Space

DARPA wants to expand the sustained use of the very low earth orbit (VLEO) region for future spacecraft.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Teams from ArianeGroup, the European Space Agency and Germany’s space agency, DLR, are testing the Ariane 6 rocket’s upper stage and Vinci engine.

NASA’s SpaceX-contracted Endurance Crew-5 Dragon capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station on Oct. 6, delivering four astronauts and cosmonauts as part of a crew exchange.

The U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency has awarded a prototype contract worth up to $200 million to York Space Systems for 12 communications satellites as part of its Tranche 1 Demonstration and Experimentation System program.

Aerojet Rocketdyne and the Air Force Research Laboratory recently conducted a successful test of a new large solid rocket motor called eSR-19 that the company is pitching for multiple stages on both defense and space applications.

NASA’s SpaceX-contracted Crew-5 mission was on course to deliver four U.S., Japanese and Russian crewmembers to the International Space Station on Oct. 6 following a successful Falcon 9 launch on Oct. 5 from Kennedy Space Center with a crew Dragon capsule.

Axiom aims to include two Saudis during next private mission to the ISS.

As the European Commission and ESA rally to support reusability concepts, research and technology projects slip to the right.

A Mars architecture concept review is expected to be completed in January.

SLS debut launch is scuttled by an approaching hurricane.

The Space Development Agency has awarded a $176 million agreement to Ball Aerospace to create 10 space vehicles and ground systems to test new payloads to potentially be incorporated into future National Defense Space Architecture tranches.

AE Industrial Partners, the leading private equity investor in aerospace and defense by deal volume, has acquired a majority stake in small satellite builder York Space Systems, the companies announced Oct. 4.

Planned liftoff from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 29 was scuppered by Hurricane Ian.

The U.S. Space Force has awarded small satellite manufacturer Millennium Space Systems and launch service provider Firefly Aerospace contracts for its Victus Nox mission, an attempt to demonstrate the ability to launch a small satellite into low Earth orbit less than 24 hr. after requested.

The Space Development Agency, the defense space acquisition startup launched more than three years ago to shake up how the Pentagon acquires capabilities in orbit, is now officially part of the U.S. Space Force.

U.S. space infrastructure specialist Redwire said it will buy Qinetiq Group’s Space NV business, a provider of integration, equipment and other backbone space systems in Europe, for about €32 million ($31.4 million).

The new facility will enable the integration of eight satellites onto Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket.

The rocket upstart recently shelved its troubled small launch vehicle to focus on developing a larger launcher.

Firefly Aerospace has recovered from the unsuccessful 2021 debut launch of its Alpha small-satellite booster with a successful follow-on flight test.

Vulcan’s debut launch, targeted for late this year or early 2023, will send a privately owned lander, carrying payloads for NASA and other customers, to the surface of the Moon.

A joint U.S.-Australian space surveillance telescope—relocated from New Mexico to Australia to help avoid potential collisions and monitor asteroids—reached initial operational capability (IOC) on Sept. 30.

The U.S. Department of Defense has released a request for proposals for “Proliferated Low Earth Orbit Satellite-Based Services.”

Delays have slowed the gathering of experience that ArianeGroup needs for its proposed family of reusable launchers.

Three Russian cosmonauts descended safely to Earth aboard their Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft early Sept. 29, continuing an International Space Station (ISS) crew exchange process that has been extended due to Hurricane Ian’s threat to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.