![A Long March-2D rocket carrying 41 satellites blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province June 15, 2023.](https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/7adc7ab6474b42efae90ceb68177cb1c-800x600.png)
Xinhua
Welcome to Edition 5.42 of the Rocket Report! Sorry for missing last week, but I needed to attend a family reunion. On a very unrelated note, you should definitely check back right here next week for an exciting announcement concerning the way forward for space coverage at Ars Technica. No, I’m not going anywhere—fairly we will double up our coverage with an enormous hire!
As all the time, we welcome reader submissions, and should you don’t need to miss a difficulty, 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.
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Virgin Galactic sets next flight date. Virgin Galactic plans to conduct the primary business flight of its SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle in late June on a mission for the Italian Air Force, Space News reports. Virgin said its “Galactic 01” mission will happen between June 27 and June 30 from Spaceport America in Recent Mexico. The flight will carry three people from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy under a contract Virgin Galactic signed with the Italian Air Force in 2019.
… The three Italians will conduct microgravity research on the flight. That shall be followed by “Galactic 02” in early August. It’ll be the primary to hold individuals who signed up for space tourism flights with the corporate, paying as much as $450,000 per seat. To be honest, that is pretty impressive. Virgin Galactic announced a goal of starting business service within the second quarter of 2023 greater than half a 12 months ago, and so they appear to have stuck to that. On the time, I called the schedule “pretty optimistic.” It looks like I used to be fallacious, and I’m comfortable to confess it. (submitted by EllPeaTea)
Firefly acquires Spaceflight. Firefly Aerospace announced last week that it acquired Spaceflight, an organization that gives orbital transfer and last-mile services for satellites. “This acquisition is the results of Firefly’s marketing strategy to strengthen the corporate through organic growth along with accelerating its capabilities with strategic acquisitions,” said Bill Weber, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. Terms weren’t disclosed.
… The acquisition of Spaceflight furthers Firefly’s ambition to change into an integrated provider of each launch and in-space services, following a path of corporations reminiscent of Rocket Lab which have sought to diversify beyond launch services. “The mixture of Spaceflight’s on-orbit experience with Firefly’s launch vehicles, Blue Ghost landers, and Space Utility Vehicles is an overnight game changer for our customers and investors,” Weber said. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
Ursa Major lays off 27 percent of staff. The Colorado-based engine manufacturer has laid off 80 people, or somewhat greater than 1 / 4 of its workforce, CNBC reports. In an announcement, Ursa Major said the job reductions are “realigning our workforce to higher meet the needs of our national security customers.” Ursa Major has had some business success, selling its engines to corporations reminiscent of Stratolaunch and Phantom Space.
… “We do need to acknowledge contributions of each current and former Ursa Major skilled. Their efforts and achievements can’t be overstated, and we deeply appreciate the advances in space and hypersonic propulsion they helped make possible,” Ursa Major said. In LinkedIn posts, multiple former Ursa Major employees wrote Wednesday was a “rough day” at the corporate, with “top-notch people” let go as a part of the “major layoff.” (submitted by Tfargo04)
X-Bow claims second successful launch. Headquartered in Albuquerque, Recent Mexico, an organization called X-Bow is developing “cost-effective,” additively manufactured solid rocket motors for suborbital and orbital rockets. On Monday, the corporate conducted the second test launch of its “Bolt Rocket” at White Sands Missile Range in Southern Recent Mexico, the Albuquerque Journal reports. “We consider this an enormous mission success,” said the corporate’s CEO, Jason Hundley. “The system worked as planned—even higher than we hoped.”
… Absent from this report, and the corporate’s news release, is the altitude reached by the solid rocket. That is a vital detail. Still, X-Bow can have a promising future. In April, it won a $60 million Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) award under the US Air Force’s AFWERX program to assist finance further development of X-Bow’s proprietary advanced manufacturing technology for rapid production of low-cost rocket motors. That contract, which mixes government funding with matching dollars from small innovation research grants and personal investment, will culminate in a series of flight tests. (submitted by Tfargo04)
China builds pad for solid rocket launches. China has broken ground on a brand new launch pad dedicated to business solid rockets to assist boost access to launch facilities, Space News reports. The brand new pad for solid rockets and its related infrastructure to offer power, test, and other facilities is anticipated to be finished inside 180 days. The brand new project is a component of the broader Hainan Industrial Launch Site for which two pads are currently under construction. One shall be dedicated to kerolox launchers and one other to methalox launch vehicles.
… The primary launch of a liquid rocket from the business spaceport is anticipated in early 2024. State-owned and related spinoffs from CASC, CASIC, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in addition to business and semi-private corporations, including iSpace, Galactic Energy, and Orienspace, are engaged in launching and developing solid propellant launch vehicles. (submitted by Ken the Bin)