![Stoke Space recently conducted a static fire test of its hopper vehicle.](https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/stoke-1-800x450.jpg)
Stoke Space
Welcome to Edition 6.11 of the Rocket Report! There’s so much occurring this week, including the completion of pre-flight tests by two firms developing reusable small launch vehicles. On the larger end of the spectrum, NASA is installing engines onto its second Space Launch System rocket, and SpaceX appears to be on course to get a launch license for its second Starship launch next month.
As all the time, we welcome reader submissions, and should you don’t need to miss a problem, please subscribe using the box below (the shape is not going to appear on AMP-enabled versions of the positioning). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets in addition to a fast look ahead at the subsequent three launches on the calendar.
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Recent Shepard may return to flight in October. As of Tuesday, it has been a full yr because the failure of the Recent Shepard-23 booster, by which the rocket was lost at 1 minute and 4 seconds into flight. While Blue Origin has not said anything publicly, Ars reports that the corporate’s tentative plans call for an uncrewed test flight of Recent Shepard in early October. If all goes well, Blue Origin is planning its first crewed mission since August 4, 2022, to happen in mid-February next yr.
… Recent Shepard’s long-awaited return to flight comes as its primary competitor, Virgin Galactic, has begun to reveal a powerful cadence of human spaceflights. With its VSS spacecraft, Virgin Galactic can carry 4 passengers and two pilots to an altitude of about 55 miles, and this vehicle has made 4 spaceflights in 4 months this summer. Virgin Galactic’s president, Mike Moses, said the corporate plans to proceed flying humans on VSS on roughly a monthly cadence any further.
Rocket Lab expands hypersonic program. Leidos confirmed this week that it was the contractor for a hypersonic testbed launched by a Rocket Lab Electron vehicle on June 17 from Launch Complex 2 at Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. “This successful test has demonstrated first hypersonic insertion of a payload from a business launch vehicle and the team is able to move forward into the subsequent phase of this program,” said Leidos CEO Tom Bell.
… The following phase of this system will expand upon this successful test with additional hypersonic flight test opportunities as the US seeks to match and counter the hypersonic capabilities of other nations. Rocket Lab said it has signed a contract to conduct 4 additional “HASTE” missions with Leidos on Electron. The missions, scheduled across 2024 and 2025, can even fly from Virginia. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
Stoke Space tests hopper. The Washington-based company that’s developing a completely reusable small launch vehicle, Stoke Space, said it has accomplished a static fire test of its “hopper” prototype of a rocket’s second stage. “This all-up test was really a hop mission simulation and included all the pieces from flight avionics, power systems, computers, GNC, RCS, tank pressurization, and, in fact, the engine and warmth shield,” the corporate said on the social network X. It shared a video of the test firing.
… This second stage will land back on Earth after a launch. In its statement, the corporate continued, “The one thing we simulated was the position data, which was derived in real time from engine data. Simulating the position gave us the chance to inject dispersions, corresponding to a persistent roll, which you’ll see the badass RCS fighting hard to correct.” For more about Stoke, take a look at this feature story from last October. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
MaiaSpace completes stage test. MaiaSpace has accomplished the primary cryogenic test of a full-scale prototype of the Maia rocket’s second stage, European Spaceflight reports. The offshoot of ArianeGroup is attempting to develop a small partially reusable launch vehicle. This Maia rocket is designed to be able to delivering as much as 1,500 kilograms to orbit when its first stage is expended and 500 kilograms when the stage is being recovered. A debut flight of Maia could occur in late 2025.
… The cryogenic testing occurred at ArianeGroup’s testing facilities in Vernon, France. The prototype stage was designed, built, and integrated by MaiaSpace in lower than nine months. Following the success of the primary test, the corporate is moving forward with two additional cryogenic tests which might be scheduled to happen this month. The corporate is attempting to lean right into a latest space ethos of moving quickly and iterating. It’ll be interesting to see whether MaiaSpace is successful in doing so. (submitted by Ken the Bin and EllPeaTea)
Astra declares reverse stock split. Astra Space announced a reverse stock split on Wednesday in an effort to stop a delisting on the stock exchange, Payload reports. The corporate’s board of directors approved the stock split of Astra’s Class A and Class B common stock, each valued at $0.0001, at a ratio of 1 for 15, effective immediately. A reverse stock split is a typical tool utilized by struggling firms, including Momentus and Spire, to artificially bump up a stock price while preserving their market cap value.
… Astra was the primary launch startup to trade on the NASDAQ back within the SPAC-apalooza of 2021, and the move fueled Astra’s plans to expand its launch services. But its ambitious foray into the stock market hit trouble in July when the corporate’s stock price dwindled below the $1-per-share minimum requirement set by NASDAQ. This was led, partly, by the corporate’s struggle to reliably launch its Rocket 3.3 vehicle. (submitted by Ken the Bin)