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SpaceX’s Sunday Starlink launch sends 22 small satellites soaring

SpaceX was successful with the Falcon 9 launch of 22 Starlink satellites today, Sunday, August 6 at 10:41 p.m. ET (02:41 UTC on August 7) to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida.

This is the fourth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-6, SES O3b mPOWER, and one Starlink mission. To date SpaceX has launched 4,881 Starlink spacecraft.

A successful stage separation, resulted in the first stage landing on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX readies for Sunday Starlink launch

SpaceX is targeting Sunday, August 6 at 10:41 p.m. ET (02:41 UTC on August 7) 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 Base in Florida. If needed, there are two additional launch opportunities at 11:31 p.m. ET (03:31 UTC) and 12:22 a.m. ET on August 7 (04:22 UTC). Up to five backup opportunities are also available on Monday, August 7 starting at 8:35 p.m. ET (00:35 UTC August 8) until 11:57 p.m. ET (03:57 UTC).

This is the fourth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-6, SES O3b mPOWER, and one Starlink mission. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff.

SpaceX launches Intelsat’s G-37 mission into the night

UPDATE: On Thursday, August 3 SpaceX‘s Falcon 9 launched the Intelsat G-37 mission to a geosynchronous transfer orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. For the 213th time the booster landed successfully on the drone ship ‘Just Read the Instructions’.

The satellite has four deployable antenna reflectors for both C-band and Ku-band transmissions to serve television and telecommunication networks and the U.S. Government in North America.

The Ku-band payload offers mobile communication services and is jointly owned by Intelsat and JSAT International. The spacecraft built by Maxar is the last in a series of satellites to refresh Intelsat’s Galaxy fleet of satellites that operate over North America.

SpaceX’s next launch, Falcon 9 Block 5 Starlink is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, August 6, 2023 5:22 PM PDT SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida.

SpaceX is targeting Thursday, August 3 for Falcon 9’s launch of the Intelsat G-37 mission to a geosynchronous transfer orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The two-hour launch window opens at 12:15 a.m. ET (04:15 UTC). If needed, a backup opportunity is available Friday, August 4 with the same window.

The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched Crew-5, GPS III-6, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, and one Starlink mission. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff.

The launch of Galaxy 37/Horizons-4 (G-37/H-4) advances Intelsat’s comprehensive Galaxy fleet refresh plan. The G-37 C-band payload will provide North American capacity for television media and telecommunication network customers. The H-4 Ku-band payload will provide continuity for our mobility, network and U.S. government customers and will be owned jointly by Intelsat and JSAT International, the U.S.-owned subsidiary of SKY Perfect JSAT Corp.

iRocket and Air Force Research Laboratory will develop nexgen reusable rockets

iRocket has exclusive use of the High Thrust Research Facility at Edwards Air Force Base which can test up to ten million pounds of thrust. AFRL Courtesy Photo

Use of Edwards AFB test facility is powerful endorsement of iRocket’s success in transforming how launch vehicles are powered with clean, sustainable propellant and 24-hour reuse

Innovative Rocket Technologies Inc. (iRocket) has signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) West to develop engines and stage technology for their next-generation fully reusable Shockwave launch vehicle. Members from AFRL’s Rocket Propulsion Division at Edwards AFB, California, and iRocket, a privately-owned corporation, agreed on the collaborative effort in June 2023.

“Collaborating with iRocket via a Cooperative Research & Development Agreement includes use of a key facility, equipment, and AFRL expertise to enable both sides to develop, build, test and transition U.S. rocket engines at a fast pace,” said Dr. Shawn Phillips, Chief of the Rocket Propulsion Division at AFRL. “iRocket will have the opportunity to further advance and demonstrate their high thrust technology.  AFRL is very supportive of development efforts for rapid access to space to support Air Force and Space Force needs for 100% reusable rockets.”

iRocket is working to mature technology for their proprietary reusable landing engine technology, which uses liquid oxygen and liquid methane as propellants. AFRL locations and resources will be used to establish a capable testing site to support this objective. iRocket will be conducting propulsion, stage, and potentially grasshopper testing at Test Site 1-56, the High Thrust Research Facility, located at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Edwards Air Force Base. The High Thrust Research Facility is one of only four stands in the United States capable of 10 million pounds of thrust.

“This collaborative agreement with AFRL is an important endorsement of the progress iRocket is making to transform how launch vehicles are powered,” said Blake Larson, former president of Northrop Grumman Space Systems and member of the iRocket board of directors. “The Edwards Air Force Base test facility enables iRocket to demonstrate and advance its capability to serve both national security and commercial space missions.”

The Air Force is also providing additional resources to support iRocket, including Subject Matter Expert (SME) support, test setup components, and site facility support. iRocket is currently supporting the United States Space Force on a TACFI contract to support its rapid responsive launch capabilities.

iRocket announced the TACFI contract award from the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command  (SSC) on June 28, 2023. The test site at Edwards Air Force Base will be used for the full-duration static fire test under the SSC contract, which includes a 120-180 second demonstration of 37,000 lbs. of sea level thrust.

“We are thrilled to work with AFRL Rocket lab, The High Thrust Research Facility at site 1-56 will be home to iRocket’s testing team to test our next-gen reusable engines and evaluation of grasshopper testing for our Shockwave vehicle”, said iRocket CEO Asad Malik.

“With this partnership, we have the opportunity to further our RDT&E efforts to advance responsive space capabilities of interest to the Department of Defense (DoD)” said Julie Carlile, Deputy Chief of the Rocket Propulsion Division. 

This agreement is expected to create hundreds of new high-paying engineering jobs at the High Thrust Research Facility at Edwards, AFB, with multiplier effects for the regional economy in LA County and the California desert. iRocket plans to help transport thousands of state-of-the-art satellites to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), helping to shape the future of autonomous vehicles, Telemedicine, 5G High-Speed Internet, The Internet of Things (IoT), and online education.

Northrop Grumman launches the NG-19 resupply mission to ISS

Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket launched the S.S Laurel Clark Cygnus spacecraft on August 1 from Wallops Island, Virginia for cargo delivery to crew aboard the International Space Station. Photo is courtesy of Northrop Grumman.

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has successfully launched their 19th resupply mission — NG-19 — to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contract aboard the company’s Antares rocket — this launch commemorates ten years of Northrop Grumman Cygnus missions.

Cygnus, photo courtesy of Northrop Grumman.
  • NG-19 is carrying more than 8,200 pounds of equipment, science experiments and supplies to the crew on the ISS.
  • The Cygnus spacecraft has delivered roughly 130,000 pounds of equipment and supplies to the crews aboard the ISS over the past decade.
  • Following ISS separation, Cygnus will host NASA’s Spacecraft Fire Safety Experiment (Saffire) to investigate how fires grow in microgravity. This will inform future human spaceflight design to ensure crew safety.

NG-19 launched from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia.

The company also manufactures the spacecraft structures, propellant tanks, UltraFlex solar arrays, and loop heat pipe radiators for thermal control – all essential components for successful mission launches.

Northrop Grumman names each Cygnus spacecraft in honor of an individual who has made great contributions to human spaceflight. For the NG-19 mission, Cygnus is named for Laurel Clark, NASA astronaut, medical doctor, United States Navy captain and Space Shuttle mission specialist. She was selected for NASA Astronaut Group 16 in 1996 and flew aboard Space Shuttle Mission STS-107, spending 16 days in space. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the Columbia tragedy when Laurel and six additional crew lost their lives.

“Our proven, adaptable Cygnus spacecraft has been essential to support the critical work of resupplying the ISS. Since our first mission in 2013, we have continued to improve its capabilities while increasing cargo mass capacity and supporting secondary mission capability such as reboosting the orbit of the ISS.” — Steve Krein, Vice President, Civil and Commercial Space, Northrop Grumman

L3Harris: Aerojet Rocketdyne acquisition completed

L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has completed the acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne, forming a fourth business segment at the company.

L3Harris signed a definitive agreement to purchase Aerojet Rocketdyne in December of 2022, emphasizing its ability to strengthen the defense industrial base, enhance competition and accelerate innovation for a critical merchant supplier of propulsion systems.

Ross Niebergall

The company also announced Ross Niebergall will serve as President of the Aerojet Rocketdyne segment at L3Harris.

The acquisition diversifies the L3Harris portfolio, adding considerable long-cycle backlog and broad expertise that enables opportunities in missile defense systems, hypersonics and advanced rocket engines, among other areas.

Aerojet Rocketdyne will be known as Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company.

“I’m thrilled to welcome more than 5,000 employees to the L3Harris team today. With national security at the forefront, we’re combining our resources and expertise with Aerojet Rocketdyne’s propulsion and energetics capabilities to ensure that the Department of Defense and civil space customers can address critical mission needs globally. Our customers demand a competitive environment that produces innovative, agile solutions. We will expand on the strong Aerojet Rocketdyne heritage to enhance production and deliver on those expectations.” — Christopher E. Kubasik, Chair and CEO, L3Harris

UPDATE: Nighttime success as SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy lifts Hughes JUPITER 3 on its mission

UPDATE FRIDAY JULY 28: Success for SpaceX and Hughes when on Friday, July 28 at 11:04 p.m. ET, Falcon Heavy launched the nine metric ton Jupiter-3 spacecraft the world’s heaviest commercial communications satellite to a geosynchronous transfer orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This was the third launch and landing of these Falcon Heavy side boosters, which previously supported USSF-44 and USSF-67.

Success in the night with JUPITER 3 launch
Hughes JUPITER 3 (EchoStar XXIV) ultra high-density satellite pictured before it was delivered to the U.S. Space Coast for launch preparations. Photo Credit: Maxar

UPDATE THURSDAY JULY 27: SpaceX is now targeting Friday, July 28, 11:04 p.m. EDT for Falcon Heavy’s launch of the Hughes JUPITER 3 mission to a geosynchronous transfer orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Jupiter 3 is the largest commercial communications satellite ever built, according to its operator, Hughes Network Systems. The satellite weighs 10.1 tons (9.2 metric tons) and, when fully deployed, will have a wingspan similar to that of a commercial jet.

Both of the side boosters on this mission previously supported USSF-44 and USSF-67. Following stage separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The 99-minute launch window opens at 11:04 p.m. ET (03:04 UTC on July 29). A backup opportunity is available on Saturday, July 29 with the same window.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff.

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WEDNESDAY July 26: One minute and five seconds before launch SpaceX‘s Jupiter 3 launch was halted with no explanation at this time.

SpaceX is now targeting Thursday, July 27 for Falcon Heavy’s launch of the Hughes JUPITER 3 mission to a geosynchronous transfer orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 99-minute launch window opens at 11:04 p.m. ET (03:04 UTC on July 28).

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Screen-Shot-2023-07-26-at-11.17.58-PM.png

Both of the side boosters on this mission previously supported USSF-44 and USSF-67. Following stage separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff.

UPDATE: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy’s delay again of Hughes JUPITER 3 mission

Hughes JUPITER 3 (EchoStar XXIV) ultra high-density satellite pictured before it was delivered to the U.S. Space Coast for launch preparations. Photo Credit: Maxar

UPDATE THURSDAY JULY 27: SpaceX is now targeting Friday, July 28, 11:04 p.m. EDT for Falcon Heavy’s launch of the Hughes JUPITER 3 mission to a geosynchronous transfer orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Jupiter 3 is the largest commercial communications satellite ever built, according to its operator, Hughes Network Systems. The satellite weighs 10.1 tons (9.2 metric tons) and, when fully deployed, will have a wingspan similar to that of a commercial jet.

Both of the side boosters on this mission previously supported USSF-44 and USSF-67. Following stage separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The 99-minute launch window opens at 11:04 p.m. ET (03:04 UTC on July 29). A backup opportunity is available on Saturday, July 29 with the same window.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Screen-Shot-2023-07-26-at-11.16.25-PM.png

WEDNESDAY July 26: One minute and five seconds before launch SpaceX‘s Jupiter 3 launch was halted with no explanation at this time.

SpaceX is now targeting Thursday, July 27 for Falcon Heavy’s launch of the Hughes JUPITER 3 mission to a geosynchronous transfer orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 99-minute launch window opens at 11:04 p.m. ET (03:04 UTC on July 28).

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Screen-Shot-2023-07-26-at-11.17.58-PM.png

Both of the side boosters on this mission previously supported USSF-44 and USSF-67. Following stage separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff.

Starlinks sent spacewards

SpaceX engaged the company’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle to send 22 Starlink satellites to LEO from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida.

This is the 15th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, Inspiration4, Ax-1, Nilesat 301, OneWeb Launch 17, ARABSAT BADR-8, and seven Starlink missions.

Photo of an earlier SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral SFB.

Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

OneWeb Technologies demos seamless LEO and GEO multi-orbit services for the U.S.M.C.

OneWeb Technologies, Inc. has successfully concluded a series of demonstrations during the U.S. Marine Corps’ 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) “Exercise Red Flag.”

The demonstrations showcased the seamless integration of a combined multi-orbit, LEO and GEO solution to deliver high-bandwidth, reliable communications in denied and degraded environments.

Exercise Red Flag showcased 1st ANGLICO’s ability to support Large Force Employment training across the full spectrum of conflict, including air superiority, precision engagement, close air support, command and control, intelligence coordination, and personnel recovery.

The demonstration consisted of OneWeb Technologies’ global, low-latency LEO communications network, Kymeta Corporation’s LEO terminal for low-latency and high-bandwidth connectivity, along with Viasat’s high-capacity, and multi-band, multi-mission terminal (MMT) connecting to the Viasat GEO Global Network (VGNet). The solution used Viasat’s NetAgility™ SD-WAN router to connect the LEO and GEO networks together.

A key part of this training was demonstrating the ability to interoperate with other systems, and multiple orbital planes. The combined OneWeb Technologies, Viasat and Kymeta solution showcased multi-orbit capability and connectivity is possible between solution providers, which is an important component of the 1st ANGLICO’s automated primary, alternate, contingency, and emergency (PACE) plan.

The PACE plan supports the maneuvering warfighting function’s (WFF) mission command requirement to maintain communications, seamlessly by transitioning connectivity across multiple networks.

The trial followed OneWeb Technologies’ participation in a similar successful demonstration, known as “Exercise Northern Edge,” held at the Joint Pacific-Alaska Range Complex (JPARC) in Alaska.

“Connectivity in a denied and degraded communications environment is an essential safety requirement, and I am proud of OneWeb Technologies’ ability to support the 1st ANGLICO at Exercise Red Flag. We are looking forward to future opportunities to enable Marine Corps operations with advanced satellite communications (SATCOM) solutions. Our collaboration with Kymeta and Viasat highlights our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies and strategic partnerships to offer our government customers the mission-critical connectivity solutions they require.” — Kevin Steen, CEO, OneWeb Technologies

“Viasat is pleased to collaborate with partners like OneWeb Technologies and Kymeta to demonstrate multi-network mission capabilities with the optionality and increased resilience required to operate in contested environments. Our advanced network orchestration technology is a critical component, enabling assured connectivity and a seamless user experience across a multi-orbit, multi-network SATCOM solution that offers the operational flexibility warfighters need.” — Craig Miller, President, Viasat Government Systems

“Kymeta has been steadily working on ruggedized and hardened communications on the pause and move tactical systems. The combination of our terminals and OneWeb’s low latency, high data rate, and satellite communications available through OneWeb Technologies will provide warfighters with the tactical edge they need today.” — Walter Berger, President and Co-CEO, Kymeta