SpaceNews.com
• Jeff Foust
Exolaunch said Sept. 14 it secured capacity for rideshare payloads on two upcoming launches, one involving a Japanese rocket. The agreements add launch opportunities to Exolaunch’s manifest as the provider continues arranging shared-launch access for satellite customers.
Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation
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Exolaunch said Sept. 14 it secured capacity for rideshare payloads on two upcoming launches, one involving a Japanese rocket. The agreements add launch opportunities to Exolaunch’s manifest as the provider continues arranging shared-launch access for satellite customers.
BlackSky said its fifth Gen3 satellite began collecting and processing imagery less than 20 hours after launching on a Rocket Lab Electron. The milestone demonstrates the company’s rapid post-launch commissioning capability as it expands its commercial satellite imaging constellation.
Avio reported a 17.5% revenue increase and a 7.3% rise in adjusted EBITDA for the six months ended June 30. Two-thirds of its newly added backlog came from solid rocket motors for defense applications, while the company said additional funding is needed to increase Ariane 6 and Vega launch cadence.
High activity
Avio is preparing the VV30 mission, carrying the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-3C and FLEX spacecraft together aboard a Vega C rocket. The launch will use the ELV pad at Kourou, French Guiana, highlighting Vega C’s role in deploying multiple spacecraft on a single mission.
SpaceX launched three SES O3b mPOWER communications satellites on Sept. 13, marking the 700th mission by the Falcon rocket family. The flight adds capacity to SES’s satellite network while underscoring Falcon’s sustained role as a launch provider for commercial communications constellations.
Sirius Space has completed the first hot-fire test of its fully integrated STAR-1 rocket engine, marking a development milestone ahead of a planned 2027 demonstration flight. The test advances the company’s commercial launch vehicle program toward an in-flight demonstration.
High activity
Europe’s space sector is entering a period of visible momentum: Isar Aerospace reached orbit on its second Spectrum flight, the UK published a new space strategy, and PLD Space unveiled a larger reusable launcher. Together, the developments signal growing commercial and national ambition across Europe’s launch market.
HyPrSpace has pushed the inaugural flight of its Baguette One suborbital rocket to 2027, when the vehicle is planned to launch from the DGA test site at Biscarrosse. The mission, announced with France’s Ministry for the Armed Forces, would mark a first for French spaceflight.
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