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SpaceX sends 15 Starlinks to orbit

On Wednesday, July 19th., at 9:09 p.m., PT, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launched 15 Starlink satellites to LEO from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

This was the 10th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, and now five Starlink missions.

Both fairing halves of this launch were recovered by the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” that was stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

This was SpaceX’s 48th mission in 2023 and 247th overall mission.

Mission’s Falcon 9 Stage 1 landing on the droneship.

Fleet Space Technologies acquires European frequency assets and continues the company’s global expansion

Fleet Space Technologies has expanded its global footprint with its acquisition of rights to new, long-term, frequency filings in Europe — in the firm’s first commercial venture on the European continent, Fleet has purchased the frequency of assets of a Luxembourg-based company, giving the company effective, operational control over an existing frequency filing, adding to its already substantial holding of these mission-critical assets.

A filing provides a claim over spectrum and orbital resources for satellite networks with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Fleet’s newly acquired filing rights have seniority and that means means they will take priority over those that have been submitted more recently. The filings have been brought into use and Fleet will be able to use the new frequencies indefinitely, as long as it maintains a satellite on-orbit capable of using them.

The rapid growth in the global smallsat industry and LEO constellations — such as Fleet’s — has put increasing pressure on the limited radio frequency spectrum available for data transmission. The ITU frequency filing system is designed to support coordination among satellite operators and prevent interference between spacecraft using the shared resources.

In this context, the new frequency filings help secure Fleet’s access to uplink and downlink resources in the targeted frequency band, maximizing service availability to its satellite customers worldwide. Having a presence in Europe will also stimulate the recruitment and exchange of highly skilled talent between Europe and Australia as well as further improve established relationships with the European Space Agency (ESA).

The requirement to incorporate assets from other companies leaving the industry is driven by sustained growth for Fleet across a multitude of sectors. This includes the signing of long-term, satellite aided, critical Earth transition mineral agreements with some of the world’s largest and most innovative miners.

Fleet also confirmed the firm’s first defence contract in April of 2023, signing a AUD$6.4 million contract with Australia’s Defense Space Command, a Series C funding round of $50 million in May and was recently awarded A$4 million Demonstrator Program contract by the Australian Space Agency to harness seismic data at the Moon’s South Pole. This key strategic acquisition will underpin further growth.

“As Fleet Space Technologies company is now providing innovative universal connectivity solutions through its network of satellites across the globe to sectors as diverse as critical mineral exploration and defence. To meet this sustained demand, we depend on access to the shared but limited radio frequency spectrum to operate our services. Securing access to these new frequency filings puts us in a strong position globally and gives us and our customers a real competitive advantage. It also represents another important step in our international expansion, by giving us a commercial foothold in Europe to complement our operations in Australia, USA, Canada and Chile.” — Flavia Tata Nardini, CEO and Co-Founder, Fleet Space Technologies

Rocket Lab Electron launches satellites for NASA, Space Flight Laboratory + Spire Global

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) successfully launched their rideshare Electron mission that carried seven smallsats to LEO.

Named the “Baby Come Back” mission, Electron lifted the smallsats from Pad A at Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand (photo below), to their assigned orbits.

Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1, Mahia, New Zealand.

Rocket Lab is also planning to conduct a marine recovery of Electron’s first stage as part of this mission, with the recovery team aboard the vessel Seaworker.

Map showing the position of the Seaworker vessel for the Electron 1st stage recovery effort. Map and image are courtesy of MarineTraffic.

Payloads aboard the ‘Baby Come Back’ mission include…

  • NASA
    NASA’s Starling mission is a four CubeSat mission (built by Blue Canyon Technologies) and are designed to test technologies to enable future “swarm” missions. Spacecraft swarms refer to multiple spacecraft autonomously coordinating their activities to achieve certain goals. Starling will demonstrate technologies for in-space network communications, onboard relative navigation between spacecraft, autonomous maneuver planning and execution, and distributed spacecraft autonomy — an experiment for small spacecraft to autonomously react to observations, paving the way for future science missions.
  • Space Flight Laboratory (SFL)
    Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) selected Rocket Lab to launch Telesat’s LEO 3 demonstration satellite that will provide continuity for customer and ecosystem vendor testing campaigns following the decommissioning of Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO satellite.
  • Spire Global
    Spire will launch two LEMUR (Low Earth Multi-Use Receiver) 3U satellites carrying Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO) payloads to replenish its fully deployed constellation of more than 100 multipurpose satellites. Spire’s satellites observe the Earth in real time using radio frequency technology. The data acquired by Spire’s GNSS-RO payloads provide global weather intelligence that can be assimilated into weather models to improve the accuracy of forecasts. Spire is the largest producer of GNSS-RO weather data, collecting over 20,000 RO profiles a day.

Space Systems Command (SSC) releases National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Draft #2 RFP

Space Systems Command (SSC) has released a second round of National Security Space Launch Phase 3 draft Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that incorporates industry comments from the first draft RFPs as well as an updated, dual-lane acquisition approach — SSC is seeking additional industry feedback prior to releasing the final RFPs later this year.

More than 20 companies attended an Industry Day held this past February and SSC received more than 1,900 comments to the first draft RFP that was released on February 16, 2023. The most substantive change since the U.S. Space Force (USSF) released the first draft Request for Proposals is that the USSF will add a third provider to the Lane 2 construct.

Lane 1 is a multiple Firm Fixed Price Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract open to all qualified bidders. Lane 1 includes the opportunity for annual on-ramping for emerging providers and launch systems as they become available. Lane 1 covers procurements with a five-year base ordering period from FY25 to FY29 plus a five-year option.

Lane 1 is tailored for more risk-tolerant space vehicles launching to commercially addressable orbits. Task orders for launch services will be competed on an annual basis among all IDIQ awardees, with missions ordered either individually or in blocks. Lane 1 providers must propose fully burdened launch service prices, including all applicable launch service support. Lane 1 also incorporates tiered mission assurance as required by each mission’s risk tolerance.

The government will select three awardees for Lane 2. The competitively awarded FFP Indefinite Delivery Requirements contracts will be awarded to the best value, next best value, and third best value launch service providers who meet all NSSL orbits and unique mission capabilities.

The contracts will have a five-year ordering period from FY25 to FY29. Lane 2 will include missions that require full mission assurance with SSC-certified launch vehicles. Lane 2 payloads require launches to more stressing orbits, necessitating higher performance launch systems, and complex security and integration requirements. Lane 2 also includes annual Launch Service Support to cover NSS-unique costs.

Release of the Final RFPs is expected in 4QFY23 with award for the Lane 1 base IDIQ planned for 3QFY24 and Lane 2 IDR contracts targeted for 4QFY24.

“We must continue to outpace our adversaries and maintain the technological advantage we get as a nation by making our space architecture more resilient so it can be counted on during times of crisis and conflict. This is the essence behind the NSSL Phase 3 acquisition strategy.” — Honorable Frank Calvelli, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration

“Our dual-lane approach to utilize diverse commercially available launch systems sparked great interest from many providers, including those just entering the market and growing their launch capability to meet NSSL needs. Based on industry feedback and the need to increase resiliency in the face of the pacing challenge from countries like China, we refined our strategy to fortify assured access to space by ensuring that the Government has three launch providers capable of meeting all NSSL requirements by the end of Phase 3. We are confident that this approach will secure launch capacity, enable supply chain stability, increase our resiliency through alternate launch sites and streamlined integration timelines, and enhance affordability for the most stressing National Security Space missions.” — Col. Douglas Pentecost, Deputy Program Executive Officer, Assured Access to Space

“While Lane 1 allows launch providers to support a subset of NSSL requirements and provides resiliency through diversity of launch providers and launch sites, Lane 2 ensures the Government has three launch providers capable of meeting all NSSL requirements by the end of Phase 3,” stated . “This approach fortifies the Nation’s assured access to space in the face of the pacing challenge and a growing and innovative commercial launch market, while incentivizing competition for our most demanding National Security Space systems.” — Col. Chad Melone, Chief Launch Procurement and Integration Division

Scrubbed seconds before SpaceX lifts off

Forty seconds before liftoff on Friday, July 14, SpaceX scrubbed the Starlink 5-15 mission at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. No reason for the scrub was immediately given by SpaceX. The next opportunity for launch is Saturday, July 15, at 12:15 a.m. EDT.

SpaceX is targeting Friday, July 14 at 12:40 a.m. ET (4:40 UTC) for a Falcon 9 launch of 54 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida. If needed, a backup opportunity is available on Saturday, July 15 at 12:15 a.m. (4:15 UTC).

This is the 16th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2, Intelsat G-33/G-34, Transporter-6, and 10 Starlink missions. After stage separation, Falcon 9 will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX believes a fully and rapidly reusable rocket is the pivotal breakthrough needed to substantially reduce the cost of space access. The majority of the launch cost comes from building the rocket, which historically has flown only once.

Compare that to a commercial airliner — each new plane costs about the same as Falcon 9 but can fly multiple times per day and conduct tens of thousands of flights over its lifetime. Following the commercial model, a rapidly reusable space launch vehicle could reduce the cost of traveling to space by a hundredfold.

While most rockets are designed to burn up on reentry, SpaceX rockets can not only withstand reentry but can also successfully land back on Earth and refly again. SpaceX’s family of Falcon launch vehicles are the first and only orbital class rockets capable of reflight. Depending on the performance required for the mission, Falcon lands on one of our autonomous spaceport droneships out on the ocean or one of our landing zones near our launch pads.

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

Rocket Lab signs a multi-launch deployment deal plus the company’s next rideshare mission launch is scheduled for liftoff on July 17th

Photo of Rocket Lab’s third launch for Synspective, The Owl Spreads Its Wings, that was launched in September of 2022. Image is courtesy of the company.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) has signed a deal with Synspective to launch two, dedicated, Electron missions — these new missions bring the total number of Electron launches contracted by Synspective to six in number.

Rocket Lab has been launching for Synspective since 2020 when the Company deployed the first satellite in their synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation that is designed to deliver imagery that can detect millimeter-level changes to the Earth’s surface from space. Since that first mission, Rocket Lab has been the sole launch provider for Synspective’s StriX constellation to date, successfully deploying three StriX satellites across three dedicated Electron launches.

Artistic rendition of Synspective’s StrX 100 kg. SAR smallsat on-orbit.

Including the two new missions, Rocket Lab is now scheduled to launch three missions for Synspective beginning in late 2023 from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.

Aerial photo of Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.

In addition to providing Synspective with a high degree over schedule and orbit by flying as a dedicated mission, Rocket Lab also delivers the unique ability to perform an advanced mid-mission maneuver with the Electron rocket’s Kick Stage to shield the StriX satellite from the sun to reduce radiation exposure ahead of payload deployment.

Synspective joins several commercial constellation operators that have signed multi-launch agreements on Electron this year, including HawkEye 360 and Capella Space.

“It’s an honor to be entrusted with the continued deployment of Synspective’s constellation. We’re proud to enable them to build out their constellation with precision and efficiency, giving Synspective ultimate schedule and orbit flexibility with frequent dedicated launch opportunities. We’re delighted to continue delivering this unique ability to Synspective through our continued partnership.” — Peter Beck, Founder and CEO, Rocket Lab

“As we celebrate our three-year partnership with Rocket Lab, which began with our first StriX-α satellite in 2020, we are thrilled to entrust them with two more contracts for our StriX satellite launches. Their unwavering reliability and precision have been pivotal to our successful deployments. We’re looking forward to the upcoming launches and the new insights to enhance our satellite data and solution service in line with our customer needs.” — Dr. Motoyuki Arai, Founder and CEO, Synspective

Also from Rocket Lab — the company’s next scheduled mission — Baby Come Back — is scheduled for liftoff on July 17th at 11:30, NZST (July 16th at 23:30, UTC)… this is the company’s 39th Electron mission.

The rocket will deploy seven satellites to space and will also include an attempt to recover the rocket’s first stage after it splashes down in the ocean.The launch will occur from Pad B at Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand.

This is a rideshare mission and will carry satellites for multiple customers that include…

  • NASA
    NASA’s Starling mission is a four CubeSat mission designed to test technologies to enable future “swarm” missions. Spacecraft swarms refer to multiple spacecraft autonomously coordinating their activities to achieve certain goals. Starling will demonstrate technologies for in-space network communications, onboard relative navigation between spacecraft, autonomous maneuver planning, and execution, and distributed spacecraft autonomy – an experiment for small spacecraft to autonomously react to observations, paving the way for future science missions.
  • Space Flight Laboratory (SFL)
    Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) selected Rocket Lab to launch Telesat’s LEO 3 demonstration satellite that will provide continuity for customer and ecosystem vendor testing campaigns following the decommissioning of Telesat’s Phase 1 LEO satellite.
  • Spire Global
    Spire will launch two 3U satellites carrying Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO) payloads to replenish its fully deployed constellation of more than 100 multipurpose satellites. Spire’s satellites observe the Earth in real time using radio frequency technology. The data acquired by Spire’s GNSS-RO payloads provide global weather intelligence that can be assimilated into weather models to improve the accuracy of forecasts. Spire is the largest producer of GNSS-RO weather data, collecting over 20,000 RO profiles a day.

India signs Artemis Accords committing to transparent and sustainable space activity

Indian Ambassador Taranjit Sandhu, signs the Artemis Accords, as U.S. Department of State, Deputy Assistant Secretary for India, Nancy Jackson, left, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and Indian Space Research Organization, Space Counselor, Krunal Joshi, right, look on at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington. India is the 27th country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program.
Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls

In a ceremony recently held in Washington, D.C., the Republic of India became the 27th nation to sign the Artemis Accords demonstrating India’s commitment to sustainable and transparent space activity, as outlined by the non-legally binding principles of the accords.

During a news conference with President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Modi expressed enthusiasm for the India-U.S. partnership in space, with plans for advanced training of Indian astronauts by NASA. Both countries aim to develop a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation by the end of 2023.

The Artemis Accords are based on the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and serve as a guide for sustainable civil space exploration. These principles encompass transparency, peaceful purposes, space object registration, and the release of scientific data. By adhering to these principles, the space environment becomes safer and more predictable, enabling nations, including those without space programs, to benefit from the scientific data obtained in space. The accords promote sharing scientific knowledge, ensuring the interoperability of space infrastructure, and other agreements.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed gratitude for India’s leadership in signing the Artemis Accords, emphasizing the importance of peaceful and transparent space exploration. India’s involvement in the accords marks a significant milestone in bilateral space cooperation and highlights its commitment to the peaceful and sustainable use of outer space.

With India’s signing of the Artemis Accords, the global space community anticipates increased collaboration, knowledge sharing, and progress in sustainable space exploration endeavors.

Orbex’s facilities’ footprint expands 30% for UK mainland’s first vertical rocket launch

Artist’s impression of Orbex Prime launch from Sutherland Spaceport. Courtesy of Orbex

UK-based spaceflight company, Orbex, has extended its footprint by over thirty percent across its Scottish and Danish design and production facilities, in preparation for the launch of its Prime rocket. 

The company is adding an extra 1,500 square meters of factory and office space to its existing 4,750 square meter estate in Forres, Scotland and Copenhagen, Denmark. The additional space will increase the company’s launch vehicle production and propulsion system manufacturing capacity and add an extra software laboratory and an avionics clean room space with ISO 8 and ISO 9 sections. The additional capacity in Forres is just 3km from its test site at Kinloss, allowing for quick turnaround between the two sites, as Orbex ramps up its testing in the countdown to launch.

Orbex Prime rocket at Kinloss test stand

Orbex Prime became the first full orbital microlauncher rocket to be unveiled in Europe in May 2022. Prime is a 19-meter long rocket designed to launch small satellites into polar and sun-synchronous orbits. Orbex has already announced several commercial launch contracts with satellite manufacturers.

Orbex received one of the largest rounds of VC funding in the global space sector in Q4 of 2022, when it secured £40.4 million in its Series C round, from existing and new investors. This funding has allowed for critical expansion of its production and business facilities, in the run-up to the first launch and beyond. The company also announced last year that it was hiring an additional fifty staff in preparation for launch.

Sustainability has been a focal point in the design of the reusable rocket, which has been engineered to leave zero debris on Earth and in orbit. The rocket is fueled by a renewable form of propane, meaning that a Prime launch has a carbon footprint up to 96 percent lower than traditional launch vehicles powered by fossil fuels, according to a study by the University of Exeter.

Prime will launch from Orbex’s ‘home’ spaceport, Sutherland Spaceport (formerly Space Hub Sutherland) on the north coast of Scotland. The facility is being built and operated by Orbex, under a fifty-year lease, with the option of extending for a further twenty-five years. As with Prime, Sutherland Spaceport is being built with sustainability in mind and is intended to be the first spaceport globally to be carbon-neutral in its construction and operation.

Exterior of new Orbex facility

The UK Space Agency awarded £5.5 million to Orbex in 2018 to build a new rocket for launch from Sutherland Spaceport.

According to Orbex: Martin Coates, CEO, “Many people are eager to see the first successful launch of a satellite from British soil, as are we. But our focus has to be bigger than that, as we aim to build a robust and sustainable launch capability in the UK. Expanding our footprint is just one more step forward in that process. We are able to press ahead with our expansion, thanks to the incredible team we have in place and the confidence placed in us by our investors and customers.”

Scottish Government: Richard Lochhead, Innovation Minister stated, “Companies like Orbex are vital to achieving our vision to make Scotland one of the world’s most innovative small nations. The firm’s Prime rocket, which I have been lucky enough to see up close, not only revolutionises launch technology but puts us at the forefront of the transition to a low carbon economy.

“This latest expansion is testament to the hard work and determination of Orbex which is continuing to make excellent progress towards a launch from Sutherland, bringing high value jobs and increased opportunities in engineering and science to Scotland.”

UK Space Agency: Matt Archer, Launch Director added, “Orbex is an important partner in our ambitions to become the leading provider of small satellite launch in Europe by 2030, and the company’s significant progress is a clear example of how our funding is catalysing further investment and creating high-skilled jobs.  

“It’s great to see Orbex expanding its footprint and creating state-of-the art facilities here in the UK, as we look ahead to the first vertical launches from Scotland.” 

UPDATE: SpaceX’s successful Sunday sendoff of Starlinks two days after west coast sendoff

UPDATE: On Sunday, July 9 at 11:58 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 22 Starlink V2 Minis to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida.

This was the 16th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew Demo-2, ANASIS-II, CRS-21, Transporter-1, Transporter-3, and now eleven Starlink missions.

Following stage separation, the first stage successfully landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, that is stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

On Sunday, July 9 at 11:58 p.m. ET (3:58 UTC on July 10) SpaceX is targeting a Falcon 9 launch of 22 Starlink V2 Minis to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida. The Falcon 9 launch will set a new reusability standard.

On June 4 a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 V2 mini Starlink satellites launched from Florida. (SpaceX)

The 22 satellites are V2 Minis, described as a newer and more powerful version of SpaceX’s broadband satellites. Gen 1 is round in shape, whereas Gen 2 is square or rectangular shaped. Secondly, Gen 1 is larger and heavier than gen 2 and has an ethernet port, while Gen 2 does not. Even though their name is Mini, these small sats are actually larger than the previous Starlink version.

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SYRACUSE 4B successfully launched by Ariane 5’s final space push

This satellite is to serve France’s sovereignty needs by connecting the nation’s armed forces that are deployed on operations

As a payload passenger with the recent and final launch of the Ariane 5 on July 6th., the SYRACUSE 4B communications satellite, built by Airbus and Thales Alenia Space, has been successfully sent to orbit from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana — this was the last launch of Ariane 5, the European heavy launcher.

SYRACUSE 4B, along with SYRACUSE 4A already on-orbit, constitutes the space segment of SYRACUSE IV, the fourth generation, secure, MILSATCOM system for the French Armament General Directorate (DGA – Direction Générale de l’Armement), the French Air and Space force and the French Space Command, built by the industrial consortium formed by Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space.

SYRACUSE 4A and 4B will deliver increased capacity and enhanced functionality for the French Armed Forces, including higher throughput and flexibility, along with a broader coverage area. The increased flexibility will ensure the satellites can meet the needs of forces deployed anywhere in the coverage area, while also efficiently managing its X- and Ka-band resources.

SYRACUSE 4B, built on Airbus’ Eurostar E3000 platform, in its full-electric variant and equipped with on-orbit proximity surveillance, is embarking the same payload as SYRACUSE 4A, built by Thales Alenia Space with key components provided by Airbus.

SYRACUSE 4B features critical technologies such as anti-jamming, to guarantee service continuity and resilience, cyber-defense and data encryption technologies.

In the frame of the global SYRACUSE co-contract, Airbus is responsible for the SYRACUSE 4B satellite. Thales Alenia Space was responsible for SYRACUSE 4A satellite, as well as both payloads with key component provided by Airbus.

The satellite, a true example of pan-European industrial cooperation, will guarantee French sovereignty, while also being able to support operations led by NATO and other allied nations.

“Observation, signal intelligence, space situational awareness, and of course secure communications across key theaters of operation, are paramount for a nation’s autonomy and freedom of action. Airbus is proud to be a trusted partner of the French Armed Forces: thanks to SYRACUSE 4B, and other programs, we support our national ambitions and capabilities in all these fields, today and in the decades to come.” — Jean-Marc Nasr, Head of Space Systems, Airbus.