ULA Prepares for Historic Final Launch of Atlas 5 Rocket
United Launch Alliance (ULA) is set to launch its final Atlas 5 rocket, USSF-51, on July 30, 2024, marking a historic milestone as the 100th national security mission. This pivotal event highlights ULA’s contributions to aerospace and national security, while also paving the way for future innovations in space exploration.
Firefly Aerospace and Northrop Grumman Collaborate on New Reusable Rocket
Firefly Aerospace and Northrop Grumman are collaborating on a new medium-lift rocket, the Medium Launch Vehicle (MLV), with a recoverable booster for reuse. The rocket’s return-to-launch-site propulsive landing aims to enhance competitiveness in pricing, aligning Firefly with Rocket Lab, Relativity Space, and Stoke Space in the pursuit of rocket reusability. The MLV is set to join the ranks of launch providers for national security missions, with plans for downrange landings on barges at sea.
SpaceX’s Ambitious 2024 Rocket Launch Plans
SpaceX is gearing up for an ambitious year of rocket launches in 2024, with a target of 148 launches. The company has successfully launched 29 rockets so far, and is poised to undertake a series of Starship testing flights. With the potential for double-digit test flights, SpaceX aims to demonstrate significant progress towards making Starship a viable commercial rocket and perfecting in-space refueling.
End of an era: Last ULA Delta IV Heavy triple-core rocket to lift off from Cape Canaveral
The last ULA Delta IV Heavy rocket is set to launch from Cape Canaveral, marking the end of an era in American spaceflight. The retiring rocket will be replaced by the next-generation Vulcan, reflecting a shift towards reusability and new ways of doing business in the industry.
Europe’s Ariane 6 Rocket Arrives at Spaceport in French Guiana
Europe’s new Ariane 6 rocket has arrived at its spaceport in French Guiana, ready to launch a diverse range of missions from nine countries and dozens of organizations. The rocket’s versatility will accommodate missions from established players like NASA to students designing their first-ever satellite, with objectives including measuring gamma rays, tracking wildlife, testing self-healing solar cells, and more. The payloads for Ariane 6’s first flight are sourced from commercial companies, space agencies, and universities, each contributing hardware to test and validate their technology in space, ranging from weather measurement on Earth and in the Solar System to studying the Sun and conducting other scientific experiments.
Chinese Space Startup Landspace Achieves Successful Vertical Takeoff, Vertical Landing Test for Reusable Rocket
Chinese space startup Landspace achieved a significant milestone by successfully conducting the first vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) test for its reusable stainless steel rocket, the Zhuque-3 VTVL-1. The test took place at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, with the…