![SpaceX rolls a Falcon 9 rocket to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center for the Axiom-2 mission.](https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/FwbB1IzaIAIaBvb-800x533.jpg)
SpaceX
Welcome to Edition 5.39 of the Rocket Report! Weather permitting, SpaceX has a busy weekend of launch ahead. The corporate has two launches inside nine hours of each other on Friday, after which the crewed launch of the Ax-2 private mission on Sunday. Protected travels to all.
As all the time, we welcome reader submissions, and in the event you don’t need to miss a problem, please subscribe using the box below (the shape won’t appear on AMP-enabled versions of the location). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets in addition to a fast look ahead at the following three launches on the calendar.
![](https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/smalll.png)
A Canadian spaceport is valued really, really highly. A Canadian think tank, the Conference Board of Canada, has published an economic evaluation on plans to construct a launch site in Nova Scotia, spaceQ reports. The report “Launching Canada’s Space Sector: Economic Impact of Spaceport Nova Scotia” finds that construction of such a facility would contribute $171 million to Canada’s GDP and boost employment by a mean of 1,608 annual full-year jobs across Canada, with 748 of those jobs inside the province of Nova Scotia.
… The report has more rosy numbers, too: “Once Spaceport Nova Scotia fully ramps up its operations, we project it should add around $300 million to Canada’s GDP annually, boost revenue to governments by greater than $100 million, and create near 1,000 annual full-year jobs across Canada.” These figures seem astonishingly optimistic provided that the launch site doesn’t have a single anchor tenant yet. But I assume you’ve gotten to begin somewhere, and if it takes an economic report like this to unlock government dollars, then more power to Maritime Launch Services, which is developing the spaceport. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
UK won’t bail out Virgin Orbit. The British government, which helped buy OneWeb out of bankruptcy three years ago, has no plans to do the identical with launch company Virgin Orbit, Space News reports. George Freeman, minister for Science, Innovation, and Technology within the UK government, told a Parliament committee that the federal government had “taken a detailed interest” in Virgin Orbit, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the USA last month, but had no plans to amass the corporate.
… Virgin Orbit is nearing the tip of a bankruptcy sale process, with final bids due May 19. If the corporate receives multiple qualified bid, it should hold an auction on May 22, with a hearing in regards to the winning bid in federal bankruptcy court on May 24. In a May 16 court filing, Virgin Orbit announced a “stalking horse” bid agreement with Stratolaunch, which might buy Virgin Orbit’s Boeing 747 aircraft and related equipment for $17 million. That agreement effectively sets a minimum price for the auction but allows others to supply higher bids for the aircraft, other assets, or your entire company. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
VSS flight date set. Virgin Galactic says that May 25 will mark the opening of the launch window for its Unity 25 mission from Spaceport America in Recent Mexico, Yahoo Finance reports. The VSS spacecraft will include 4 crew members and a pair of pilots. With the upcoming flight, Virgin Galactic goals to “make a final assessment of the total spaceflight and astronaut experience before industrial service begins,” the corporate said.
… Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said earlier this month that the corporate stays heading in the right direction to begin industrial service in June. “Our first industrial flight Galactic 01 is planned for late June and shall be a scientific research flight with members of the Italian Air Force,” Colglazier said “We plan to follow Galactic 01 with each civilian astronauts and research customers flying on regular intervals thereafter.” (submitted by brianrhurley, Ken the Bin, and DanNeely)
Vector Launch tests engines with Ursa Major. Vector Launch—yes, that Vector—announced Wednesday that Ursa Major accomplished acceptance testing of three Hadley first-stage engines for Vector Launch’s upcoming “National Security Mission.” Vector is a reformulated launch company that emerged from the bankruptcy of its predecessor, Vector Space Systems. Interestingly, Jim Cantrell, who was ousted as Vector’s CEO as a part of the bankruptcy, went on to found Phantom Space. That launch company can be using engines built by Ursa Major.
… Up to now, the revamped Vector has yet to say much in regards to the design of its latest rocket. As a substitute, we’re left with statements like this: “The upcoming Vector Launch national security mission will depend on Ursa Major’s engines, and the corporate is confident they may perform inside mission specifications. The successful completion of acceptance testing is a significant milestone for Vector, and we look ahead to conducting a successful launch for our customer,” said Robert Spalding, Vector Launch CEO.
Embry-Riddle students set rocketry record. An amateur rocket set a brand new record last month, soaring far higher than Mount Everest, Space.com reports. Students from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University launched a small rocket to a maximum altitude of 14,548 meters. The feat greater than doubled the previous record set by US undergraduate and collegiate amateurs, which was 6,706 m.
… “I fell to my knees, sobbing, from witnessing such an incredible feat,” student Dalton Songer said, evoking the 4,000 hours of labor that went into the development, testing, and launch. “Everyone was celebrating in an enormous group hug,” Songer said. “That moment was special—something that only happens when a dedicated group of people come together and make something incredible occur against all odds.” Congratulations to all. (submitted by Ken the Bin)