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UPDATE 4: SpaceX changes date and time of the Starlink launch to January 15th from Vandenberg SFB — while SpaceX Falcon 9 propelled the OneWeb Launch 16 mission to orbit from Canaveral –

SpaceX has moved the date for their Falcon 9 launch of 51 Starlink satellites to LEO from January 14th and is now targeting Sunday, January 15th from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The instantaneous launch window is at 8:18 p.m. PT.

Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will return to Earth and land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

A live webcast of this mission will start about five minutes before the launch.

SpaceX‘s Falcon 9 has propelled the OneWeb Launch 16 mission to orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched CRS-26.

Following stage separation, the first stage returned to Earth at Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

All imagery is courtesy of SpaceX’s streaming webcast screen captures during the launch event.

UPDATE 2: Rocket Lab’s 1st U.S. launch for HawkEye 360’s Cluster 6 payload set for January 23rd.

The latest information from Rocket Lab regarding their “Virgina Is For Launch Lovers” mission to occur at NASA’s Wallops flight facility is that this event is now scheduled for Monday, January 23rd. There are backup launch dates extending through early February in case such is needed. HawkEye 360 Cluster 6 smallsats are the Electron rocket’s payload.

Original information…

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. completed their final launch rehearsal for the Electron launch of three, HawkEye 360 satellites in November and was preparing for lift-off on December 7 — however, that launch has now been moved to December 18th, as all important Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NASA paperwork for range activities requires completion before the launch is permitted to occur.

This mission will occur from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 at Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility – a launch pad developed to support U.S. Electron missions for government and commercial customers.

The pre-launch exercise saw the launch team carry out identical activities they will conduct on launch day to ensure the Electron rocket, launch pad, and supporting systems are ready for flight.

Called the “Virginia Is For Launch Lovers” mission, three satellites are scheduled to be deployed for HawkEye 360. Additionally, NASA’s Autonomous Flight Termination System (AFTS) software will be flown for the first time from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, representing a valuable, new capability for the nation.

The AFTS hardware unit is an independent launch vehicle subsystem designed for range safety operations. The system autonomously makes flight termination decisions using redundant computers that track the launch vehicle using Global Positioning System and Inertial Navigation System, along with configurable software-based rules. If a rocket goes off course, potentially endangering the public, the AFTS would issue a command to terminate the flight. Photo is courtesy of NASA.

This mission will be the first of three Electron launches for HawkEye 360 in a contract that will see the company deliver 15 satellites to LEO between late 2022 and 2024.

These missions will grow HawkEye 360’s constellation of radio frequency monitoring satellites, enabling the company to better deliver precise geolocation of radio frequency emissions anywhere in the world.

A live launch webcast will also be available at www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream approximately T-40 minutes prior to lift-off.

While “Virginia Is For Launch Lovers” will be Electron’s first launch from the U.S., Rocket Lab has already conducted 32 Electron missions from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, delivering 152 satellites to orbit for customers including NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), DARPA, the U.S. Space Force (USSF) and a range of commercial constellation operators. Electron now has the capacity to launch from the pads at Launch Complex 1 and 2 combined — the company has more than 130 Electron launch opportunities every year. 

Spaceflight signs agreement with Maritime Launch for future Sherpa OTV missions

Spaceflight Inc. has signed an agreement with Maritime Launch Services Inc. (NEO: MAXQ, OTCQB: MAXQF) to launch as many as five Sherpa(™) Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTVs) — these launches will be from Spaceport Nova Scotia aboard the Cyclone-4M rocket starting in 2025.

Spaceflight has successfully delivered more than 550 spacecraft across 55 launches, including both rideshare and dedicated launches, on a wide variety of launch vehicles. This includes launching five Sherpa OTVs which carried more than 50 payloads to space.

Maritime Launch is developing North America’s first commercial spaceport, Spaceport Nova Scotia, near Canso, Nova Scotia. The company will launch the Cyclone-4M, a medium class launch vehicle with a payload capability of five tons to low Earth orbit. Satellite companies can rely on the vehicle components’ flight heritage, demonstrated by several operators globally, boasting approximately 878 successful launches.

Launch of the Sherpa OTVs for rideshare customers on Cyclone-4M will accommodate CubeSats, smallsats as well as large form-factor customer vehicles. In 2022, Spaceflight successfully launched both its experimental OTVs – Sherpa-AC for hosted payloads, and Sherpa-LTC, which features chemical propulsion. The company is also underway preparing for the launch of the next variation in its Sherpa OTV program – Sherpa-ES, a higher energy variant with a bipropellant, high delta-V OTV that enables smallsat delivery anywhere in cislunar space.

“We’re eager to expand our portfolio of launch vehicle partners to carry our Sherpa OTVs to space. Maritime Launch represents an exciting new option as the first vehicle partner to launch from a commercial spaceport in North America,” said Curt Blake, CEO and president of Spaceflight Inc. “Not only does the Cyclone-4M deliver a wide variety of desirable inclinations for our customers, but the pricing is very attractive. The agreements to transport our Sherpa OTVs are foundational in our continuing efforts to expand our OTV capabilities from last-mile delivery to in-orbit servicing.”

“We are thrilled to have Spaceflight aboard our Cyclone-4M launches starting in 2025,” said Stephen Matier, president and CEO of Maritime Launch. “Spaceflight is a global leader with unmatched experience in mission management and payload integration. Our partnership will increase our launch offerings and provide our clients with innovative, last-mile delivery of their payload to orbit.”

Ball Aerospace enters final stages of building USSF’s WSF-M satellite

Artistic rendition of the Weather System Follow-on – Microwave (WSF-M) satellite. Graphic is courtesy of Ball Aerospace.

Ball Aerospace has completed the spacecraft bus for the Weather System Follow-on-Microwave (WSF-M) satellite, the U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) next-generation operational environmental satellite system. The company also finalized environmental testing on the Microwave Imager (MWI) instrument and has started final space vehicle assembly, integration and testing.

Upon delivery, WSF-M will provide mission data to Department of Defense’s (DoD) environmental prediction systems that support all warfighter domains. In addition, it will broadcast real-time, actionable environmental intelligence to on-going military operations across the globe.

At the heart of the WSF-M payload is the Ball-built, MWI sensor that takes calibrated, passive, radiometric measurements at multiple, microwave frequencies to measure sea surface winds, tropical cyclone intensity and additional environmental data.

The ECP sensor will provide critical space weather measurements. WSF-M was designed to mitigate three high-priority DoD Space-Based Environmental Monitoring (SBEM) gaps: ocean surface vector winds, tropical cyclone intensity and the space weather gap, LEO energetic charged particles. It will also address three additional SBEM gaps: sea ice characterization, soil moisture and snow depth. Ball Aerospace was recently awarded the contract modification to develop and build the second WSF-M space vehicle, expected to be completed by late 2027.

Ball Aerospace has played key roles on numerous operational weather satellite programs. The company’s Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) instruments are operating on the Ball-built Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 satellites, launched in 2011 and 2017, respectively. OMPS is also on board the Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2), which launched on November 10, 2022. Ball is on contract with NASA to build two additional OMPS instruments for JPSS-3 and JPSS-4. The Ball-built Ion Velocity Meter (IVM) space weather sensors are flying on five of the six Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate-2 (COSMIC-2) satellites, a joint program with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, Taiwan’s National Space Organization, NOAA and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research that launched in 2019.

“The nearly simultaneous completion of the spacecraft bus and instrument testing mark a significant milestone for the WSF-M program,” said Hope Damphousse, vice president, Strategic Operations, Ball Aerospace. “We are moving forward with spacecraft integration of the MWI sensor, along with a government-furnished Energetic Charged Particle (ECP) sensor, which will be followed by a suite of space vehicle performance and environmental tests.”

Iridium + Qualcomm to bring satellite messaging to Android smartphones

Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) has entered into an agreement with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., to enable satellite messaging and emergency services in smartphones powered by Snapdragon® Mobile Platforms.

Qualcomm Technologies’ new Snapdragon ® Satellite solution is supported by the fully operational Iridium® satellite constellation. Emergency messaging using Snapdragon Satellite is expected to debut starting in the second half of 2023 in premium Android smartphones launched in select regions.

As opposed to selecting a single, smartphone manufacturer, Iridium’s collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies is aimed to support satellite services into a variety of smartphone brands and has the potential to expand to other consumer devices in the future.

Beyond smartphones, Iridium® satellite connections can enable similar applications for vehicles, and other personal consumer and IoT devices.

With approximately 85% of the world surface without cellular coverage, Snapdragon Satellite-equipped smartphones will be capable of accessing global coverage, sending emergency messages and texting with friends and family from anywhere on the planet with a view of open sky.

“While some have been expecting we would be integrating our system into a specific smartphone, what we’ve done is so much bigger,” said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. “Working with a mobile technology leader such as Qualcomm Technologies and their powerful Snapdragon platforms allows Iridium to serve the smartphone industry horizontally – and offers us an opportunity to enable other consumer and vehicular applications in the future. This supports our larger vision of connecting people and things on the move, anywhere!”

“Qualcomm Technologies is rooted in a vision for engineering human progress and pushing the boundaries of what is possible with premium smartphones and the next generation of connected smart devices across industries,” said Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager, cellular modems and infrastructure, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Snapdragon Satellite is another step in achieving our vision, enabling OEMs and other service providers with global coverage and satellite messaging capabilities.”

NOAA’s GOES-18 now GOES West and fully operational with L3Harris’ Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) aboard

Artistic rendition of the GOES WEST (GOES-18) satellite, courtesy of NOAA.

NOAA has declared the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-18 fully operational as GOES West, marking a significant milestone for severe weather detection in the Western Hemisphere.

Launched on March 1, 2022, the primary instrument aboard GOES-18 is the L3Harris high-resolution, Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI). L3Harris also produced the enterprise ground system which processes the imagery and controls the weather satellite constellation and its suite of instruments.

Photo of L3Harris ABI, courtesy of the company.

The ABI views Earth with 16 spectral bands and provides three times more spectral information, four times the spatial resolution, and more than five times faster coverage than the previous generation imager. The ABI onboard GOES-18 provides critical weather data on the western contiguous U.S., Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, Central America and the Pacific.

The final satellite in the GOES-R series of advanced geostationary weather sensors, GOES-U, is slated to launch in 2024 and features L3Harris’ fourth ABI. NOAA’s next-generation geostationary satellite mission, Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO), will begin operating in the early 2030s and the imager award is expected to be announced in early 2023. 

“The declaration of GOES-18 as fully operational reinforces our relentless pursuit to build a more weather-ready nation,” said Rob Mitrevski, Vice President and General Manager, Spectral Solutions, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris. “As a long-standing and trusted partner to NOAA, we have successfully delivered more than 75 payloads in 60 years and are proud of the significant role our technology is playing to help detect future severe weather events.”

GOES West info from NOAA…

GOES-18 replaces GOES-17 as GOES West, located 22,236 miles above the equator over the Pacific Ocean. GOES-17 will become an on-orbit standby. 

In its new role, GOES WEST will serve as NOAA’s primary geostationary satellite for detecting and monitoring Pacific hurricanes, atmospheric rivers, coastal fog, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and other environmental phenomena that affect the western contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, and Central America. 

The satellite delivers high-resolution visible and infrared imagery, atmospheric measurements, and real-time mapping of lightning activity. It is ideally located to monitor the northeastern Pacific Ocean, where many weather systems that affect the continental U.S. originate. GOES-18 also watches the sun and detects approaching space weather hazards.

GOES West joins GOES East (GOES-16) in operational service. Together, the two satellites watch over more than half the globe, from the west coast of Africa to New Zealand and from near the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle. Their data assists weather forecasters, emergency managers, first responders, the aviation and shipping industries, and more.

Map showing the geographical coverage of the GOES East and West satellites, courtesy of NOAA.

While GOES WEST has just officially entered operational service, the satellite has been assisting NOAA National Weather Service forecasters for months. Usually, GOES satellites complete post-launch testing in a location over the central U.S., but this satellite’s early successes allowed NOAA to move it to its future operational location early. GOES WEST began sending imagery from its new location in June.

Due to an issue with the cooling system on GOES-17’s Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument, some GOES-17 imagery was degraded during certain times of the year. In August, NOAA implemented a unique solution to mitigate the loss of some GOES-17 imagery during these “warm” periods. From August 1 to September 8, and from October 13 to November 16, NOAA provided data from the GOES-18 ABI to GOES West data users. This was accomplished through a data “interleave” that delivered GOES-18 ABI data alongside GOES-17 lightning mapper and space weather data. This allowed forecasters to use GOES-18 imagery during the height of the Pacific hurricane season. 

Now that GOES-18 is operating as GOES West, GOES-17 will be moved to a central location between GOES East and GOES West to serve as a backup for the operational constellation.

The GOES-R Series Program is a four-satellite mission that includes GOES-R (GOES-16, launched in 2016), GOES-S (GOES-17, launched in 2018), GOES-T (GOES-18), and GOES-U, which is scheduled to launch in 2024. The program is a collaborative effort between NOAA and NASA. NASA builds and launches the satellites for NOAA, which operates them and distributes their data to users worldwide. 

GOES-R Series satellites are planned to operate into the 2030s. NOAA and NASA have already begun work on the next-generation geostationary mission called Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO). The Department of Commerce formally approved the GeoXO Program on Dec. 14, 2022. GeoXO will continue observations provided by GOES-R and bring new capabilities to address our changing planet and the evolving needs of NOAA’s data users.

Raytheon Intelligence & Space’s contract with U.S. Space Force for missile track custody system

Raytheon Intelligence & Space has been awarded a prime contract to develop a prototype Missile Track Custody system for the U.S. Space Force. MTC is the service’s first Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) missile tracking system. 

Under this contract, Raytheon Intelligence & Space will serve as the prime contractor, developing and delivering a space vehicle, hosting a state-of-the-art missile tracking mission payload and ground-based command and control and mission-data processing elements. This system was developed using model-based systems engineering significantly increasing the speed of development, while reducing cost.

Raytheon Intelligence & Space will also deliver the command and control and real-time mission-data processing elements for MTC. The ground system will use the Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution Mission Data Processing Application Framework (FORGE MDPAF). Raytheon’s FORGE MDPAF is a ground system framework that collects and processes data from satellites, including Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) space vehicle data from both Space Force’s Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) constellation and the future Next-Generation OPIR constellation.  

“This is an advanced solution to counter emerging missile threats facing our country,” said Roger Cole, executive director, Strategic Systems programs, Raytheon Intelligence & Space. “From its MEO perch, our system will enable Space Force to accurately detect and track adversarial hypersonic weapons with precision accuracy.”  

Lockheed Martin is providing its mid-sized LM 400 bus to host a Raytheon IR sensor payload for the U.S. Space Force’s first missile tracking capability at medium Earth orbit. The rapidly producible LM 400 supports the mission to accelerate a U.S. layered missile defense system.

Raytheon Intelligence & Space’s mission payload, which passed critical design review in November 2022, will be integrated onto an LM400 satellite bus. The LM400, part of Lockheed Martin’s modernized family of satellite designs, emphasizing commonality, rapid production speed, and reduced costs, includes SmartSat,™ software-defined satellite capabilities that allow it to adapt to changing mission needs and deploy new capabilities to stay ahead of evolving threats. 

“Lockheed Martin is excited to provide our mid-sized, rapidly-producible LM400 bus to Raytheon, supporting our customer’s mission to deliver initial warfighting capability with Missile Track Custody Epoch 1,” said Mike Corriea, vice president, Lockheed Martin’s Overhead Persistent Infrared mission area. “Lockheed Martin will leverage a full suite of digital engineering tools to produce satellites that are dramatically more responsive and flexible, at a fraction of the cost and delivery time for our customers.”

The team plans to complete a system critical design review in 2023, followed by a build, integration, and test campaign to deliver capability to orbit by 2026. Work for this program will be executed in El Segundo, California, and Aurora, Colorado. 

Airbus developing two EO satellites for Poland

Airbus Defence and Space has signed a contract with Poland to provide a geospatial intelligence system including the development, manufacture, launch and delivery on-orbit of two, high-performance, optical, EO satellites.

This contract also covers the associated ground segment, including Direct Receiving Station in Poland, launch services, training for the Polish team, maintenance and technical support for the space and ground systems.

Furthermore, the agreement encompasses the delivery of Very High Resolution (VHR) imagery from the Airbus Pléiades Neo constellation as early as 2023.

Artistic rendition of an Airbus Pléiades satellite, courtesy of the company.

This contract is the first export success, achieved with the support of the French government, for the Airbus S950 VHR optical satellite, which stems from the development of the Pléiades Neo constellation, already operating in orbit with two satellites since 2021. This latest generation system offers a cutting-edge performance of VHR optical capabilities accompanied by a very high agility on-orbit.

Following the launch of the satellites from the European Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, the imagery coming from the Polish satellites will be directly received in Poland by the infrastructure of the national satellite system, ensuring full autonomy.

The satellites’ assembly, integration and tests will be carried out in Airbus’ clean rooms in Toulouse and launch is planned by 2027. Starting in 2023, Poland will have access to Pléiades Neo imagery directly from Airbus.

Jean-Marc Nasr, head of Space Systems at Airbus, said, “This contract will provide Poland with one of the world’s most sophisticated satellite Earth observation systems. It strengthens Europe and gives the Polish nation a truly sovereign space capability. We look forward to further developing our cooperation with Poland under the umbrella of the strategic partnership between France and Poland.”

SpaceX briskly moves 114 smallsat payloads to orbit with their Transporter-6 mission

The SpaceX launch of their Transporter-6 mission from Cape Canaveral SFS.

A Falcon 9 launched the company’s Transporter-6 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2, Intelsat G-33/G-34 and 10 Starlink missions.

The Falcon 9’s first stage decelerating toward a soft landing at Cape Canaveral.

Following stage separation, the Falcon 9’s first stage accomplished a soft landing at Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Transporter-6 is SpaceX’s sixth dedicated smallsat rideshare mission. There are 114 payloads on this flight, including smallsats and orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs), for deployment.

All imagery is courtesy of SpaceX via the company’s real-time streaming of this launch.

The smallsats deployment order…

KuwaitSat-1 / BDSat-2 / SharedSat 2211 / LEMUR 2 EMMACULATE / LEMUR 2 FUENTETAJA-01 / ConnectaT1.2 / GAMA Alpha / BRO-8 / Menut / Huygens / LEMUR 2 DISCLAIMER / STAR VIBE / LEMUR 2 STEVEALBERS / ISILAUNCH Kleos KSF3-A / Birkeland / SPACEBEE-156/ / LEMUR 2 MMOLO / ISILAUNCH Kleos KSF3-B / ISILAUNCH Kleos KSF3-C / LEMUR 2 PHILARI / ISILAUNCH Kleos KSF3-D / First Flock 4Y / EWS RROCI / SpaceBD ISILAUNCH PolyItan from Kiev / Second Flock 4Y / Guardian-alpha/ Third Flock 4Y deploys / Fourth Flock 4Y / SpaceBD Sony Sphere-1 EYE / ISILAUNCH ClydeSpace NSLSat-2 / ISILAUNCH Sternula-1 / Fifth Flock 4Y / Sixth Flock 4Y / Seventh Flock 4Y / Eighth Flock 4Y / Ninth Flock 4Y / 10th Flock 4Y / 11th Flock 4Y / 12th Flock 4Y / 13th Flock 4Y / 14th Flock 4Y / 15th Flock 4Y / 16th Flock 4Y / 17th Flock 4Y / 18th Flock 4Y / 19th Flock 4Y / 20th Flock 4Y / 21st Flock 4Y / 22nd Flock 4Y / 23rd Flock 4Y / 24th Flock 4Y / 25th Flock 4Y / 26th Flock 4Y / 27th Flock 4Y / 28th Flock 4Y / 29th Flock 4Y / 30th Flock 4Y / 31st Flock 4Y / 32nd Flock 4Y / 33rd Flock 4Y / 34th Flock 4Y / 35th Flock 4Y / 36th Flock 4Y / Lynk Tower 3 / Albania 1 / Lynk Tower 4 / YAM-5 / NewSat 34 / Albania 2 / X22 / X21 / First Umbra / Second Umbra / NewSat 35 / ION SCV-007 GLORIOUS GRATIA / ION SCV-008 FIERCE FRANCISCUS / Launcher Orbiter SN1 / X27 / Skykraft 1 / Vigoride 5 / CHIMERA LEO 1 / EOS SAT-1

Momentus’ Vigoride OSV heads to orbit via the SpaceX Transporter-6 Falcon 9 launch

Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) launched their 2nd demo flight of the Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle (OSV) to LEO aboard the SpaceX Transporter-6 mission on January 3rd, 2023.

Momentus established contact with the Vigoride vehicle on the spacecraft’s first orbital pass and confirmed that both of the solar arrays are deployed and the vehicle is generating power and charging its batteries.

The Vigoride OSV is designed to support a range of transportation and in-space infrastructure services. A key part of the Vigoride spacecraft is the Microwave Electrothermal Thruster (MET) that is designed to use water as a propellant. The MET is designed to produce thrust by expelling extremely hot gases through a rocket nozzle.

A customer payload is integrated into the Momentus Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle that launched on the SpaceX Transporter-6 mission on January 3, 2023 Credit: Caltech/Momentus.

Unlike a conventional chemical rocket engine, which creates thrust through a chemical reaction, the MET is designed to create a plasma and thrust using microwave energy. Using the MET, Momentus aims to offer cost-effective, efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly propulsion to meet the demands for in-space transportation and infrastructure services.

Priorities for this flight include hosting Caltech’s Space-based Solar Power Project payload, deploying a satellite with the Qosmosys Zeus-1 payload, and testing Vigoride’s performance in space, including its MET system.

Momentus launched the company’s inaugural mission in May of 2022. The Company deployed eight customer satellites during that mission for FOSSA Systems, Orbit NTNU and Bronco Space at the California State Polytechnic University.

“Today’s mission marks the second Vigoride launch to orbit and is the first of four missions slated for 2023,” said Momentus Chief Executive Officer, John Rood. “I’m proud of the substantial progress our talented team of engineers continues to make in maturing our technology. On this flight, in addition to meeting our commitments to our customers, we’ll put Vigoride through a series of tests to establish its performance in space. We’re particularly interested in testing the MET as our propulsion system aims to provide greater efficiency than a chemical system while generating a higher thrust than electric propulsion. The outcomes of this mission will continue to inform our approach as we look toward advancing our service offerings and tackling the complex in-space infrastructure needs of government, civil and commercial customers.”

Additional info regarding the Momentus Vigoride is available at this direct SatNews.com link…