korea and NASA. Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand is the site in which the Electron will carry two satellites for two separate customers: NEONSAT-1, an Earth observation satellite for the Satellite Technology Research Center (SaTReC) at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), and NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3).

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Rocket Lab updates ‘Beginning Of The Swarm’ mission for Korea’s KAIST and NASA’s ACS 3

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This latest mission will see Rocket Lab perform multiple in-space engine burns to deploy two payloads to separate orbits several hundred kilometers apart.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has set the launch window for its next Electron launch.

The ‘Beginning Of The Swarm’ mission is scheduled to launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand during a 14-day launch window that opens on April 24th. Electron will carry two satellites for two separate customers: NEONSAT-1, an Earth observation satellite for the Satellite Technology Research Center (SaTReC) at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), and NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3).

The primary payload for this mission, NEONSAT-1, is an Earth observation satellite with a high-resolution optical camera designed to monitor for natural disasters along the Korean Peninsula by pairing its images with artificial intelligence. NEONSAT-1 is the first satellite developed under the NEONSAT program by SaTReC and KAIST, Korea’s leading university in science and technology, which developed and operated Korea’s very first satellite KITSAT-1 more than 30 years ago. Other NEONSAT satellites are planned to be launched in 2026 and 2027 to build out the NEONSAT constellation. The program is a collaboration across multiple Korean academic, industry, and research institutions including SaTReC in KAIST, which is leading the program’s system design and engineering; the Satrec Initiative, a Korean satellite manufacturer that has successfully developed seven previous remote sensing satellites for low Earth orbit; and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), which is managing the mission’s ground segments and technology supervision for the NEONSAT program. NEONSAT is funded by the Koren government’s Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT).

NASA’s ACS3 is a technology demonstration of new materials and deployable structures for solar sail propulsion systems that use sunlight to propel the spacecraft. Much like a sailboat is powered by wind pushing against a sail, solar sails employ the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, eliminating the need for conventional rocket propellant. The mission plans to test the deployment of new composite booms that will unfurl the solar sail to measure approximately 30 feet per side, or about the size of a small apartment in total. Flight data obtained during the demonstration will be used for designing future larger-scale composite solar sail systems for space weather early warning satellites, asteroid and other small body reconnaissance missions, and missions to observe the polar regions of the sun. The ACS3 was designed and built at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and the technology demonstration is managed and funded by the Small Spacecraft Technology program at and with NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, interested in larger solar sail missions in the future, is funding an extended operations component to execute a series of maneuvers to raise and lower the spacecraft’s orbit, demonstrating the practicality of solar sailing.

The capability of Electron’s Kick Stage to perform multiple engine burns in space and deploy individual satellites to unique orbits is critical to this mission. The Kick Stage will first ignite its Curie engine to deploy NEONSAT-1 to its target 520km circular Earth orbit. After the payload’s separation, it will ignite its Curie engine again to perform an apogee raise to 1,000km. Once in this phasing orbit, the Curie will ignite a third time to circularise before deploying the solar sail demonstration spacecraft. The Kick Stage will then ignite Curie a fourth and final time to perform a deorbit burn that returns the Kick Stage closer to Earth, speeding up its eventual deorbit and removal from space to support a more sustainable space environment. Rocket Lab has demonstrated similar orbit raises, inclination changes, and deorbit maneuvers across previous Electron missions and most recently with its successful spacecraft re-entry for Varda on February 21, 2024.

‘Beginning Of The Swarm’ will be Rocket Lab’s fifth mission of 2024 and the 47th Electron launch overall.

‘Beginning Of The Swarm’ details:

  • Launch window: opens no-earlier-than April 24, 2024.
  • Customers: The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and NASA.
  • Satellites: NEONSAT-1 for SaTReC/KAIST and the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) for NASA.
  • Target orbits: NEONSAT-1 to 520km circular Earth orbit, ACS3 to 1,000km circular Earth orbit.
  • Launch broadcast: The launch will broadcast live at www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream

Rocket Lab schedules Electron launch Beginning Of The Swarm with NASA’s ACS3 and NEONSAT-1

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The ‘Beginning Of The Swarm’ mission is scheduled to launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand during a 14-day launch window that opens on April 24th. Electron will carry two satellites for two separate customers: NEONSAT-1, an Earth observation satellite for the Satellite Technology Research Center (SaTReC) at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), and NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3).

The primary payload for this mission, NEONSAT-1, is an Earth observation satellite with a high-resolution optical camera designed to monitor for natural disasters along the Korean Peninsula by pairing its images with artificial intelligence. 

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NEONSAT-1 is the first satellite developed under the NEONSAT program by SaTReC and KAIST, Korea’s leading university in science and technology, which developed and operated Korea’s very first satellite KITSAT-1 more than 30 years ago. Other NEONSAT satellites are planned to be launched in 2026 and 2027 to build out the NEONSAT constellation. 

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The secondary payload is NASA’s ACS3, a technology demonstration of new materials and deployable structures for solar sail propulsion systems that use sunlight to propel the spacecraft. Much like a sailboat is powered by wind pushing against a sail, solar sails employ the pressure of sunlight for propulsion, eliminating the need for conventional rocket propellant.

The mission plans to test the deployment of new composite booms that will unfurl the solar sail to measure approximately 30 feet per side, or about the size of a small apartment in total. Flight data obtained during the demonstration will be used for designing future larger-scale composite solar sail systems for space weather early warning satellites, asteroid and other small body reconnaissance missions, and missions to observe the polar regions of the sun.

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NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) is a technology demonstration mission tasked with deploying a composite boom solar sail.

NeonSat-1 is a high-resolution optical satellite by South Korea’s KAIST that will be deployed as a technology demonstration for a planned future Earth observation constellation.

SpaceX’s double success a Starlink smallsats launch and the 300th Falcon booster landing

Photo by Satnews captured from SpaceX video stream.

On Tuesday, April 23 at 6:17 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 23 Starlink satellites packed inside the fairing atop the 230-foot rocket to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Weather officials had anticipated a much improved report over Monday’s forecast with 98% chance of favorable weather conditions at the time of Tuesday’s launch.

Weather was beautiful for aerial shot of Florida’s coast. Photo by Satnews captured from SpaceX video stream.
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral that marked the 300th Falcon booster landing. Photo by Satnews captured from SpaceX video stream.

This was the ninth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-6, SES O3b mPOWER, USSF-124, and now six Starlink missions.

The $52 million launch is part of SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

SpaceX weather at the Cape delays Monday’s Starlink smallsats 6-53 mission

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SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, April 23 for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 6:17 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 9:25 p.m. ET. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Wednesday, April 24 starting at 5:50 p.m. ET.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about five minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live.

Though SpaceX has not publicly confirmed this mission’s existence, a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational warning shows a rocket launch window will open Tuesday night. No Central Florida sonic booms are expected. The $52 million launch is part of SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

Facing a cloudy, windy Monday forecast, SpaceX is pushing back its Falcon 9 rocket launch attempt roughly 24 hours to target a Tuesday night window at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, navigational warnings show.

This is the ninth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-6, SES O3b mPOWER, USSF-124, and five Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory shows:
The Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron had only forecast 30% odds of favorable conditions during the early stages of Monday’s now-scrapped launch window. However, those odds will improve to greater than 95% during Tuesday’s backup window that opens at 6:15 p.m. through 8:40 p.m. EDT,

SpaceX may have weather issues on Monday’s Starlink Group 6-53 launch

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Starlink satellites before deployment. (Image credit: SpaceX)

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is set to launch a batch of Starlink satellites into LEO from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, for the Starlink mega-constellation, on Monday, April 22 from 3:40 – 7:40 PDT. However the weather forecast for tomorrow is questionable… as noted by the 45th Weather Squadron’s forecast, “all [weather models] show a lingering low level cloud deck that may be just deep enough to pose launch weather concerns. The main weather threat has shifted towards the northerly wind surge driven by the gradient around the departing low. Consensus is that winds will be highest at the beginning of the primary launch window Monday evening, with speeds slowly subsiding through the window.”

As a result, mission managers will be dealing with low clouds and high winds, especially in the early hours of the launch window, with improving conditions as the evening progresses.

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Landing is planned to be on the autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) ‘Just Read The Instructions’ (JRTI) which is stationed in the Atlantic Ocean northeast of the Bahamas.

SpaceX to launch Starlink satellite Group 6-53 on Monday

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From Thursday, April 18 launch. Photo by Satnews captured from SpaceX video stream

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is set to launch a batch of Starlink satellites into LEO from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, for the Starlink mega-constellation, on Monday, April 22 from 3:40 – 7:40 PDT.

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The $52 million launch is part of SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

Weather forecast calls for a temperature of 69°F, broken clouds, 75% cloud cover and a wind speed of 24mph.

Space Launch Complex 40 has witnessed the launch of 236 rockets, including 236 orbital launch attempts, while Cape Canaveral, FL, USA, has been the site for 947 rocket launches.

SpaceX launches DoD’s next-generation operational environmental intelligence satellite

SpaceX launches USSF-62 mission Thursday.
Photo by Satnews captured from SpaceX video stream

On Thursday, April 11 at 7:25 a.m. PT, Falcon 9 launched the USSF-62 mission to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Photo by Satnews captured from SpaceX video stream

This is the third launch of the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage landed on Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

“Vandenberg Guardians and Airmen play a critical role in enabling launch operations and delivering critical space capabilities to orbit,” said U.S. Space Force Col. Mark Shoemaker, Space Launch Delta 30 commander. “The mission of the Space Force is to secure our Nation’s interests in, from, and to space. Our Space Launch Delta 30 team is committed to excellence in the “to” part of that mission.”

The U.S. Space Force’s West Coast Spaceport will enable the launch of WSF-M, which will aid in modernizing space-based environmental monitoring systems.

The WSF-M satellite will provide U.S. and Allied warfighters with essential weather data, including the measurement of ocean surface wind speed and direction, ice thickness, snow depth, soil moisture, and local spacecraft Energetic Charged Particle environment. The data gathered by WSF-M will be provided to meteorologists in support of the generation of a wide variety of weather products necessary to conduct mission planning and operations globally.

Vandenberg SFB is the U.S. Space Force’s west coast spaceport and test range. Vandenberg is one of only two high-capacity spaceports for the United States, providing strategic space access capabilities that deliver on-orbit systems for global space operations.  Guardians and Airmen have enabled more than 2060 launches from the Vandenberg spaceport to date.

SpaceX’s Thursday DoD’s USSF-62 Weather System Follow-on–Microwave mission

SpaceX is targeting Thursday, April 11 for Falcon 9’s launch of the USSF-62 mission to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The approximate 10-minute launch window opens at 7:25 a.m. PT. If needed, a backup opportunity is available Friday, April 12 with the same launch window.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about 15 minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live.

The Weather System Follow-on–Microwave (WSF-M) represents the next-generation operational environmental satellite system for the Department of Defense, providing critical and actionable environmental intelligence to military operations in all warfighting domains.

Designed to address three high-priority space-based environmental monitoring (SBEM) requirements, WSF-M will ultimately mitigate six existing SBEM gaps:

High Priority SBEM GapAdditional SBEM Gaps
Ocean surface vector windsSea ice characterization
Tropical cyclone intensitySoil moisture
LEO energetic charged particle characterizationSnow depth

This will be the third launch of the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

As the prime contractor for the WSF-M mission, BAE Systems is responsible for developing and integrating the entire system, including the instrument, spacecraft and ground system software.

At the heart of the WSF payload is the Microwave Imager (MWI) sensor that takes calibrated passive radiometric measurements at multiple microwave frequencies to determine sea surface winds, tropical cyclone intensity and additional environmental data. In addition, a government-provided Energetic Charged Particle (ECP) sensor will provide space weather measurements.

As the prime contractor for the WSF-M mission, BAE Systems is responsible for developing and integrating the entire system, including the instrument and spacecraft. More importantly, WSF-M will broadcast real-time and actionable environmental intelligence to military operations in all warfighter domains.

The WSF-M bus is based on the configurable platform, a proven, agile spacecraft with 50 years of on-orbit operations for affordable remote sensing applications. The low Earth orbit (LEO) space vehicle is capable of sensing, storing, and transmitting microwave raw sensor data to enable derivation of ocean surface vector wind (OSVW), tropical cyclone intensity (TCI), snow depth, soil moisture and sea ice characterization.

Astranis’ next generation product: Omega

Astranis has announced Omega which, according to the company, is pound-for-pound the most powerful communications satellite for a GEO satellite to ever offer, with more than over 50 Gbps in a smallsat form factor, with expectations for launch in 2026.

Astranis made their Omega announcement at the Space Symposium, currently in session in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Omega will fly an updated version of Astranis’s proprietary software-defined radio (SDR) which, when combined with other new payload technology, means a platform with more than 50 Gbps of dedicated, uncontended capacity.

For Astranis’ commercial customers, Omega will mean advanced capabilities and lower prices for, by combining new technology and leveraging the Astranis-built hardware currently operating on orbit. For Astranis’ U.S. government customers, Omega supports the Protected Tactical Waveform and other government waveforms to operate in contested environments. The satellite platform also has a gimballed Q-/V-band antenna, greatly improving operational flexibility, and can alternatively shift gateway traffic to a Ka-band payload feed when needed.

Astranis launched its first satellite in 2023 and has announced an additional nine programs launching over the next 18 months. The first Omega flight vehicle will be complete in 2025, and the first Omega satellite will launch in 2026.

“Omega is a leap forward,” said Astranis CEO John Gedmark, “offering an industry-best throughput per kg without sacrificing the things our customers love about Astranis. With Omega, our customers simply get more throughput at lower prices, faster than ever before. How did we do it? Speed. About half of our first satellite was built in house, the most recent satellites coming off of the line are closer to 60%, and Omega will be about 70% built in house. We have hired 300+ of the most talented engineers in the country, and we all feel an immense urgency to build great things to help connect our commercial customers and support the U.S. warfighter.”

ULA’s success story — Delta IV Heavy’s last launch on an NROL-70 mission

ULA’s cameras wobbled as the Delta IV Heavy engines roared in the first second of liftoff.
Photo by Satnews taken from ULA video stream

ULA’s final launch of their Delta IV Heavy is picture perfect hoisting the NROL-70 mission.

Then came… “For the final time, this is Delta Launch Control, signing off.“

April 9, 4:30 PM – UPDATE: Following is a statement from ULA

Marking the End of an Era, United Launch Alliance Successfully
Launches Final Delta IV Heavy Rocket 

Future of heavy lift advances to ULA’s Vulcan rocket  

The Delta program, spanning 60 years, came to a close with the launch of the final Delta IV Heavy rocket by United Launch Alliance (ULA) on April 9 at 12:53 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The rocket, carrying the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office, marks the end of the Delta era and initiates the future of heavy lift on ULA’s next generation Vulcan rocket. 

“Thank you to our teammates past and present for their dedication to these critical national security missions,” said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. “The Delta IV Heavy rocket was a workhorse for the NRO, launching 12 missions delivering critical national security payloads. The NROL-70 mission marked our 35th successful launch with the NRO and we look forward to continuing our partnership launching future national security space missions.” 

“The Delta rocket played a pivotal role in the evolution of space flight since the 1960s,” said Tory Bruno, ULA’s president and CEO. “This final Delta mission signals ULA’s evolution to the new Vulcan rocket, providing even higher performance than our three-core Delta IV Heavy rocket in a single-core rocket to launch heavy-class missions for the nation. We will continue to deliver our superior reliability and unprecedented orbital precision for all our customers across the national security, civil and commercial markets.” 

ULA’s next launch is the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission for Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew program. The launch is planned for no earlier than May 6, 2024. 

 All rockets are not created equal. ULA is the nation’s most experienced, reliable and accurate launch service provider delivering unmatched value, a tireless drive to improve, and commitment to the extraordinary. Vulcan’s inaugural launch marked the beginning of a new era of space capabilities and provides higher performance and greater affordability while offering the world’s only high energy architecture rocket to deliver any payload, at any time, to any orbit. 

ULA ‘Tomorrow’s the Day’, Delta IV Heavy’s Swan Song on NROL-70 mission

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All is good for go for tomorrow’s final launch of the huge Delta IV for the NROL-70 mission.

“While we near the final liftoff, the Delta legacy will live on through Vulcan,” said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. “We also take this moment to celebrate the thousands of men and woman who made the Delta program such a success over the decades. We carry their lessons and wisdom with us into the future.”

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ULA’s Delta IV Heavy’s grand finale still a ‘Go’ for Tuesday’s NROL-70 mission

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Life’s a beach

Photo credit: United Launch Alliance

Everything continues to progress towards the ULA Delta IV Heavy launch carrying the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. The mission is planned to lift off on Tuesday, April 9 from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch is planned for 12:53 p.m. EDT. Friday’s forecast shows an 80 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. 

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Tower Roll: Delta IV Heavy NROL-70
The Mobile Service Tower (MST) rolls back from the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in preparation for launch from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance
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The snow leopard illustrates the quiet strength with which NRO provides an advantage to the nation and its allies.


Launch Forecast Summary:

Overall probability of violating weather constraints: 20%
Primary concerns: Ground Winds, Cumulus Cloud Rule, Thick Cloud Layers Rule
Overall probability of violating weather constraints for 24-hour delay: 25%
Primary concern: Ground Winds, Thick Cloud Layers Rule, Cumulus Cloud Rule

NROL-70 will launch from Space Launch Complex-37 (SLC-37) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. SLC-37 was built in 1962 as Complex 37 to support the Saturn 1 and Saturn 1B programs. Between 1964 and 1968, it supported a total of eight unmanned Saturn launches but was eventually mothballed in 1971. In 1998, Boeing retrofitted it to launch the then-new Delta IV. The first Delta IV Heavy launch from SLC-37 was in December 2004. NROL-70 will be the eleventh Delta IV Heavy launch from Cape Canaveral, and the final Delta IV heavy launch in history.

Fingers crossed for Tuesday’s ULA grand finale launch of Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-70 mission

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(Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida) – The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office is now planned for Tuesday, April 9 at 12:53 p.m. EDT, pending range approval.

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense, Space & Security. ULA was formed in December 2006 by combining the teams at these companies which provide spacecraft launch services to the government of the United States. ULA launches from both coasts of the US. They launch their Atlas V vehicle from LC-41 in Cape Canaveral and LC-3E at Vandeberg. Their Delta IV launches from LC-37 at Cape Canaveral and LC-6 at Vandenberg.

ULA Delta IV Heavy scrubbed at T-00:03:58 update to ‘issue’

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Photo from ULA launch of Delta IV Heavy, June 2023 NROL-68 from Cape

THURSDAY EVENING UPDATE TO THE FORMER ANNOUNCEMENT:

The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office was scrubbed due to an issue with the gaseous nitrogen pipeline which provides pneumatic pressure to the launch vehicle systems.

The team continues to troubleshoot the pipeline and more time is needed to instill confidence in the system. We will continue to work with our customer to confirm our next launch attempt and a new launch date will be provided upon resolution.


Earlier on Thursday afternoon: The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office was scrubbed today due to an issue with a liquid pump failure on the gaseous nitrogen pipeline which provides pneumatic pressure to the launch vehicle systems. 

Seconds after the launch teams were coming out the final planned hold and into the final four minutes of the countdown, a hold was called and teams prepared to unload the propellant from the vehicle. The team continues to troubleshoot the pipeline and more time is needed to instill confidence in the system.


We will continue to work with our customer to confirm our next launch attempt from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, and a new date will be provided upon resolution.

This is the 16th and final launch of a Delta IV Heavy rocket.

In a statement on social media, ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno explained the situation was a bit of a one, two punch.

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“We exceeded the limit for winds and had to call a hold with a four-minute recycle,” Bruno said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “During the hold a Cape GN2 (gaseous nitrogen) pipeline ground pump failed causing a scrub. See you tomorrow.”

ULA then said they would do a 24-hour turnaround, and the launch was planned for 1:37 p.m. Friday.

But Bruno later posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the “pump failed again … Stand by.”

Just before 8 p.m., ULA said they’d be standing down to continue to work on the pipeline.

“The team continues to troubleshoot the pipeline and more time is needed to instill confidence in the system,” the company said in a statement. “We will continue to work with our customer to confirm our next launch attempt and a new date will be provided upon resolution.”

According to the Federal Aviation Administration there is launch attempt availability on Monday at 1:25 p.m., but it’s unknown whether ULA will be ready for that launch window.

Launch Date and Time: TBD

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Thursday’s historic launch of NROL-70 relates a partnership between the NRO and ULA that began with the first launch in 2006 that now totals 34 consecutive successes.

ULA’s Wednesday update reads:
Everything continues to progress towards the ULA Delta IV Heavy launch carrying the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. The mission is planned to lift off on Thursday, March 28 from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch is planned for 1:40 p.m. EDT. 

Today’s forecast shows a 30 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. 

Launch Forecast Summary:

Overall probability of violating weather constraints: 70%

Primary concerns: Ground Winds and Cumulus Cloud Rule

Overall probability of violating weather constraints for 24-hour delay: 40%

Primary concern: Ground Winds

Launch Readiness Review completed

Leadership from ULA, the National Reconnaissance Office and the Space Force today convened the Launch Readiness Review (LRR) for the NROL-70 mission by a Delta IV Heavy rocket. The meeting concluded with a unanimous “ready” for Thursday’s launch.

Liftoff is planned for 1:40 p.m. EDT (1740 UTC) from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The LRR, led by ULA Launch Director Tom Heter III, took place in ULA’s Delta Operations Center at the Cape and virtually via teleconferencing to assess the readiness of the rocket and mission assets, the status of pre-flight processing work and previewed the weather forecast that calls for a 30 percent chance of acceptable conditions due to a passing cold front and strong winds behind the passage.

At the conclusion of the meeting, leaders were polled and then signed the Launch Readiness Certificate.

NROL-70 extends a partnership between the NRO and ULA that began with our very first launch in 2006 and now totals 34 consecutive successes.

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The triple-core Delta IV Heavy is the only operational rocket in the world today that possesses all necessary attributes to meet the stringent requirements to perform the NROL-70 mission. It will be the NRO’s 12th launch aboard ULA’s heavy-performance rocket, which is recognized for delivering high-priority missions for national security and NASA.

The payload aboard NROL-70 is designed, built and operated by the NRO in support of the agency’s national security mission to provide intelligence data to the United States senior policy makers, the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense.

United Launch Alliance will offer live comprehensive countdown coverage from the launch control center in our automatically-refreshing blog beginning Thursday at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 UTC), with continuing commentary all the way through liftoff.

Our live video broadcast of the launch can be viewed on this page side-by-side with the running text updates. The webcast begins at 1:15 p.m. EDT (1715 UTC).

At the request of our customer, live coverage will conclude after payload fairing jettison, approximately seven minutes into flight.

Delta IV Heavy NROL-70 mission information available here.   

L-2 and a grand finale on Thursday for ULA’s Delta IV Heavy in NROL-70 mission

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Celebrating the legacy of Delta
As preparations continue for the final launch of the Delta rocket, United Launch Alliance (ULA) salutes the generations of current and former Delta teammates who designed, built, assembled and launched this storied family of rockets for the past 63 years.

Everything continues to progress towards the ULA Delta IV Heavy launch carrying the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. The mission is planned to lift off on Thursday, March 28 from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch is planned for 1:40 p.m. EDT. Today’s forecast shows a 30 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. 

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Launch Vehicle on Stand: Delta IV Heavy
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket is raised vertically at the Space Launch Complex-37 pad in preparation to launch the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance


Launch Forecast Summary:

Overall probability of violating weather constraints: 70%

Primary concerns: Ground Winds and Cumulus Cloud Rule

Overall probability of violating weather constraints for 24-hour delay: 40%

Primary concern: Ground Winds

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As preparations continue for the final launch of the Delta rocket, United Launch Alliance (ULA) salutes the generations of current and former Delta teammates who designed, built, assembled and launched this storied family of rockets for the past 63 years.
 
Delta is completing its mission as ULA transitions to the new Vulcan rocket that incorporates some of the best attributes of both Delta and the Atlas fleets to continue assured access to space for the next era. 
 
“While we near the final liftoff, the Delta legacy will live on through Vulcan,” said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. “We also take this moment to celebrate the thousands of men and woman who made the Delta program such a success over the decades. We carry their lessons and wisdom with us into the future.”
 
Launch of the Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying the NROL-70 national security mission is planned for March 28 at 1:40 p.m. EDT (1740 UTC) from Space Launch Complex (SLC)-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

The Delta IV Heavy rocket is the pinnacle in our Delta family evolution. In more than six decades of use, Delta launch systems have succeeded through evolutionary design upgrades to meet the growing needs of the user community while maintaining high reliability.

Initiated in the late 1950s by NASA, the Delta program was derived from the Thor intermediate-range ballistic missile and used Vanguard components as the second and third stages to deliver a payload of 120 pounds (54 kg) to geosynchronous transfer orbit and 400 pounds (181 kg) to low-Earth orbit. 

When the first Delta rocket was launched, on May 13, 1960, from SLC-17 at Cape Canaveral, Dwight Eisenhower was president, the No. 1 song in the nation was “Stuck on You” by Elvis Presley and a loaf of bread cost approximately 20 cents.

While the inaugural launch was not a success, Delta quickly began establishing a record of excellence by launching the world’s first communications satellite, the first weather observatory and NASA’s Pioneer and Explorer scientific spacecraft.

The Delta legacy grew with launches of the Tiros and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) satellites that revolutionized weather forecasting. Delta launches of the first Telstar and Intelsat communications satellites enabled the now-famous TV phrase, “live, via satellite!” The Explorer research satellites provided data about energy fields and particles that could affect communications satellites, while NASA’s Pioneer probes undertook a long series of space exploration missions.

The rocket family has a remarkable success rate over six decades of flights, which numbers 388 launches to date. There have been 293 from the East Coast and 95 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. 

Through the years, Delta became bigger, more advanced and capable of carrying heavier satellites into Earth orbit and around the solar system. Design changes included larger first stage tanks, addition of strap-on solid rocket boosters, increased propellant capacity, an improved main engine, adoption of advanced electronics and guidance systems, and development of upper stage and satellite payload systems. 

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Delta became much larger and more capable.

Delta rockets have grown from 90 feet (27.4 m) in height and a mass of 112,000 pounds (50,800 kg) in the early days to today’s towering Delta IV Heavy at 235 feet (71.6 m) tall and weighing 1.6 million pounds (725,750 kg) at launch. Liftoff thrust also increased dramatically from 150,000 pounds (667 kiloNewtons) in 1960 to 2.1 million pounds (9,341 kiloNewtons) today.

The introduction of the Delta II on Valentine’s Day 1989 began the Global Positioning System (GPS) era by creating the operational constellation of navigation satellites in space. GPS created a worldwide utility that today touches the lives of people around the globe. Delta II launched four dozen GPS satellites in 20 years of launches to assemble and maintain the network and Delta IV launched seven advanced models in later years.

The beloved Delta II earned its place in history with 155 flights including eight missions to Mars for NASA. The plucky Spirit and Opportunity rovers got their starts by launching to the Red Planet atop a Delta.

Delta II also extended scientific pursuits to the planet Mercury with NASA’s MESSENGER orbiter, to small worlds in our solar system like the NEAR-Shoemaker that landed on the tiny asteroid called Eros, the Dawn spacecraft that explored Vesta and Ceres and Deep Impact that smashed into comet Tempel 1 to study its interior. The twin STEREO probes observed the Sun, the Stardust and Genesis missions returned samples of comet dust and the solar wind to Earth, the Kepler observatory discovered exoplanets in the galaxy and the Spitzer Space Telescope used infrared vision to scan the universe.

The Delta program’s commitment to vehicle improvement to meet customer needs culminated in the Delta IV family of launch vehicles, with a wide range of increasing capability.

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Delta IV Heavy is the pinnacle of the rocket family.

The Delta IV family of medium-to-heavy launch vehicles became operational in 2002. The first Delta IV launch, of Eutelsat’s W5 commercial satellite, took place on Nov. 20, 2002, and the first payload delivered for the U.S. Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program was the DSCS A3 communications satellite on March 10, 2003. ULA successfully launched the first operational Delta IV Heavy on Nov. 10, 2007, carrying a Defense Support Program satellite.

The Delta IV is the final chapter of the Delta family’s success story. There have been 44 Delta IV launches thus far, all successful, for the Air Force, Space Force, National Reconnaissance Office, NASA and commercial customers. The triple-barreled Delta IV Heavy became America’s trusted heavy-lifter, launching NASA’s first Orion spacecraft on an uncrewed flight test and sent the Parker Solar Probe to surf the atmosphere of the Sun.

Countdown to launch as ULA Delta IV Heavy NROL-70 Mission readies

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Everything continues to progress towards the ULA Delta IV Heavy launch carrying the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. The mission is planned to lift off on Thursday, March 28 from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch is planned for 1:40 p.m. EDT. Today’s forecast shows a 30 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. 

Mission Overview

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket is launching the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Liftoff will occur from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This is the 16th and final launch of a Delta IV Heavy rocket. 

The NRO develops and operates the world’s most capable and innovative overhead reconnaissance systems to collect intelligence for U.S. national security, and to support disaster relief and humanitarian efforts.

The NROL-70 mission will strengthen the NRO’s ability to provide a wide-range of timely intelligence information to national decision makers, warfighters, and intelligence analysts to protect the nation’s vital interests and support humanitarian efforts worldwide.

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R/S RocketShip Offload: Delta IV Heavy
Stages of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket for NROL-70 are delivered by the R/S RocketShip from the factory to Cape Canaveral, Florida, and taken to the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) for pre-launch processing. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance


Launch Forecast Summary:

Overall probability of violating weather constraints: 70%

Primary concerns: Cumulus Cloud Rule, Disturbed Weather Rule, Ground Winds

Overall probability of violating weather constraints for 24-hour delay: 40%

Primary concern: Ground Winds

Launch Vehicle

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Payload Fairing

The payload fairing (PLF) is a metallic trisector (three-piece shell), 5-meter diameter fairing. The PLF encapsulates the spacecraft to protect it from the launch environment on ascent. The vehicle’s height, with the 65-ft (19.8-m) long PLF, is approximately 235 ft (71.6 m).

Delta Cryogenic Second Stage (DCSS) 

The Delta Cryogenic Second Stage is a cryogenic liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen-fueled vehicle, powered by a single RL10C-2-1 engine that produces 24,750 lbs (110.1 kilo-Newtons) of thrust. The DCSS propellant tanks are structurally rigid and constructed of formed aluminum plate, spun-formed aluminum domes and aluminum ring forgings. The tanks are insulated with a spray-on insulation and helium-purged insulation blankets. An equipment shelf attached to the aft dome of the DCSS liquid oxygen tank provides the structural mountings for vehicle electronics.

Booster

The three Delta IV Heavy common booster core (CBC) tanks are structurally rigid and constructed of isogrid aluminum barrels, spun-formed aluminum domes and machined aluminum tank skirts. Delta IV booster propulsion is provided by the throttleable RS-68A engine system which burns cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, with each of the three booster engines delivering 705,250 lbs (312.3 kilo-Newtons) of thrust at sea level. The booster’s cryogenic tanks are insulated with a combination of spray-on and bond-on insulation and helium-purged insulation blankets. The booster is controlled by the DCSS avionics system, which provides guidance, flight control.

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Delta IV Heavy is readied for NROL-70. Photo is courtesy of
United Launch Alliance

The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and United Launch Alliance (ULA) are preparing to launch the NROL-70 mission aboard the final Delta IV Heavy rocket no earlier than March 28th from Space Launch Complex (SLC)-37B at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), Florida.

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The final Delta IV Heavy rocket takes its place atop Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral. Photo is courtesy of United Launch Alliance

The Delta family of launch vehicles have launched numerous payloads including military, government, and commercial weather, communications, and science satellites, robotic probes for exploration, eight Mars rovers, and one telescope, all of which have significantly contributed to our national defense, and a better understanding of our planet, solar system, and universe.

With this final launch of a Delta IV Heavy, the U.S. Space Force is ending a long and successful era of Delta family of space launch vehicles as the combined ULA, NRO, and Space Force team transitions to the more flexible and efficient ULA Vulcan rocket. NROL-70 will be the first of two final USSF missions for the NSSL Atlas V and Delta IV team.

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Assured Access to Space (AATS) is the program executive office within Space Systems Command that is responsible for delivering next-generation launch and on-orbit capabilities in support of the warfighter, combatant commands, intelligence agencies, civil services, allied nations, and the commercial space industry. AATS is also responsible for range sustainment programs supporting launch and test customers. Innovation focus areas include sub-orbital rapid strategic mobility, on-orbit servicing and maneuvering, mission lifecycle management and tactically responsive launch.

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In addition to working closely with industry to develop the next generation of space access capabilities and key technologies, AATS is leading the way to develop, maintain, integrate, and implement space mobility plans, policy, requirements, and capabilities to rapidly launch, sustain and reconstitute U.S. Space Force space assets. AATS manages 10,000+ personnel across two services, nine operating locations, two space and launch ranges and three tracking sites, supporting 100+ mission partner organizations. 

“Everything’s looking great and we’re on track to launch another vitally important national security capability into space. We’ve worked alongside ULA and in close coordination with our NRO partners to prepare this Delta IV Heavy, our last Delta ever, and in just a few days the team’s hard work will culminate in this highly anticipated and historic launch,” said Col. Jim Horne, senior materiel leader for SSC’s Launch Execution Delta. “These launches place critical capabilities into orbit for our nation and our allies in what are dynamic times for the space community. Every member of our launch team understands what’s at stake and works with care and efficiency to prepare for what’s going to be a tremendous launch.”

“I am very proud of the team’s dedication to our Delta and Atlas missions,” said Lt. Col. Alexander Jehle, SSC’s Atlas V/Delta IV Materiel Leader. “We are laser focused on ensuring a successful launch of the last Delta and last Atlas launches for National Security this year.”

Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force’s field command responsible for acquiring, developing, and delivering resilient capabilities to protect our nation’s strategic advantage in, from, and to space. SSC manages a $15.6 billion space acquisition budget for the Department of Defense and works in partnership with joint forces, industry, government agencies, academic and allied organizations to outpace emerging threats. Our actions today are making the world a better space for tomorrow.

Sierra Space launches Velocity, Horizon, and Titan satellite bus family

Sierra Space has launched the company’s new Sierra Space Eclipse satellite bus line.

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This cutting-edge series sets a new standard in Earth Observation (EO), servicing, mobility, logistics and communications. The Sierra Space Eclipse bus line comprises three distinct classes tailored to a wide range of missions: Eclipse Velocity, Eclipse Horizon, and Eclipse Titan, each designed to meet the rapidly evolving demands of the modern space industry.

“At Sierra Space, we are committed to innovating at speed,” said Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice. “The Sierra Space Eclipse line is a testament to our dedication to innovation, offering scalable solutions that can meet the needs of tomorrow’s space missions today. With Velocity, Horizon, and Titan, we are not just launching satellites; we are launching a new era of space commercialization.”

Eclipse Velocity
Revolutionizing the highly maneuverable small satellite sector, the Eclipse Velocity is a marvel of engineering, offering unparalleled efficiency and agility in a compact form. Designed for LEO, MEO and GEO missions, with integrated Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD) capabilities and full 6-DOF controls. Velocity is a fully refuellable system designed for dynamic space operations. Eclipse Velocity makes space more accessible than ever before.

Eclipse Horizon
The high-rate production satellite of the Eclipse line, Eclipse Horizon, is a versatile medium-class bus designed for a broad spectrum of missions, from missile warning and defense, advanced Earth observation, and communications. Eclipse Horizon stands as a beacon of reliability, affordability, and high-performance enabling horizon-to-horizon coverage for government and commercial constellation missions.

Eclipse Titan
Dominating the skies, the Eclipse Titan is the pinnacle of satellite technology. A large-class bus with unmatched capabilities, it is destined for high-demand tasks such as cislunar, GEO logistics, on-orbit re-fueling, mission support and satellite deployment.

The Sierra Space Eclipse series represents a significant leap forward in satellite technology, featuring state-of-the-art propulsion systems, integrated rendezvous, proximity operations and docking, advanced communication capabilities, and robust power management. All capabilities are housed within scalable platforms that can be customized to unique mission requirements as a tailorable bus or as a fully integrated spacecraft.

“Our Sierra Space Eclipse product line is manufactured in a high-rate production system, with the ability to be refuellable on orbit, enabling the next generation of satellites designed for dynamic space operations,” said Erik Daehler, Vice President of Sierra Space Orbital Missions and Services.

Sierra Space has a legacy of nearly 30 years of experience designing, manufacturing and successfully delivering space systems, components, and spacecraft on-orbit. The company’s Orbital Missions and Services team has designed, produced, and launched 23 space vehicles and supported more than 400 successful space and interplanetary missions with subsystems and components.

About Sierra Space
Sierra Space is a leading commercial space company at the forefront of innovation and the commercialization of space in the Orbital Age®, building an end-to-end business and technology platform in space to benefit life on Earth. With more than 30 years and 500 missions of space flight heritage, the company is reinventing both space transportation with Dream Chaser®, the world’s only commercial spaceplane, and the future of space destinations with the company’s inflatable and expandable space station technology. Using commercial business models, the company is also delivering orbital services to commercial, DoD and national security organizations, expanding production capacity to meet the needs of constellation programs. In addition, Sierra Space builds a host of systems and subsystems across solar power, mechanics and motion control, environmental control, life support, propulsion and thermal control, offering myriad space-as-a-service solutions for the new space economy.