U.S. NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a not-to-exceed $75,726,105 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to the previously awarded F-35 Lightning II Low Rate Initial Production Lot VI Advance Acquisition contract (N00019-11-C-0083). This modification provides for the diminishing manufacturing sources redesign efforts in support of the Joint Strike Fighter Lot VI effort. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

U.S. NAVY

BEIJING — A Japanese program to develop a cheaper solid-propellant space launcher has achieved successful first launch, with the Epsilon rocket putting a planetary observation satellite into orbit. The first Epsilon launch cost ¥5.3 billion ($53.6 million), compared with a ¥3.8 billion target quoted for the rocket’s initial version by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2011.

An Australian hypersonic scramjet technology demonstrator is expected to be launched from the Andøya Rocket Range in Norway as early as Sept. 17. The Scramspace (Scramjet-based Access-to-Space Systems) vehicle will test an array of hypersonic-propulsion technologies as well as being designed to foster a new generation of Australian hypersonic specialists. The $12.9 million, three-year research project is led by the University of Queensland and builds on Australia’s lead in air-breathing hypersonics as part of the country’s emerging national space policy.

U.S. AIR FORCE

Scientists are beginning to use the Voyager I spacecraft to make in situ measurements of interstellar space, having applied a “gift from the Sun” to confirm that the venerable probe has traveled into the region characterized by plasma originating in other stars.

NEW DELHI — India soon will have a second satellite launch vehicle assembly unit at the Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota (SDSC-SHAR) in southern India at an estimated cost of $3.64 billion rupees ($57 million).

SAN DIEGO — SpaceX says unspecified issues prevented the planned static firing of its first upgraded Falcon 9 v1.1 at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., on Sept. 11, delaying the launch by several days.