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Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp announced a third stage for New Glenn, designed to expand the rocket’s payload capabilities to geostationary orbit and the Moon, alongside the new Northstar booster engine. The company says the upgrades will also reduce manufacturing costs, with the engine targeted at one-quarter the cost.
Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation
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The FAA is proposing changes to commercial launch and reentry licensing and plans a broader overhaul of its space licensing framework in 2027. The agency is preparing for 1,000 launches annually by 2030 and projects 10,000 launches and reentries combined each year by 2035.
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Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp announced a third stage for New Glenn, designed to expand the rocket’s payload capabilities to geostationary orbit and the Moon, alongside the new Northstar booster engine. The company says the upgrades will also reduce manufacturing costs, with the engine targeted at one-quarter the cost.
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SpaceX and Tesla shares extended losses after Democratic victories in the U.S. midterm elections heightened investor concerns about potential congressional probes, tighter regulation and slower data center expansion. Reports put Thursday’s declines at about 9% for SpaceX and 11% for Tesla, with their combined market value down more than $420 billion.
In a SpaceNews podcast episode, Mike Gruss speaks with Auriga Space CEO Winnie Lai about the idea of building a “highway to the moon and back.” The available summary does not specify a particular program, technology milestone or company announcement.
A Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg on the evening of Oct. 15 carrying a classified payload for the U.S. Space Force. The launch adds to a pattern described as 18 launches without program names, prompting calls for more disclosure.
On Nov. 4, 2015, the experimental Super Strypi rocket failed shortly after liftoff from Hawaii on its first launch. The rail-launched vehicle was carrying 13 small satellites, making the mission an unsuccessful test of a new approach to placing payloads in orbit.
United Launch Alliance is moving payload fairing manufacturing for its Vulcan rocket in-house, following SpaceX’s practice of producing fairings at its Hawthorne, California, plant. The shift gives ULA greater control over a critical launch-vehicle component and may reduce costs through vertical integration.
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