Welcome to edition 6.13 of Rocket Report! While SpaceX awaits regulatory approval to launch its Super Heavy booster and a second full-scale test flight of its Starship rocket, NASA contractors announced this week that the Artemis II, we took two steps forward in preparing for the second launch of the government-owned space launch system. The mission will send a team of four astronauts to the far side of the moon. This release is still over a year away. How many Starship test flights will SpaceX plan to launch before Artemis II? Will Blue Origin’s New Glenn be flying by then?
As always, we We welcome reader contributions.If you don’t want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (this form does not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report includes information about small, medium, and heavy lift rockets, as well as a summary of the three upcoming launches on the calendar.
Iran launches a small satellite. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps successfully launched a small satellite, Noor 3, into orbit on Wednesday. Reuters reported. The military satellite was launched aboard a Cathedo rocket, a small launch vehicle equipped with a liquid-fueled booster stage. Qaseed, which means “messenger” in Persian, can reportedly carry payloads of up to about 100 pounds (45 kilograms) into low Earth orbit. The rocket launched the Nour 3 satellite into orbit about 280 miles (450 kilometers) above Earth, according to publicly available U.S. military tracking data.
purely military …This is the third consecutive successful launch of a Cathedral rocket to place a small satellite into orbit. Qassed’s design is likely derived from one of Iran’s intermediate-range ballistic missiles, and its ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government, indicate the military purpose of the rocket and the satellites it carries into space. It suggests. . The commander of the Revolutionary Guards said the Nour 3 satellite would use cameras and “signal detection” technology to meet the military’s “intelligence needs,” according to Iran’s state news agency. (Submitted by Ken the Bin)
FAA concludes investigation into New Shepard breakdown.Federal Aviation Administration said on wednesday The investigation into the failure of Blue Origin’s New Shepard booster concluded last September. The FAA said engineers determined that the “proximate cause” of the accident was “a structural defect in the engine nozzle caused by higher than expected engine operating temperatures.” The FAA did not address the root cause of the rocket failure, which occurred during a suborbital survey flight rather than a passenger-carrying mission. After detecting the malfunction, the unmanned crew capsule on top of the rocket activated its abort motor, jumped off the New Shepard booster, and safely touched down with a parachute. The rocket was destroyed.
Blue Origin remains silent on this issue Blue Origin declined to answer questions from Ars, saying only that it had plans to return to service in the near future. That’s the same thing Blue Origin said in March. Ars recently reported that Blue Origin could resume New Shepard booster launches as early as October after taking corrective measures. Blue Origin identified some of these corrective actions as design changes to the combustion chamber and operating parameters of the rocket’s hydrogen-fueled BE-3 engine. The FAA said Blue Origin is required to implement a total of 21 corrective actions, including unspecified “organizational changes.” (Submitted by Ken the Bin)
Space Force looks to next responsive launch demonstration. The U.S. Space Force’s successful “Victus Knox” responsive launch demonstration on September 14th set a high bar, as contractor teams prepared the satellite for launch, integrated it with the rocket, and sent it into orbit in record time. We have proven that we can deliver. Space news coverage. The payload, the Millennium Space Small Satellite, began operations 37 hours after liftoff. Leading up to launch, the companies were able to integrate the payload and have it ready for launch within 58 hours. Firefly Aerospace was given his 24-hour notice of launch. The previous record for a rapid response mission set in 2021 was 21 days.
Where does the responsive space go from here? … Military officials have long desired the ability to respond quickly to threats by launching satellites to meet specific needs. Examples of this situation include replacing a malfunctioning or destroyed satellite, meeting battlefield requirements for tactical communications, or responding to the urgent need to monitor the activities of other nations in space. The military’s next responsive space demonstration, called “Victus Haze,” will build on lessons learned from Victus Knox. The Space Force’s focus is on leveraging the manufacturing and operational capabilities already developed by the commercial space industry, giving the military the ability to pull rockets and satellites off the production line that are already in operation, and with responsiveness. It’s not about deploying a dedicated fleet of small, high-volume launchers. It remains on standby so that it can be activated when needed.
Ariane Group adds funding to reusable rocket company. Ariane Group, Europe’s largest launch vehicle manufacturer, recently invested €27 million in a reusable rocket startup called MaiaSpace. european space flight report. Founded in 2021 and headquartered in France, Maiaspace is working towards the ambitious goal of Maia’s first flight in 2025. Maia is a partially reusable, two-stage rocket capable of lifting a payload of about half a ton into orbit at launch. Recovery margin for methane fuel booster stage.
Finally, real money …MaiaSpace reported total expenses of just under €3.5 million in 2022, almost half of which went towards staff and staff costs for the company’s first full year of operation. Ariane Group injected around 33 million euros into Maiaspace last year. This will help MaiaSpace ramp up recruitment, testing and manufacturing as it targets the Maia rocket’s first flight in 2025. Recent technology advances reported by MaiaSpace include cryogenic fill testing of a full-scale upper stage qualification model and subsystem testing on the rocket’s optional kick stage. (Submitted by Ken the Bin)
Military signs contract for innovative solid rocket propulsion technology. A startup called X-Bow Systems received his $17.8 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to demonstrate additive manufacturing technology for solid rocket propulsion. Space news coverage. X-Bow specializes in additive manufacturing of solid rocket propellants, enabling rapid development of solid rocket motors. Solid rocket motors are used in military tactical missiles and can be expanded for use in space launch vehicles.
big hope … X-Bow ultimately wants to compete for military contracts with established solid rocket manufacturers like Northrop Grumman and Aerojet Rocketdyne, which was recently acquired by L3Harris. Company founder Jason Hundley said X-Bow’s technology can be used in rocket motors of all sizes, and that 3D printing technology allows solid propellant production lines to ramp up in 12 to 12 years, instead of three to six years. He said it would be possible within a month. For traditional aerospace companies. (Submitted by Ken the Bin)
