FlightGlobal
• David Kaminski-Morrow
Blue Origin has unveiled a three-stage version of its New Glenn rocket, adding heavy-lift capability to the existing two-stage vehicle. The company says the variant can support longer lunar operations and deliver satellites to geostationary orbit, extending the launcher’s mission range.
NASA Spaceflight
Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation
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Blue Origin has unveiled a three-stage version of its New Glenn rocket, adding heavy-lift capability to the existing two-stage vehicle. The company says the variant can support longer lunar operations and deliver satellites to geostationary orbit, extending the launcher’s mission range.
SpaceX is scheduled to launch a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base’s pad 4E at 4:48 p.m. PST (7:48 p.m. EST, 0048 UTC). The classified U.S. Space Force mission is thought to carry satellites based on SpaceX’s Starshield platform.
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Space Launch Delta 45 has granted Stoke Space Right of Entry to property north of the company’s existing Space Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Stoke is evaluating the site for an expansion that would add a second pad for its Nova launch vehicle.
Colorado-based LEAP has signed a deal to develop recurring launch operations at a proposed site in Sutherland, on Scotland’s northern mainland. The company says the effort is intended to strengthen its international launch capabilities; the articles provide no launch schedule or further project details.
Germany’s aerospace research agency DLR has improved its P5 test stand, enabling trials of a novel propellant mix in the Prometheus engine developed by ArianeGroup. The upgrade expands the test facility’s capabilities as the engine’s testing program progresses.
The future of Falcon 9 has become a major subject of discussion in the space industry amid a launch capacity crunch. The issue extends beyond SpaceX alone, underscoring broader questions about the supply of launch services.
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