Bloomberg
• Emily Graffeo
The Boeing-Lockheed Martin rocket joint venture plans to tap the private bond market to refinance existing debt. The transaction would provide fresh financing for the venture while highlighting the capital requirements facing major launch businesses and their shareholders.
Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation
Latest source-backed stories
The Boeing-Lockheed Martin rocket joint venture plans to tap the private bond market to refinance existing debt. The transaction would provide fresh financing for the venture while highlighting the capital requirements facing major launch businesses and their shareholders.
In his first earnings call since SpaceX’s IPO, Elon Musk said the company believes it has resolved a major Starship rocket issue and expects the vehicle to launch daily by next year. The projection signals an aggressive planned increase in launch cadence for SpaceX’s largest rocket.
SpaceX launched and deployed three AST SpaceMobile BlueBird satellites on a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral on Aug. 5. President Gwynne Shotwell said the company’s next-generation Starlink Mobile satellites are expected to launch in 2027, positioning the service to compete for customers of AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.
High activity
SpaceX is scheduled to launch three of AST SpaceMobile’s large BlueBird satellites early Wednesday, Aug. 5. The mission will expand AST SpaceMobile’s planned direct-to-cell satellite constellation, with the launch available for live viewing.
L3Harris Technologies confirmed the successful deployment of its first perimeter truss reflector aboard ViaSat-3 Flight 3. SpaceX launched the satellite, marking an on-orbit milestone for L3Harris’s reflector technology and the ViaSat-3 satellite program.
High activity
SpaceX is recovering Ship 40 from the Indian Ocean after its soft landing on Flight 13, while Ship 41 moves toward engine testing at Massey’s. Teams are also advancing Pad 2 work, with a potential Flight 14 targeted as early as late August.
High activity
Rocket Lab has secured its largest-ever contract, a $266 million multi-launch deal with the U.S. Space Force for suborbital missile-defense launches. Separately, Japan’s iQPS signed for three dedicated Electron missions, underscoring Rocket Lab’s push across defense and commercial launch markets.
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