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SpaceX scrubs Junteenth launch of SES ASTRA 1P again

West Antenna test in the Near Field Test Range (NFTR) in Toulouse facility
Credit: Thales Alenia Space

SpaceX is now targeting Thursday, June 20 for a Falcon 9 launch of the SES ASTRA 1P mission to geosynchronous transfer orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The two-hour and 49-minute launch window opens at 5:35 p.m. ET. If needed, a backup opportunity is available on Friday, June 21 at the same time.

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

This is the ninth flight of the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Ax-2, Euclid, Ax-3, CRS-30, and four 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.

SpaceX

It is noted that due to the recent scrubs that include a last minute launch halt and several weather situations that the Space Coast is now in launch drought with the last launch on Friday, June 7 of Starlink satellites.

SpaceX scrubs Tuesday’s SES ASTRA 1P launch until Junteenth, Florida weather permitting

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Astra 1P and 1Q artist rendition. Credit SES.

SpaceX offers the following statement, “Standing down from today’s launch of the @SES_Satellites ASTRA 1P mission due to unfavorable weather conditions in Florida. Now targeting tomorrow, June 19 for liftoff → http://spacex.com/launches.”

Perhaps the rest of the week will necessitate scrubs due to the following report:

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Forecast Discussion: Dominant easterly flow will continue through the rest of this week as an easterly wave draws nearer. Wind speeds will be in the 25-30mph range for a Wednesday night launch attempt, with gusts potentially reaching 35-40mph within any shower activity.

A significant moisture increase is expected on Thursday and into Friday morning with the arrival of the easterly wave. Winds will turn more northeasterly, and trend down to the 18-23mph range. The primary concern on a Thursday evening launch attempt will be a Cumulus Cloud and/or Anvil Cloud violation as moisture converges over the Space Coast creating widespread showers and potential convection.

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Astra 1P, a classic wide-beam satellite, will replace aging satellites in SES’s 19.2° East prime video neighborhood. The new satellite will ensure content owners, private and public broadcasters across Germany, France and Spain to continue broadcasting satellite TV channels in the highest-picture quality in the most cost-efficient manner. It will be based on the full electric and powerful Spacebus NEO platform developed by Thales Alenia Space and already flight proven in orbit.

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ASTRA 1P integration of RF hardware in the North half module in Toulouse clean room
Credit: Thales Alenia Space.

This mission marks the first time an Astra satellite will be launched by SpaceX.

The successful launch of Astra 1P will be a significant milestone for both SES and SpaceX. It will allow SES to maintain its leading position in the European satellite TV market, while SpaceX will continue to demonstrate its capabilities as a reliable and cost-effective launch provider.

SpaceX to launch two on Tuesday with SES ASTRA 1P mission from Florida

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SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, June 18 for a Falcon 9 launch of the SES ASTRA 1P mission to geosynchronous transfer orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The two-hour and 49-minute launch window opens at 5:35 p.m. ET. If needed, a backup opportunity is available Wednesday, June 19 with the same window.

SES states that the new satellites will provide replacement capacity for ageing satellites and increase our available capacity.

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

This is the ninth flight of the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Ax-2, Euclid, Ax-3, CRS-30, and four 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.

Lockheed Martin to develop next generation weather satellite constellation

Image is courtesy of Northrop Grumman.

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has been selected by NASA to develop and build the nation’s next generation weather satellite constellation, Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO), for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

The baseline contract is for three spacecraft with options for four additional spacecraft. The total estimated value of the contract including options is $2.27 billion.

Conceptual rendition of the GeoXO constellation, courtesy of NOAA.

The GeoXO mission will continue and expand upon critical observations of weather provided by the Lockheed Martin-built GOES-R Series geostationary satellites to include new observations of our oceans and air pollution. GeoXO’s new capabilities will deliver more accurate weather forecasting and address emerging environmental issues and challenges that threaten our economy and safety. GeoXO and the nation’s weather satellites are vital infrastructure for national resilience.

“Our team is excited and ready to move forward to design and field this critical national capability,” said Kyle Griffin, vice president and general manager of Commercial Civil Space at Lockheed Martin. “Our GeoXO design draws heavily from what we’ve learned with GOES-R spacecraft over the last 15 years, while incorporating new, digital technologies not only onboard the vehicles but in the design and development of this powerful, weather-monitoring platform of the future.” 

GeoXO represents an expansion of our nation’s geostationary weather satellite enterprise, its capabilities and continued U.S. technological leadership. The geostationary constellation will help NOAA provide better, more accurate information on severe weather patterns, marine ecosystems, air quality and our changing climate.

With new instruments onboard, the observatories will have a major impact including: the first geostationary observations of our coastal ecosystems that supports resilient coastal communities, near real-time hyperspectral sounding to map the state of the atmosphere, enhanced lightning observations for severe convection monitoring, and continental U.S.-wide observations of harmful pollutants in the air we breathe.

The first GeoXO launch is planned for the early 2030s and will maintain and advance NOAA’s critical geostationary observations through the late 2050s. 

The GeoXO spacecraft is based on Lockheed Martin’s modernized LM2100™ satellite bus, which provides more performance and flexibility for addressing NOAA’s mission needs over the coming decades. The platform features SmartSatTM technology that enables new software pushes and capabilities as environmental data needs change over time.

For more than 50 years, Lockheed Martin has built and launched more than 120 weather and environmental spacecraft for our government’s civil and military agencies.

The GOES-R mission provided the first lightning observations from GEO, the ability to detect remote wildland fire ignitions, and unprecedented tracking of severe weather that have proven indispensable to the nation and sets a new bar for future expectations from the public, forecasters, and researchers who depend on the geostationary weather mission.

The launch of the fourth and final spacecraft in the series, GOES-U, is scheduled for June 25, 2024, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Gilat to acquire Stellar Blu

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (Nasdaq: GILT, TASE: GILT) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Stellar Blu Solutions LLC, which will become a core component of Gilat’s IFC growth strategy.

Stellar Blu’s Sidewinder ESA terminal.

Stellar Blu Solutions is a U.S.-based leading avionics solution provider of next generation SATCOM terminal solutions. The acquisition is a significant step in Gilat’s initiative to increase its presence in the growing IFC market. Gilat expects its annual revenues from the acquired business to range between $100 to $150 million, starting in 2025, based on Stellar Blu’s existing backlog. The acquisition is expected to be accretive on a non GAAP basis starting the second half of 2025.

Gilat will pay an initial cash payment of $98 million at closing, subject to customary adjustments, and up to an additional $147 million payable in cash, subject to the achievement of post-closing financial and business goals. Gilat intends to finance the acquisition with its existing cash reserves and an external credit facility.

The transaction has been approved by Gilat’s Board of Directors and by Stellar Blu Solutions Board of Managers. The closing of the transaction is subject to certain regulatory approvals, including the receipt of clearance from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the HSR Act, as well as other customary closing conditions. The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2024.

Stellar Blu Solutions specializes in the development of specialized connectivity, network, and electronics solutions for satellite networks. The Stellar Blu “Sidewinder” solution is novel in its open architecture, full ESA terminal optimized to enable the performance and cost advantages of multi-orbit strategies. The Sidewinder architecture is modular and easily extensible into other aerospace, and mobility applications. The Stellar Blu platform has been selected by Intelsat, Panasonic, OneWeb and others, to provide next generation SATCOM solution offerings. Through this network of partners, the Stellar Blu solution has been embraced by some of the world’s largest airlines.

“Stellar Blu Solutions is a leading U.S.-based avionics solution provider, delivering ESA satcom terminals to the world’s largest IFC service providers,” said Adi Sfadia, Gilat’s CEO. “The acquisition is a major milestone in Gilat’s growth strategy to expand its business further into the IFC market. Moreover, we believe that with Gilat’s global reach, we can bring Stellar Blu’s innovative solutions to other high-end mobility markets in need of an ESA solution. Jointly, we will provide Stellar Blu customers with a comprehensive support network. We see strong synergies between the companies and are looking forward to working with Stellar Blu Solutions’ leadership in support of these world class customers.”

“We are proud of our Stellar Blu team for getting the company positioned to join Gilat and expect that unified with Gilat’s resources, leadership position in the SATCOM market and its vast international reach, Stellar Blu will be well placed to continue its growth and product breakthrough,” said Tracy Trent, CEO of Stellar Blu Solutions. “We believe Stellar Blu’s innovative open architecture products, and significant leadership within the IFC market will strongly enhance Gilat’s strategy in this sector.”

Rocket Lab and Kinéis count down to Europe’s first launch of IoT constellation of 25 nanosatellites

A new constellation will be launched in the skies over New Zealand. Its deployment remains an actual collective space exploit, deserving of all the gold medals!

Rocket Lab’s Electron is scheduled to launch France’s “No Time Toulouse” IoT mission on June 20, 2024, 8:13 PM CEST, 6:13 PM UTC, or 6:13 AM PST, on June, 21. This 1st launch will orbit the first 5 nanosatellites of our constellation dedicated to IoT.

At a time when 85% of the planet is not covered by terrestrial networks, Kinéis connectivity makes possible to monitor infrastructures, track assets, anticipate breakdowns, prevent fires… anywhere on the globe. With near-real-time information at your fingertips, you can take informed decisions, to minimize risks, manage and optimize your activities: a real revolution

Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO said, “We’re excited to launch Kinéis on the first of five dedicated Electron launches. Electron is perfectly suited to deploying constellations as we can deliver spacecraft to multiple orbital planes across multiple missions, and we’re proud to make this possible for the team at Kinéis.”

Kinéis has selected the American company of New Zealand origin Rocket Lab and its Electron small launch vehicle, dedicated to access to space for small satellites. Rocket Lab has been operating regular flights with Electron since 2017. This first launch for Kinéis corresponds to the 50th launch of the Electron launch vehicle.

Electron has strong flight heritage after seven years of launches and meets the constraints of the Kinéis constellation, which is positioned on 5 precisely defined orbital planes. With 5 satellites placed in orbit per launch, Kinéis is the sole passenger on each of the five launches, enabling it to control its launch schedule and improve the operability of satellite positioning.

There will be five launches in eight months, an exceptional rate for Rocket Labs’ abilities. The 5 launches required to deploy the Kinéis constellation are scheduled to take place between June 2024 and early 2025, a first for the new French space sector. The launches will take place from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on the Māhia Peninsula on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. The Rocket Lab mission Control Centre is located in Auckland, the country’s economic capital, around 500 km from the launch base.

As a result of the finished constellation of 25 nanosatellites, Kinéis’ mission is to connect an object anywhere in the world (including black points) and transmit useful data to users, in near real time, from any point on the globe.

Kinéis operates for a global market (with subsidiaries in the United States, Brazil and Singapore) in fields that represent major challenges for mankind, its activities and its environment today: prevention of natural risks (detection of forest fires, floods, drought, pollution, etc.), agriculture, traceability of wild and farmed animals, monitoring of infrastructures and energy networks, monitoring of transport and logistics, monitoring of commercial and scientific maritime activities. The applications are infinite and the benefits considerable: risk reduction, anticipation of breakdowns, optimization of activities, etc.

Rocket Lab to launch France’s “No Time Toulouse” IoT mission

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Kinéis nanosatellite during vibrations tests, in Toulouse ©Kinéis_ThierrydePrada2023

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A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch the “No Time Toulouse” mission on June 19 (2:13 p.m. EDT, 1813 UTC on June 18), the first of five dedicated flights on behalf of Kinéis, a French Internet-of-Things company, which also has financial backing from France’s space agency, CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales). The rocket will carry the first five Internet-of-Things (IOT) satellites of a 25-satellite constellation. Rocket Lab will send Electron from Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand.

Kinéis, satellite operator and connectivity provider for the Internet of Things (IoT), is deploying the 1st European constellation dedicated to the IoT, comprising 25 nanosatellites. The first of the 5 launches is scheduled for Tuesday 18 June 2024 (time confirmed 24 hours in advance), from New Zealand. The aim is to put 5 satellites into orbit. This launch phase comes just four years after the company raised a historic €100 million in funding

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On the occasion of this 1st launch, Alexandre Tisserant, Chairman of Kinéis, said, ”Kinéis is proud and confident to entrust the deployment of its IoT constellation to Rocket Lab. The Electron launcher meets
our technical requirements for positioning the 5 nanosatellites for each of our 5 launches. Kinéis is leading the IoT revolution thanks to its space connectivity, which will enable any object to be connected anywhere in the world.”

This 1st launch will orbit the first 5 nanosatellites of our constellation dedicated to IoT.

At a time when 85% of the planet is not covered by terrestrial networks, Kinéis connectivity makes it possible to monitor infrastructures, track assets, anticipate breakdowns, prevent fires… anywhere on the globe. With near-real-time information at your fingertips, you can take informed decisions, to minimize risks, manage and optimize your activities: a real revolution!

Synspective signs MLA with Rocket Lab

Synspective Inc. has signed their largest launch agreement to date, that being a ten launch deal with Rocket Lab.

Synspective founder and CEO Dr. Motoyuki Arai, Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck, and New Zealand’s Prime Minister, the Right Honorable Christopher Luxon, attended the announcement event at the Tokyo Imperial Hotel. Luxon is on his first visit to Japan as Prime Minister, leading a business delegation to meet investors and strengthen bilateral ties.


The signing ceremony between Synspective and Rocket Lab.

Rocket Lab has been the sole launch provider for Synspective’s StriX constellation, successfully deploying four, StriX satellites across four, dedicated Electron launches since 2020. In addition to the 10 new dedicated launches just signed, another two launches for Synspective have already been booked and are scheduled for launch this year from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The launches in the new deal will occur across 2025 and 2027.

Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.

By launching as the dedicated payload on Electron, Synspective controls the launch schedule and the precise deployment parameters for each satellite. This enables the company to build a satellite constellation on its terms and maximize coverage for its partners and customers.

Dr. Motoyuki Arai, Synspective founder and CEO, said, “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Rocket Lab to launch 10 new satellites. This agreement gives us a solid foundation and confidence, as Rocket Lab is an innovative launch provider. We look to accelerate building our satellite constellation and expand our services in the future. We appreciate Rocket Lab’s significant role in moving our business forward. We will continue to build an analytics platform that enables visualization and analysis of global environmental and economic activities, starting with constructing a SAR satellite constellation. These efforts will help make human activities sustainable for our generation and address the challenges of a changing global environment and depleting resources.”

“We are honored that the Synspective team has once again entrusted Rocket Lab with the deployment of their constellation and we’re proud to be their launch partner for another ten missions, our largest launch agreement to date. Japan’s space industry is one of the fastest growing globally and we’re excited to be enabling this growth through the unique collaboration of a U.S. rocket and a New Zealand launch site, delivering an unprecedented level of tailored access to orbit for Japanese small satellites,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck

Prime Minister of New Zealand, Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, said, “New Zealand innovation in space technology is rapidly putting our country on the map in this fast-growing industry. I am very pleased to witness the signing of this significant agreement during my first visit to Japan as Prime Minister – it is a clear demonstration of the many opportunities to grow trade and prosperity between our two nations. Collaboration with international partners is critical to enabling our space industry to maximise its potential on the global stage.”

Missile Defense Agency satellites track first hypersonic launch

An artist’s depiction shows L3Harris Technologies’ tracking layer satellite, designed to track and target hypersonic weapons from space. (L3Harris Technologies)

The Defense Department’s advanced missile tracking satellites logged their first views of a hypersonic flight test this week, according to the Missile Defense Agency.

MDA didn’t disclose the date of the flight, which took off from Wallops Island in Virginia.

“Initial reports show the sensors successfully collected data after launch,” the agency said in a June 14 statement. “MDA will continue to assess flight data over the next several weeks.”

L3Harris and Northrop Grumman each built one of the Missile Defense Agency’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor spacecraft, which will work with the Space Development Agency’s tracking layer satellites to track hypersonic weapons. (L3Harris)

The two Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor satellites are part of the Space Development Agency’s constellation of spacecraft designed to detect and observe hypersonic weapons or vehicles, which can travel at speeds of Mach 5 or higher.

The agencies have 10 missile tracking satellites in orbit — eight from SDA and two from MDA. SDA did not immediately confirm whether its satellites also tracked the launch.

While the MDA and SDA sensors were developed through separate programs, future tranches of SDA spacecraft will combine the capabilities, incorporating the medium-field-of-view sensor featured on the HBTSS satellites. The HBTSS sensors are can track dimmer targets and send data to interceptors.

The constellation will eventually include 100 satellites providing global coverage of advanced missile launches. For now, the handful of spacecraft offers limited coverage. SDA Director Derek Tournear told reporters in April that coordinating tracking opportunities for the satellites is a challenge because they have to be positioned over the venue where missile tests are being performed.

An artist’s rendering of the Dart AE, a high-speed test aircraft built by Australian company, Hypersonix. (Hypersonix)

He noted that along with tracking routine Defense Department test flights, the satellites are also scanning global hot spots for missile activity as they orbit the Earth.

The flight the satellites tracked was the first for MDA’s Hypersonic Testbed, or HTB-1. The vehicle serves as a platform for various hypersonic experiments and advanced components and joins a growing inventory of high-speed flight test systems. That includes the Test Resource Management Center’s Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed and the Defense Innovation Unit’s Hypersonic and High-Cadence Airborne Testing Capabilities program.

MDA hasn’t disclosed much detail about HTB, including what company or companies developed the system. In a statement, the agency’s director highlighted the capability the testbed will offer across the hypersonic enterprise.

“This test was a huge success for MDA and our partners, marking the beginning of an affordable test bed to conduct hypersonic experiments. HTB-1 represents a significant step forward in hypersonic testing capability,” Lt. Gen. Heath Collins said. “HTB will allow the U.S. to pursue a broad range of state of the art technologies able to operate reliably in hypersonic flight environments.”

Courtney Albon

By Courtney Albon C4ISRNET
Courtney Albon is C4ISRNET’s space and emerging technology reporter. She has covered the U.S. military since 2012, with a focus on the Air Force and Space Force. During that time, she reported on some of the Defense Department’s most significant acquisition, budget and policy challenges, including the F-35 jet, hypersonic capabilities and the creation of the Space Force.

SpaceX dramatic scrub as engines ignite for Flag Day Starlink fourth attempt at launch

Abort! as engines have ignited and clamps are released
Photo captured on Friday, June 14, by Satnews from SpaceX’s video stream.

“Standing down from today’s Falcon 9 launch. A new target launch date will be shared once available.”
Still no public announcement on why the rocket’s launch process halted quickly after engines ignited.

SpaceX is targeting a Falcon 9 launch of 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. A target launch date will be shared once available.

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

This is the 16th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched SES-22, ispace’s HAKUTO-R MISSION 1, Amazonas-6, CRS-27, Bandwagon-1, and 10 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.

SpaceX hopes better weather for Flag Day Starlink launch of 22 smallsats

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“SpaceX is targeting Friday, June 14 for a Falcon 9 launch of 22 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 4:35 p.m. ET with opportunities available until 8:19 p.m. ET.”

Originally the SpaceX launch of 22 more of its Starlink broadband satellites that were to orbit from Florida’s Space Coast was set for June 12. That was scrubbed and rolled over to June 13, and now, due to inclimate Florida weather again, Thursday is scrubbed and is tentatively planned for Friday, June 14, Flag Day.

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

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Mission: Exploit the weather to assure safe access to air and space.

This is the 16th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched SES-22, ispace’s HAKUTO-R MISSION 1, Amazonas-6, CRS-27, Bandwagon-1, and 10 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.

The 45th Weather Squadron is forecasting a 95% chance of creating a Range Violation Thursday, meaning a mere 5% chance of acceptable conditions throughout the launch window. On Thursday, conditions improve slightly: 15% “Go”, with an 85%” Probability of Violation.

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In their discussion, the 45th Weather Squadron states, “Daytime heating and the presence of the boundary will once again kick off numerous showers and storms by mid Friday afternoon with the exact location of activity dependent on how much north-northeasterly flow we see behind the boundary. Models continue to show the tendency for any activity to be inland of the Spaceport, especially heading further into the launch window. Anvil level flow will still be out of the west-northwest, though less robust than this evening, meaning that even with activity to the southwest anvil may still reach the Spaceport and these will remain the primary concern.”

Anvils are of course thunderclouds — they may or may not produce rain and/or thunder and lightning, but they do have enormous potential energy — and rockets are well known to create lightning strikes. That in mind, the 45th and launch providers won’t launch if one is within a given distance of the launch pad. The risk of a lightning bolt creating a bad day is too high.

SpaceX’s bad hat trick of three scrubs in a row as Thursday’s launch was called due to weather again

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Originally the SpaceX launch of 22 more of its Starlink broadband satellites that were to orbit from Florida’s Space Coast was set for June 12. That was scrubbed and rolled over to June 13, and now, due to inclimate Florida weather again, Thursday is scrubbed and is tentatively planned for Friday, June 14, Flag Day.

“SpaceX is targeting Friday, June 14 for a Falcon 9 launch of 22 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 4:35 p.m. ET with opportunities available until 8:19 p.m. ET.”

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

This is the 16th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched SES-22, ispace’s HAKUTO-R MISSION 1, Amazonas-6, CRS-27, Bandwagon-1, and 10 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.

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Photo captured on Friday, June 7, by Satnews from SpaceX’s video stream.

SpaceX scrubbed Wednesday’s launch and will attempt on Thursday batch of Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after a scrub on Wednesday. The delay is due to weather conditions that remained ‘poor’. Tropical downpours deluged Florida and a possibility of 4-6 inches in some Central Florida areas.

This next liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket is now scheduled for 4:46 p.m. at Space Launch Complex 40.

The forecast noted that the storms will be keeping things wet and unsettled through the remainder of the week with perhaps another scrub on Thursday.

The first-stage booster being used in the mission will make its 16th flight, having previously gone up with Bandwagon-1, CRS-27, Amazonas-6 and 10 Starlink launches among others, SpaceX said.

SpaceX Starlink to launch smallsats Wednesday

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Photo captured on Tuesday, June 4, by Satnews from SpaceX’s video stream.

Wednesday, June 12, 2:08 PM – 6:36 PM PDT from Cape Canaveral, Florida, SpaceX will launch a batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

Space Launch Complex 40 has launched 247 rockets, including 247 orbital launch attempts, while Cape Canaveral, Florida, has been the site for 959 rocket launches.

SpaceX will add Starlink v2 Mini satellites to the Starlink constellation with the second batch of Group 10 satellites to orbit.

The booster will land on one of SpaceX’s two autonomous droneships approximately 600 km downrange. Neither the booster nor the support vessels are known at this time.

SSC awards 3 contracts for National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1

The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) awarded National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 contracts to Blue Origin, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA). The base Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) award includes Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Task Orders to each awardee to conduct an initial capabilities assessment and provide an explanation of how they will approach tailored mission assurance.

Mission Assurance is the extensive integration and sharing of methods, resources, tools and results between commercial launch service providers and the government to maximize the probability of launch success. Tailored Mission Assurance is a tiered approach based on the needed breadth and depth of understanding of the launch vehicle baseline and the associated risks to the mission. 

New provider Blue Origin will receive $5 million to conduct an initial capabilities assessment and understand how the launch provider will approach tiered mission assurance; Space X and ULA will receive $1.5 million each as they are incumbent Phase 2 providers and SSC already understands their launch systems and approaches to mission assurance.

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In conjunction with the IDIQ award, SSC will release two Requests for Proposals: one task order for seven U.S. Space Force Space Development Agency launches and one for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Any launch provider on the base IDIQ contract can bid for launch service task orders provided they have completed a successful orbital launch prior to the proposal due date.

The Phase 3 Lane 1 award period consists of a five-year base ordering period from FY25 to FY29 plus a five-year option. At least 30 NSSL Lane 1 missions are expected to be competed over the five-year base ordering period.

The second part of the NSSL Phase 3 dual-lane strategy will be the Lane 2 competitively awarded FFP Indefinite Delivery Requirements contracts. The Government intends to award up to three contracts for the NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 Launch Service Procurement later this fall. Lane 2 contracts will include missions that require full mission assurance with NSSL-certified launch vehicles. The payloads included in Lane 2 require launches to more stressing orbits than Lane 1, necessitating higher performance launch systems, and complex security and integration requirements.

“As the Space Force continues to streamline processes and increase resiliency, the NSSL Phase 3 Launch Service Procurement contracts provide the opportunity to include the most current domestic commercial innovation into our launch program as soon it becomes available,” said Mr. Frank Calvelli, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration. “Today marks the beginning of this innovative, dual-lane approach to launch service acquisition, whereby Lane 1 serves our commercial-like missions that can accept more risk and Lane 2 provides our traditional, full mission assurance for the most stressing heavy-lift launches of our most risk-averse missions.” 

“As we anticipated, the pool of awardees is small this year because many companies are still maturing their launch capabilities,” said Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, program executive officer for Assured Access to Space. “Our strategy accounted for this by allowing on-ramp opportunities every year, and we expect increasing competition and diversity as new providers and systems complete development.” The next opportunity for providers to on-ramp their emerging systems to the Lane 1 IDIQ contract will occur in the first quarter of fiscal year 25, followed by several more Task Orders for launch services. In this era of Great Power Competition, we designed Lane 1 to leverage commercial innovation and give the Space Force increased resiliency through diversity of launch providers, systems, and sites. Launching more risk-tolerant satellites on potentially less mature launch systems using tailored independent government mission assurance could yield substantial operational responsiveness, innovation, and savings“

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

Scout Space signs LSA for SDA satellite with ABL Space Systems

Scout Space Inc. has signed a Launch Services Agreement (LSA) with ABL Space Systems, an aerospace and launch service provider based in El Segundo, California.

This agreement secures the launch of Scout’s “Owlet-01,” a dedicated 16U Space Domain Awareness (SDA) satellite, as the primary customer payload on ABL’s third flight of its RS1 launch vehicle scheduled for later this year.

The Owlet-01 launch represents a significant milestone for Scout Space, as this is the first standalone operational SDA satellite to be launched by the company, featuring the firm’s Owl, long-range, optical telescope and payload system. The mission aims to substantially de-risk critical elements of the Owl family of payloads, including its core optical design, while also demonstrating fundamental segments of Scout’s software stack, including on orbit demonstration of key algorithms and autonomy functionality. 

The partnership between Scout Space and ABL Space Systems signifies a notable advancement in space security and domain awareness. With this launch, both companies are set to make substantial contributions to the evolving landscape of space operations and safety.

The Owl is a long-range space domain awareness optical sensor designed to enhance missions with advanced space domain awareness capabilities. It provides on-board object detection and orbit determination.

“We are thrilled to partner with ABL Space Systems for this pivotal launch,” said Philip Hover-Smoot, CEO of Scout Space. “This mission will not only validate our Owl product line of optical payload systems but also demonstrate the advanced capabilities of our data exploitation and autonomy solutions. Moreover, the team’s ability to execute this mission on such a tight schedule is remarkable—we are taking this mission from concept to launch in less than six months. This includes not just the primary payload build within the next 90 days, but also the full integration and test of the bus within a few short weeks that follow.”

Dan Piemont, President and CFO of ABL Space Systems, said, “We’re excited that Scout Space has chosen RS1 to deliver their critical technology demonstrator to orbit and look forward to strengthening our partnership through this mission and into the future.”

Scout Space was founded in 2019 with the mission to enable a new era of space safety and transparency. Scout’s in-space products and services, first launched in 2021, allow spacecraft to see and understand things around them. The orbital distributed sensor network developed by Scout will significantly improve Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and ensure responsible use of the space environment. The company is a Techstars, MassChallenge, and venture-backed startup with ongoing government and commercial contracts. Scout holds the Established® 2021 Startup of the Year® title.

ABL Space Systems builds rockets to launch small satellites. ABL’s RS1 launch vehicle deploys over 1 ton of payload into orbit. The GS0 launch system enables RS1 to be operated from any flat pad globally. ABL is based in El Segundo, California.

Virgin Galactic completes 12th spaceflight

Virgin Galactic at Spaceport America.

Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) has completed the company’s second spaceflight of 2024 and 12th mission to date, carrying one researcher and three private astronauts — the ‘Galactic 07’ flight marks the Company’s seventh research mission with Virgin Galactic’s spaceship again serving as a suborbital lab for space-based scientific research.

Onboard ‘Galactic 07’:

  • Astronaut 027 – Tuva Cihangir Atasever, Turkish Space Agency (TUA) astronaut and Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) Backup Mission Specialist
  • Astronaut 028 – Anand “Andy” Harish Sadhwani, California, USA
  • Astronaut 029 – Irving Izchak Pergament, New York, USA
  • Astronaut 030 – Giorgio Manenti, Italy
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‘Galactic 07’ ’Flight Facts

  • Take-off Time: 08:31 am MT
  • Altitude at Release: 44,562 ft
  • Apogee: 54.4 miles
  • Top Speed: Mach 2.96
  • Landing Time: 9:41 am MT

On this flight, Atasever flew with three human-tended experiments, including custom headgear with brain activity monitoring sensors to collect physiological data related to human spaceflight; a dosimeter; and two commercially available insulin pens to examine the ability to administer accurate insulin doses in microgravity. He also participated in four investigations carried out by Turkish researchers on the ground to understand physiological changes during suborbital spaceflight.

‘Galactic 07’ also flew two autonomous rack-mounted payloads supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program: a Purdue University experiment to study propellant slosh for spacecraft propulsion applications and a University of California, Berkeley, experiment to test new 3D printing technology while in microgravity.

The flight was Virgin Galactic’s seventh spaceflight carrying microgravity and space-based research, following last year’s research missions, ‘Galactic 05’ with U.S. Planetary Scientist Dr. Alan Stern and U.S. Payload Specialist and Bioastronautics Researcher Kellie Gerardi, and ‘Galactic 01’ with the Italian Air Force and National Research Council.

VSS Unity was piloted by Commander Nicola Pecile and Pilot Jameel Janjua. VMS Eve was piloted by Commander Andy Edgell and Pilot C.J. Sturckow.

Building on VSS Unity’s unrivaled record in commercial human spaceflight (32 total flights, including 12 to space), the company is now producing its fourth-generation and most advanced spaceships, the Delta Class, expected to enter commercial service in 2026.

“Watching our pioneering spaceship Unity return from space on its final commercial flight was a breathtaking and proud moment as we celebrate the ship’s unprecedented achievements in human spaceflight and build momentum for the rollout of our first Delta Class ships in 2026,” said Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic.

“I am beyond grateful to have represented my country on ‘Galactic 07’ and conduct groundbreaking research that will impact future space missions,” said Atasever. “The successful completion of Ax-3 and now ‘Galactic 07’ is just the beginning of Türkiye’s space endeavors. May our people at home continue to be inspired and dream beyond the stars.”