Archives for July 2022

Relativity Space has signed a multi-year, multi-launch, Launch Services Agreement (LSA) with OneWeb.

Under the agreement, Relativity will launch OneWeb’s LEO satellites on Terran R, the first fully reusable and entirely 3D printed rocket, starting in 2025. These launches will support OneWeb’s deployment of that firm’s Gen 2 satellite network, which will add capacity and fresh capabilities to build upon the initial constellation of 648 satellites the company is currently building out.

Terran R will launch OneWeb missions from Launch Complex 16, Relativity’s site at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, where the first entirely 3D printed rocket, Terran 1, is also set for its first orbital launch this year. As a medium-heavy lift, fully reusable launch vehicle made for growing satellite constellation launch demand and, eventually, multi-planetary transport, Terran R provides government and commercial customers affordable access to space, in LEO and beyond. With the addition of this multi-launch agreement with OneWeb, Relativity now has a total of five signed customers for Terran R, including multiple launches and totaling more than $1.2 billion in backlog.

Disrupting 60 years of aerospace manufacturing with 3D printing, autonomous robotics, and machine learning, Relativity’s radically simplified supply chain enables the company to print its rockets with 100x fewer parts in less than 60 days, compared to industry standards of 18 months or longer. Since its founding six years ago, Relativity has developed a new tech stack for aerospace manufacturing that centers on its Stargate printers, which are capable of 3D printing Terran 1, which is an expendable, entirely 3D printed, 110 ft. tall, 7.5 ft. wide rocket with a 3 meter payload fairing, simultaneously with Terran R – a 20X larger, fully reusable launch vehicle.

Relativity recently deployed the fourth generation of Stargate, improving its prior generation’s print speed by 10 times. Located in the company’s new 1MM+ square-foot factory headquarters, these new, fourth generation Stargate printers will allow Relativity to take its production to new heights, scale, and quality. With in-process monitoring, Stargate printers can now analyze the prints in real time, detecting any quality issues and using predictive capabilities to print fuselages to aerospace dimensional tolerances.

Tripling in size since 2020, Relativity now employs 800+ people across its Long Beach, Vandenberg, Seattle, Washington D.C., Stennis, and Cape Canaveral locations and has also begun a move to new headquarters, which has capacity for 2,000+ employees, a metallurgical laboratory, powder bed fusion printers, a mission control center, as well as dozens of the company’s proprietary Stargate 3D printers.

“We are honored to be chosen by OneWeb to help launch their Gen 2 constellation,” said Tim Ellis, Co-Founder and CEO of Relativity. “They have an incredible team, technology, and momentum as a world leader in satellite connectivity with hundreds of operational satellites already in orbit. It is clear that more disruptive launch capacity is needed in the marketplace – Relativity is developing Terran R to fill this additional demand. We cannot wait to plan, execute, and successfully launch these missions together with OneWeb.”

“We are excited about this agreement with Relativity, who we’ve long admired as a true disruptor in the aerospace manufacturing industry. Relativity will add new capacity to our launch programme well into the future,” said Massimiliano Ladovaz, CTO, OneWeb.

Relativity is building humanity’s multi-planetary future. We invented a new approach to design, print, and fly our own rockets, starting with the world’s first entirely 3D-printed rocket, Terran 1, and Terran R, a larger, fully reusable, entirely 3D-printed launch vehicle. As a vertically integrated technology platform, Relativity is at the forefront of an inevitable shift toward software-defined manufacturing. By fusing 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and autonomous robotics, we are pioneering the factory of the future. Disrupting 60 years of aerospace, Relativity offers a radically simplified supply chain, building a rocket with 100x fewer parts in less than 60 days. We believe in a future where interplanetary life fundamentally expands the possibilities for human experience. Our long-term vision is to upgrade humanity’s industrial base on Earth and on Mars.

OneWeb is a global communications network powered from space, headquartered in London, enabling connectivity for governments, businesses, and communities. It is implementing a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites with a network of global gateway stations and a range of user terminals to provide an affordable, fast, high-bandwidth and low-latency communications service, connected to the IoT future and a pathway to 5G.

Space Systems Command and Long Beach-based Virgin Orbit National Systems, a US-incorporated, wholly-owned subsidiary of Virgin Orbit, successfully air-launched seven Department of Defense Research and Development satellites for the U.S. Space Force on the company’s LauncherOne rocket, after taking off on July 1st from Mojave Air and Space Port, California.

The nighttime mission, designated STP-S28A, demonstrated commercially available solutions to place Space Force satellite capabilities on-orbit, providing flexibility and resiliency for the Space Force and warfighter requirements in an increasingly contested environment.

“Congratulations to the STP team and our mission partners on today’s successful launch,” said Brig. Gen. Timothy Sejba, program executive officer for Space Domain and Combat Power, which manages the DoD Space Test Program. “The STP team continues to demonstrate how agile access to space enables us to quickly and affordably prove out new R&D technology on-orbit, accelerating the development of our future, more resilient, space architecture.”

“I’m thrilled with [this] successful launch,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Shea, director of the DoD Space Test Program. “Cost effective space access is key to the U.S. Space Force’s pivot to a more resilient space architecture. This launch with Virgin Orbit exemplifies SSC’s commitment to expanding partnerships with innovative companies and accelerating the delivery of future capabilities for the Warfighter.”

According to Shea, these new space vehicles will contribute to the nation’s defense and gain ground against any adversaries operating in the highly contested space domain.

Space Systems Command, headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for rapidly developing, acquiring, equipping, fielding and sustaining lethal and resilient space capabilities. SSC mission capability areas include launch acquisition and operations, communications and positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), space sensing, battle management command, control and communications (BMC3), and space domain awareness & combat power.

Virgin Orbit (Nasdaq: VORB) has confirmed the success of the company’s fourth, consecutive, satellite launch mission named Straight Up which carried seven satellites to LEO for the United States Space Force (USSF), who procured this launch for the Rocket Systems Launch Program, with payloads provided by the Department of Defense Space Test Program (STP). In support of its mission partners, Virgin Orbit has now delivered a total of thirty-three satellites to orbit with 100% mission success.

Virgin Orbit’s fully mobile LauncherOne system conducted its first ever evening flight from a bare concrete pad and a runway at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. The launch began at 10:50 p.m. local time, Friday, July 1, and concluded with the successful deployment of all seven payloads at approximately 12:55 a.m. Pacific on the morning of July 2, completing the company’s first nighttime demonstration of the company’s responsive space launch capabilities.

The launch reached an orbit approximately 500 km. above the Earth’s surface at 45 degrees inclination. This was Virgin Orbit’s second time reaching that inclination — an orbit that no other system has ever reached from the West Coast.

The seven satellites deployed by the result of the Straight Up launch are from multiple government agencies and will facilitate experiments intended to demonstrate innovative spacecraft technologies, new approaches for satellite applications, and Earth atmospheric science.

The contract to launch this mission, also dubbed STP-S28, was awarded to Virgin Orbit National Systems in April of 2020 by the United States Space Force as a three-launch mission. STP-S28A is the first of those launches.

The Straight Up launch marked the company’s fourth successful commercial flight. The U.S. Space Force Rocket Systems Launch Program is a first-time customer for Virgin Orbit. The U.S. Department of Defense Space Test Program is a three-time repeat customer of Virgin Orbit. Photo Credit: Virgin Orbit / Daniel Jarvis, Mark Waker

“The LauncherOne rocket and Virgin Orbit team have made me immensely proud with today’s Straight Up mission,” said Virgin Orbit founder, Richard Branson. “There is so much potential benefit for everyone from space if we just manage it well together. We are delighted for the opportunity to work with the US government to help make space a safe and fruitful environment for all.”

“We are honored to be supporting and delivering for the U.S. Space Force and the U.S. Department of Defense at such a critical juncture for national security space, our nation, and our world. An incredibly talented Virgin Orbit team and our LauncherOne system continue to demonstrate a track record of success for our spacecraft customers and that was confirmed again today,” said Virgin Orbit CEO, Dan Hart.

“I’m proud to be part of this incredible team, both on our side and the government team, in driving this mission to success,” said Mark Baird, President of Virgin Orbit National System, the subsidiary that interfaces with the National Security customers. “It was incredible to see the Straight Up mission wheels up, and satellites successfully deployed to support the mission of our customers. We are intensely focused on ensuring we are a key mission partner as we continue to accelerate the operationalization of the LauncherOne system.”

Following the success of this launch, the Virgin Orbit team is preparing for its first international launch later this year in collaboration with the United Kingdom Space Agency, the Royal Air Force, and Space Port Cornwall. This will be the first orbital launch from UK soil.

Virgin Orbit (Nasdaq: VORB) operates one of the most flexible and responsive space launch systems ever built. Founded by Sir Richard Branson in 2017, the company began commercial service in 2021, and has already delivered commercial, civil, national security, and international satellites into orbit. Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rockets are designed and manufactured in Long Beach, California, and are air-launched from a modified 747-400 carrier aircraft that allows Virgin Orbit to operate from locations all over the world in order to best serve each customer’s needs. Learn more at www.virginorbit.com and visit us on LinkedIn, on Twitter @virginorbit, and on Instagram @virgin.orbit.

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Virgin Orbit National Systems has halted the launch of the Space Test Program (STP)-S28A launch due to noting that the LauncherOne‘s rocket propellant temperature was ‘slightly out of bounds.” The rocket is being unloaded and will be recycled for another launch attempt in the coming days.

Space Systems Command is preparing to air-launch the STP-S28A mission on June 29th to deliver seven payloads for the DoD Space Test Program off the Southern California coast to an orbit of 500 kilometers at a 45 degree inclination.

These experimental payloads enable the development of a wide range of technologies supporting the future warfighter. On-orbit demonstrations include a modular platform for supporting system development, Intelligence Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) and Proximity Operations of SmallSats, next-generation Radio Frequency (RF) communications and data routing, and research in Earth sciences.

Virgin Orbit National Systems is set to deploy the payloads into orbit on its LauncherOne rocket, designed and manufactured in Long Beach, California.

They will be air-launched from Virgin Orbit’s 747-400 carrier aircraft, dubbed “Cosmic Girl,” after taking off from Mojave Air and Space Port and flying a prescribed aerial “racetrack” course over the Pacific Ocean.

STP-S28A is managed by the DoD Space Test Program that delivers experimental demonstrations of new capabilities and expedient space access solutions for research and development experiments. SSC’s Space Domain Awareness & Combat Power, Innovation and Prototyping Delta at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, administers the DoD STP.

Space Systems Command procured this launch through the Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP).

“We are excited to partner with Virgin Orbit National Systems for the launch of the STP-S28A mission for the DoD Space Test Program,” said Lt. Col. Justin Beltz, chief of Space Systems Command’s Small Launch and Targets division. “RSLP and STP have a long history of working together to support Department of Defense science & technology efforts. The entire team has worked tirelessly to prepare for this upcoming launch, and we look forward to getting the Space Test Program’s payloads where they need to be on-orbit.”

Space Systems Command, headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for rapidly developing, acquiring, equipping, fielding and sustaining lethal and resilient space capabilities. SSC mission capability areas include launch acquisition and operations, communications and positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), space sensing, battle management command, control and communications (BMC3), and space domain awareness & combat power.

Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”) has successfully deployed a pathfinding satellite for NASA, setting it on a course to the Moon. This deployment marks the successful completion of Rocket Lab’s first deep space mission, paving the way for the Company’s upcoming interplanetary missions to Mars and Venus.

Owned and operated by Advanced Space on behalf of NASA, the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) will be the first spacecraft to test the Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) around the Moon. This is the same orbit intended for NASA’s Gateway, a Moon-orbiting outpost that will provide essential support for long-term astronaut lunar missions as part of the Artemis program.

Rocket Lab’s role in the mission occurred over two phases. First, CAPSTONE was successfully launched to LEO by Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle on June 28th. From there, Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon spacecraft provided in-space transportation, power, and communications to CAPSTONE.

After six days of orbit-raising burns by Lunar Photon’s 3D printed HyperCurie engine (photo below, courtesy of Rocket Lab), CAPSTONE was deployed on its ballistic lunar transfer trajectory to the Moon, as planned, at 07:18 UTC on July 4th. The mission was Rocket Lab’s fourth Electron launch this year, demonstrating the rocket’s continued reliability. In addition to providing the launch, Rocket Lab designed, manufactured, and operated the Lunar Photon spacecraft, successfully completing a highly complex deep space mission and demonstrating Rocket Lab’s growing capabilities as an end-to-end space company.

With Rocket Lab’s role in the mission now complete, CAPSTONE’s solo journey to the Moon has begun. CAPSTONE will use its own propulsion and the Sun’s gravity to navigate the rest of the way to the Moon, a four-month journey that will have CAPSTONE arriving to its lunar orbit on November 13, 2022. The gravity-driven track will dramatically reduce the amount of fuel the cubesat needs to get to the Moon. Advanced Space and Terran Orbital will manage the operation of the CAPSTONE satellite for the duration of its orbital lifespan.

The CAPSTONE mission was Rocket Lab’s 27th Electron launch overall, but it featured several significant technological firsts for the Company, including:

• First deep space mission
• First use of Lunar Photon, a high energy variant of the Rocket Lab-designed and built Photon spacecraft — the company previously launched and continues to operate two LEO variants of the Photon spacecraft
• First collaborative mission between Rocket Lab and Advanced Solutions Inc., a Colorado-based flight-software company acquired by Rocket Lab in late 2021
• First time using the FR-lite satellite radio, which Rocket Lab has an exclusive license agreement with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory to manufacture
• First mission where Electron’s second stage deorbited the same day as launch.First mission planning and executing lunar trajectories. At 300 kg. (661 lbs.) of payload mass, the mission was Electron’s heaviest lift, to date

“The CAPSTONE mission marks the beginning of humanity’s return to the Moon through NASA’s Artemis program and we’re incredibly proud that Rocket Lab has played a key role in that,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck. “The Rocket Lab team has been working on CAPSTONE with NASA and our mission partners for more than two years, developing new small satellite technology in the form of the Lunar Photon spacecraft to make this mission possible, so it’s an incredible feeling after all that hard work and innovation to achieve mission success and set CAPSTONE on a course for the Moon. This has been Rocket Lab’s most complex mission to date and our team has been incredible. We pushed Electron and Photon to their limits and proved it’s possible to do big missions with small spacecraft. Now we’ll be applying this ground-breaking technology for more interplanetary journeys, including our upcoming missions to Venus and Mars.”

CAPSTONE is the first in a series of interplanetary missions for Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft, including the ESCAPADE mission to Mars in 2024 and Rocket Lab’s upcoming private mission to Venus.

Advanced Space of Colorado, a leading commercial space solutions company, owns the CAPSTONE satellite and operates the mission.

CAPSTONE was designed and built by Terran Orbital.

CAPSTONE development is supported by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate via the Small Spacecraft Technology Program at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. Advanced Exploration Systems within NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate supports the launch and mission operations. NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida is responsible for launch management.

Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company with an established track record of mission success. We deliver reliable launch services, satellite manufacture, spacecraft components, and on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier and more affordable to access space. Headquartered in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab designs and manufactures the Electron small orbital launch vehicle and the Photon satellite platform and is developing the Neutron 8-ton payload class launch vehicle. Since its first orbital launch in January 2018, Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered 147 satellites to orbit for private and public sector organizations, enabling operations in national security, scientific research, space debris mitigation, Earth observation, climate monitoring, and communications. Rocket Lab’s Photon spacecraft platform has been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as the first private commercial mission to Venus. Rocket Lab has three launch pads at two launch sites, including two launch pads at a private orbital launch site located in New Zealand and a second launch site in Virginia, USA which is expected to become operational in 2022.

Rocket Lab launched the CAPSTONE cubesat from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Pad B, located on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula on June 28th via an Electron rocket.

The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) cubesat will be the first spacecraft to test the Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) around the Moon.

Researchers expect this orbit to be a gravitational sweet spot in space – where the pull of gravity from Earth and the Moon interact to allow for a nearly-stable orbit – allowing physics to do most of the work of keeping a spacecraft in orbit around the Moon. NASA has big plans for this unique type of orbit.

This historic pathfinding mission is in support of NASA’s Artemis program which will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.

Using the company’s Electron rocket and new Lunar Photon upper stage, Rocket Lab will inject CAPSTONE to a highly efficient, transfer orbit en route to the Moon.

CAPSTONE is owned and operated by Advanced Space in Westminster, Colorado, for NASA.

CAPSTONE’s primary objective is to test and verify the calculated orbital stability of a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit around the Moon, the same orbit planned for Gateway.

NASA’s Gateway is a small space station that will orbit around the Moon to provide astronauts with access to the lunar surface and will feature living quarters for astronauts, a lab for science and research and ports for visiting spacecraft.

CAPSTONE will also test a navigation system developed by Advanced Space that will measure its absolute position in cislunar space using interaction with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter without relying on ground stations for navigation support.

CAPSTONE is one of the first steps to learn how to operate more robust missions in this unique orbit, thus laying the groundwork for future exploration of our solar system.

NASA CAPSTONE information regarding the launch by Rocket Lab…

NASA’s CAPSTONE cubesat is designed to test a unique lunar orbit — the smallsat is safely in space and on the first leg of its journey to the Moon.

The spacecraft is heading toward an orbit intended in the future for Gateway, a lunar space station built by the agency and its commercial and international partners that will support NASA’s Artemis program, including astronaut missions.

“CAPSTONE is an example of how working with commercial partners is key for NASA’s ambitious plans to explore the Moon and beyond,” said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate. “We’re thrilled with a successful start to the mission and looking forward to what CAPSTONE will do once it arrives at the Moon.”

CAPSTONE is currently in LEO and it will take the spacecraft about four months to reach its targeted, lunar orbit. NASA invites the public to follow the spacecraft’s journey live using NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System interactive real-time 3D data visualization. Starting about one week after launch, virtually ride along with the CubeSat with a simulated view of our solar system. NASA will post updates about when to see CAPSTONE in the visualization on NASA’s Ames Research Center’s home page as well as Twitter and Facebook.

CAPSTONE is attached to Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon, an interplanetary third stage that will send CAPSTONE on its way to deep space. Shortly after launch, Lunar Photon separated from Electron’s second stage. Over the next six days, Photon’s engine will periodically ignite to accelerate it beyond LEO, where Photon will release the cubesat on a ballistic lunar transfer trajectory to the Moon. CAPSTONE will then use its own propulsion and the Sun’s gravity to navigate the remainder of the way to the Moon. The gravity-driven track will dramatically reduce the amount of fuel the cubesat needs to get to the Moon.

“Delivering the spacecraft for launch was an accomplishment for the entire mission team, including NASA and our industry partners. Our team is now preparing for separation and initial acquisition for the spacecraft in six days,” said Bradley Cheetham, principal investigator for CAPSTONE and chief executive officer of Advanced Space, which owns and operates CAPSTONE on behalf of NASA. “We have already learned a tremendous amount getting to this point, and we are passionate about the importance of returning humans to the Moon, this time to stay.”

At the Moon, CAPSTONE will enter an elongated orbit called a near rectilinear halo orbit, or NRHO. Once in the NRHO, CAPSTONE will fly within 1,000 miles of the Moon’s North Pole on its near pass and 43,500 miles from the South Pole at its farthest. It will repeat the cycle every six and a half days and maintain this orbit for at least six months to study dynamics.

“CAPSTONE is a pathfinder in many ways, and it will demonstrate several technology capabilities during its mission timeframe while navigating a never-before-flown orbit around the Moon,” said Elwood Agasid, project manager for CAPSTONE at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. “CAPSTONE is laying a foundation for Artemis, Gateway, and commercial support for future lunar operations.”

During its mission, CAPSTONE will provide data about operating in an NRHO and showcase key technologies. The mission’s Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System, developed by Advanced Space with support from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program, is a spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation and communications system that will work with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to determine the distance between the two lunar orbiting spacecraft. This technology could allow future spacecraft to determine their position in space without relying exclusively on tracking from Earth. CAPSTONE also carries a new precision one-way ranging capability built into its radio that could reduce the amount of ground network time needed for in-space operations.

In addition to New Zealand hosting CAPSTONE’s launch, New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and a University of Canterbury-led team are collaborating with NASA on a research effort to track Moon-orbiting spacecraft. New Zealand helped develop the Artemis Accords – which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s 21st century lunar exploration plans. In May 2021, New Zealand was the 11th country to sign the Artemis Accords.

The microwave-oven sized cubesat was designed and built by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, a Terran Orbital Corporation. CAPSTONE includes contributions from Stellar Exploration, Inc., Space Dynamics Lab, Tethers Unlimited, Inc., and Orion Space Systems.

NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) funds the demonstration mission.

The program is based at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. The development of CAPSTONE’s navigation technology is supported by NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program, also within STMD. The Artemis Campaign Development Division within NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate funds the launch and supports mission operations.

The Launch Services Program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida manages the launch service. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory supports the communication, tracking, and telemetry downlink via NASA’s Deep Space Network, Iris radio design, and groundbreaking 1-way navigation algorithms.

Upcoming activities:

On Monday, July 4th, as early as 3:00 a.m. EDT, Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon spacecraft is scheduled to perform a final engine burn to set the CAPSTONE satellite on course to the Moon for NASA.

This is a globally significant moment for space exploration. CAPSTONE is the first mission launched in support NASA’s Artemis program – the agency’s program to return humans to the surface of the Moon.

The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) will be the very first spacecraft to test the Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) around the Moon. This is the same orbit intended for NASA’s Gateway, a Moon-orbiting outpost that will provide essential support for long-term astronaut lunar missions as part of Artemis.

CAPSTONE was initially launched to LEO by Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle on June 28th (webcast here). Since then, Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon spacecraft has provided in-space transportation, power and communications to CAPSTONE. On July 4th, after several days of orbit-raising burns, Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon will carry out one final burn and release CAPSTONE on its ballistic lunar transfer trajectory for a solo journey the Moon.

Rocket Lab will be live streaming this burn and moment of separation from Mission Control via www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream.

This has been Rocket Lab’s most complex mission yet and demonstrates our capabilities beyond launch and into spacecraft design, build, and operation. The CAPSTONE mission was Rocket Lab’s 27th Electron launch, but it also featured several significant technological firsts for the company’s space systems capabilities, including:

• First use of Lunar Photon, a high energy variant of the Rocket Lab designed and built Photon spacecraft. (Rocket Lab previously launched and continues to operate two low Earth orbit variants of the Photon spacecraft)
• First mission beyond LEO. (A typical Rocket Lab mission deploys satellites to around 500 km. from Earth. Lunar Photon will deploy CAPSTONE to around 1.3 million km. from Earth)
• First use of the HyperCurie 3D printed engine, designed and built by Rocket Lab, to provide in-space propulsion
• First collaborative mission between Rocket Lab and Advanced Solutions Inc, a Colorado-based flight-software company acquired by Rocket Lab in late 2021
• First time using the FR-lite satellite radio, a near and deep space capable small spacecraft telemetry and control radio technology that Rocket Lab has an exclusive license agreement with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory to manufacture
• First time a Rocket Lab Electron second stage has de-orbited and reentered Earth’s atmosphere the same day as launch, leaving behind no space debris.

Space Systems Command and Long Beach-based Virgin Orbit National Systems, a US-incorporated, wholly-owned subsidiary of Virgin Orbit, successfully air-launched seven Department of Defense Research and Development satellites for the U.S. Space Force on the company’s LauncherOne rocket, after taking off on July 1st from Mojave Air and Space Port, California.

The nighttime mission, designated STP-S28A, demonstrated commercially available solutions to place Space Force satellite capabilities on-orbit, providing flexibility and resiliency for the Space Force and warfighter requirements in an increasingly contested environment.

“Congratulations to the STP team and our mission partners on today’s successful launch,” said Brig. Gen. Timothy Sejba, program executive officer for Space Domain and Combat Power, which manages the DoD Space Test Program. “The STP team continues to demonstrate how agile access to space enables us to quickly and affordably prove out new R&D technology on-orbit, accelerating the development of our future, more resilient, space architecture.”

“I’m thrilled with [this] successful launch,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Shea, director of the DoD Space Test Program. “Cost effective space access is key to the U.S. Space Force’s pivot to a more resilient space architecture. This launch with Virgin Orbit exemplifies SSC’s commitment to expanding partnerships with innovative companies and accelerating the delivery of future capabilities for the Warfighter.”

According to Shea, these new space vehicles will contribute to the nation’s defense and gain ground against any adversaries operating in the highly contested space domain.

Space Systems Command, headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for rapidly developing, acquiring, equipping, fielding and sustaining lethal and resilient space capabilities. SSC mission capability areas include launch acquisition and operations, communications and positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), space sensing, battle management command, control and communications (BMC3), and space domain awareness & combat power.

Virgin Orbit (Nasdaq: VORB) has confirmed the success of the company’s fourth, consecutive, satellite launch mission named Straight Up which carried seven satellites to LEO for the United States Space Force (USSF), who procured this launch for the Rocket Systems Launch Program, with payloads provided by the Department of Defense Space Test Program (STP). In support of its mission partners, Virgin Orbit has now delivered a total of thirty-three satellites to orbit with 100% mission success.

Virgin Orbit’s fully mobile LauncherOne system conducted its first ever evening flight from a bare concrete pad and a runway at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. The launch began at 10:50 p.m. local time, Friday, July 1, and concluded with the successful deployment of all seven payloads at approximately 12:55 a.m. Pacific on the morning of July 2, completing the company’s first nighttime demonstration of the company’s responsive space launch capabilities.

The launch reached an orbit approximately 500 km. above the Earth’s surface at 45 degrees inclination. This was Virgin Orbit’s second time reaching that inclination — an orbit that no other system has ever reached from the West Coast.

The seven satellites deployed by the result of the Straight Up launch are from multiple government agencies and will facilitate experiments intended to demonstrate innovative spacecraft technologies, new approaches for satellite applications, and Earth atmospheric science.

The contract to launch this mission, also dubbed STP-S28, was awarded to Virgin Orbit National Systems in April of 2020 by the United States Space Force as a three-launch mission. STP-S28A is the first of those launches.

The Straight Up launch marked the company’s fourth successful commercial flight. The U.S. Space Force Rocket Systems Launch Program is a first-time customer for Virgin Orbit. The U.S. Department of Defense Space Test Program is a three-time repeat customer of Virgin Orbit. Photo Credit: Virgin Orbit / Daniel Jarvis, Mark Waker

“The LauncherOne rocket and Virgin Orbit team have made me immensely proud with today’s Straight Up mission,” said Virgin Orbit founder, Richard Branson. “There is so much potential benefit for everyone from space if we just manage it well together. We are delighted for the opportunity to work with the US government to help make space a safe and fruitful environment for all.”

“We are honored to be supporting and delivering for the U.S. Space Force and the U.S. Department of Defense at such a critical juncture for national security space, our nation, and our world. An incredibly talented Virgin Orbit team and our LauncherOne system continue to demonstrate a track record of success for our spacecraft customers and that was confirmed again today,” said Virgin Orbit CEO, Dan Hart.

“I’m proud to be part of this incredible team, both on our side and the government team, in driving this mission to success,” said Mark Baird, President of Virgin Orbit National System, the subsidiary that interfaces with the National Security customers. “It was incredible to see the Straight Up mission wheels up, and satellites successfully deployed to support the mission of our customers. We are intensely focused on ensuring we are a key mission partner as we continue to accelerate the operationalization of the LauncherOne system.”

Following the success of this launch, the Virgin Orbit team is preparing for its first international launch later this year in collaboration with the United Kingdom Space Agency, the Royal Air Force, and Space Port Cornwall. This will be the first orbital launch from UK soil.

Virgin Orbit (Nasdaq: VORB) operates one of the most flexible and responsive space launch systems ever built. Founded by Sir Richard Branson in 2017, the company began commercial service in 2021, and has already delivered commercial, civil, national security, and international satellites into orbit. Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rockets are designed and manufactured in Long Beach, California, and are air-launched from a modified 747-400 carrier aircraft that allows Virgin Orbit to operate from locations all over the world in order to best serve each customer’s needs. Learn more at www.virginorbit.com and visit us on LinkedIn, on Twitter @virginorbit, and on Instagram @virgin.orbit.

Former posting…

Virgin Orbit National Systems has halted the launch of the Space Test Program (STP)-S28A launch due to noting that the LauncherOne‘s rocket propellant temperature was ‘slightly out of bounds.” The rocket is being unloaded and will be recycled for another launch attempt in the coming days.

Space Systems Command is preparing to air-launch the STP-S28A mission on June 29th to deliver seven payloads for the DoD Space Test Program off the Southern California coast to an orbit of 500 kilometers at a 45 degree inclination.

These experimental payloads enable the development of a wide range of technologies supporting the future warfighter. On-orbit demonstrations include a modular platform for supporting system development, Intelligence Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) and Proximity Operations of SmallSats, next-generation Radio Frequency (RF) communications and data routing, and research in Earth sciences.

Virgin Orbit National Systems is set to deploy the payloads into orbit on its LauncherOne rocket, designed and manufactured in Long Beach, California.

They will be air-launched from Virgin Orbit’s 747-400 carrier aircraft, dubbed “Cosmic Girl,” after taking off from Mojave Air and Space Port and flying a prescribed aerial “racetrack” course over the Pacific Ocean.

STP-S28A is managed by the DoD Space Test Program that delivers experimental demonstrations of new capabilities and expedient space access solutions for research and development experiments. SSC’s Space Domain Awareness & Combat Power, Innovation and Prototyping Delta at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, administers the DoD STP.

Space Systems Command procured this launch through the Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP).

“We are excited to partner with Virgin Orbit National Systems for the launch of the STP-S28A mission for the DoD Space Test Program,” said Lt. Col. Justin Beltz, chief of Space Systems Command’s Small Launch and Targets division. “RSLP and STP have a long history of working together to support Department of Defense science & technology efforts. The entire team has worked tirelessly to prepare for this upcoming launch, and we look forward to getting the Space Test Program’s payloads where they need to be on-orbit.”

Space Systems Command, headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for rapidly developing, acquiring, equipping, fielding and sustaining lethal and resilient space capabilities. SSC mission capability areas include launch acquisition and operations, communications and positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), space sensing, battle management command, control and communications (BMC3), and space domain awareness & combat power.

Rocket Lab launched the CAPSTONE cubesat from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Pad B, located on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula on June 28th via an Electron rocket.

The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) cubesat will be the first spacecraft to test the Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) around the Moon.

Researchers expect this orbit to be a gravitational sweet spot in space – where the pull of gravity from Earth and the Moon interact to allow for a nearly-stable orbit – allowing physics to do most of the work of keeping a spacecraft in orbit around the Moon. NASA has big plans for this unique type of orbit.

This historic pathfinding mission is in support of NASA’s Artemis program which will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.

Using the company’s Electron rocket and new Lunar Photon upper stage, Rocket Lab will inject CAPSTONE to a highly efficient, transfer orbit en route to the Moon.

CAPSTONE is owned and operated by Advanced Space in Westminster, Colorado, for NASA.

CAPSTONE’s primary objective is to test and verify the calculated orbital stability of a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit around the Moon, the same orbit planned for Gateway.

NASA’s Gateway is a small space station that will orbit around the Moon to provide astronauts with access to the lunar surface and will feature living quarters for astronauts, a lab for science and research and ports for visiting spacecraft.

CAPSTONE will also test a navigation system developed by Advanced Space that will measure its absolute position in cislunar space using interaction with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter without relying on ground stations for navigation support.

CAPSTONE is one of the first steps to learn how to operate more robust missions in this unique orbit, thus laying the groundwork for future exploration of our solar system.

NASA CAPSTONE information regarding the launch by Rocket Lab…

NASA’s CAPSTONE cubesat is designed to test a unique lunar orbit — the smallsat is safely in space and on the first leg of its journey to the Moon.

The spacecraft is heading toward an orbit intended in the future for Gateway, a lunar space station built by the agency and its commercial and international partners that will support NASA’s Artemis program, including astronaut missions.

“CAPSTONE is an example of how working with commercial partners is key for NASA’s ambitious plans to explore the Moon and beyond,” said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate. “We’re thrilled with a successful start to the mission and looking forward to what CAPSTONE will do once it arrives at the Moon.”

CAPSTONE is currently in LEO and it will take the spacecraft about four months to reach its targeted, lunar orbit. NASA invites the public to follow the spacecraft’s journey live using NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System interactive real-time 3D data visualization. Starting about one week after launch, virtually ride along with the CubeSat with a simulated view of our solar system. NASA will post updates about when to see CAPSTONE in the visualization on NASA’s Ames Research Center’s home page as well as Twitter and Facebook.

CAPSTONE is attached to Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon, an interplanetary third stage that will send CAPSTONE on its way to deep space. Shortly after launch, Lunar Photon separated from Electron’s second stage. Over the next six days, Photon’s engine will periodically ignite to accelerate it beyond LEO, where Photon will release the cubesat on a ballistic lunar transfer trajectory to the Moon. CAPSTONE will then use its own propulsion and the Sun’s gravity to navigate the remainder of the way to the Moon. The gravity-driven track will dramatically reduce the amount of fuel the cubesat needs to get to the Moon.

“Delivering the spacecraft for launch was an accomplishment for the entire mission team, including NASA and our industry partners. Our team is now preparing for separation and initial acquisition for the spacecraft in six days,” said Bradley Cheetham, principal investigator for CAPSTONE and chief executive officer of Advanced Space, which owns and operates CAPSTONE on behalf of NASA. “We have already learned a tremendous amount getting to this point, and we are passionate about the importance of returning humans to the Moon, this time to stay.”

At the Moon, CAPSTONE will enter an elongated orbit called a near rectilinear halo orbit, or NRHO. Once in the NRHO, CAPSTONE will fly within 1,000 miles of the Moon’s North Pole on its near pass and 43,500 miles from the South Pole at its farthest. It will repeat the cycle every six and a half days and maintain this orbit for at least six months to study dynamics.

“CAPSTONE is a pathfinder in many ways, and it will demonstrate several technology capabilities during its mission timeframe while navigating a never-before-flown orbit around the Moon,” said Elwood Agasid, project manager for CAPSTONE at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. “CAPSTONE is laying a foundation for Artemis, Gateway, and commercial support for future lunar operations.”

During its mission, CAPSTONE will provide data about operating in an NRHO and showcase key technologies. The mission’s Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System, developed by Advanced Space with support from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program, is a spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation and communications system that will work with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to determine the distance between the two lunar orbiting spacecraft. This technology could allow future spacecraft to determine their position in space without relying exclusively on tracking from Earth. CAPSTONE also carries a new precision one-way ranging capability built into its radio that could reduce the amount of ground network time needed for in-space operations.

In addition to New Zealand hosting CAPSTONE’s launch, New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and a University of Canterbury-led team are collaborating with NASA on a research effort to track Moon-orbiting spacecraft. New Zealand helped develop the Artemis Accords – which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s 21st century lunar exploration plans. In May 2021, New Zealand was the 11th country to sign the Artemis Accords.

The microwave-oven sized cubesat was designed and built by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, a Terran Orbital Corporation. CAPSTONE includes contributions from Stellar Exploration, Inc., Space Dynamics Lab, Tethers Unlimited, Inc., and Orion Space Systems.

NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) funds the demonstration mission.

The program is based at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. The development of CAPSTONE’s navigation technology is supported by NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program, also within STMD. The Artemis Campaign Development Division within NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate funds the launch and supports mission operations.

The Launch Services Program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida manages the launch service. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory supports the communication, tracking, and telemetry downlink via NASA’s Deep Space Network, Iris radio design, and groundbreaking 1-way navigation algorithms.

Upcoming activities:

On Monday, July 4th, as early as 3:00 a.m. EDT, Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon spacecraft is scheduled to perform a final engine burn to set the CAPSTONE satellite on course to the Moon for NASA.

This is a globally significant moment for space exploration. CAPSTONE is the first mission launched in support NASA’s Artemis program – the agency’s program to return humans to the surface of the Moon.

The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) will be the very first spacecraft to test the Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) around the Moon. This is the same orbit intended for NASA’s Gateway, a Moon-orbiting outpost that will provide essential support for long-term astronaut lunar missions as part of Artemis.

CAPSTONE was initially launched to LEO by Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle on June 28th (webcast here). Since then, Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon spacecraft has provided in-space transportation, power and communications to CAPSTONE. On July 4th, after several days of orbit-raising burns, Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon will carry out one final burn and release CAPSTONE on its ballistic lunar transfer trajectory for a solo journey the Moon.

Rocket Lab will be live streaming this burn and moment of separation from Mission Control via www.rocketlabusa.com/live-stream.

This has been Rocket Lab’s most complex mission yet and demonstrates our capabilities beyond launch and into spacecraft design, build, and operation. The CAPSTONE mission was Rocket Lab’s 27th Electron launch, but it also featured several significant technological firsts for the company’s space systems capabilities, including:

• First use of Lunar Photon, a high energy variant of the Rocket Lab designed and built Photon spacecraft. (Rocket Lab previously launched and continues to operate two low Earth orbit variants of the Photon spacecraft)
• First mission beyond LEO. (A typical Rocket Lab mission deploys satellites to around 500 km. from Earth. Lunar Photon will deploy CAPSTONE to around 1.3 million km. from Earth)
• First use of the HyperCurie 3D printed engine, designed and built by Rocket Lab, to provide in-space propulsion
• First collaborative mission between Rocket Lab and Advanced Solutions Inc, a Colorado-based flight-software company acquired by Rocket Lab in late 2021
• First time using the FR-lite satellite radio, a near and deep space capable small spacecraft telemetry and control radio technology that Rocket Lab has an exclusive license agreement with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory to manufacture
• First time a Rocket Lab Electron second stage has de-orbited and reentered Earth’s atmosphere the same day as launch, leaving behind no space debris.

Relativity Space has signed a multi-year, multi-launch, Launch Services Agreement (LSA) with OneWeb.

Under the agreement, Relativity will launch OneWeb’s LEO satellites on Terran R, the first fully reusable and entirely 3D printed rocket, starting in 2025. These launches will support OneWeb’s deployment of that firm’s Gen 2 satellite network, which will add capacity and fresh capabilities to build upon the initial constellation of 648 satellites the company is currently building out.

Terran R will launch OneWeb missions from Launch Complex 16, Relativity’s site at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, where the first entirely 3D printed rocket, Terran 1, is also set for its first orbital launch this year. As a medium-heavy lift, fully reusable launch vehicle made for growing satellite constellation launch demand and, eventually, multi-planetary transport, Terran R provides government and commercial customers affordable access to space, in LEO and beyond. With the addition of this multi-launch agreement with OneWeb, Relativity now has a total of five signed customers for Terran R, including multiple launches and totaling more than $1.2 billion in backlog.

Disrupting 60 years of aerospace manufacturing with 3D printing, autonomous robotics, and machine learning, Relativity’s radically simplified supply chain enables the company to print its rockets with 100x fewer parts in less than 60 days, compared to industry standards of 18 months or longer. Since its founding six years ago, Relativity has developed a new tech stack for aerospace manufacturing that centers on its Stargate printers, which are capable of 3D printing Terran 1, which is an expendable, entirely 3D printed, 110 ft. tall, 7.5 ft. wide rocket with a 3 meter payload fairing, simultaneously with Terran R – a 20X larger, fully reusable launch vehicle.

Relativity recently deployed the fourth generation of Stargate, improving its prior generation’s print speed by 10 times. Located in the company’s new 1MM+ square-foot factory headquarters, these new, fourth generation Stargate printers will allow Relativity to take its production to new heights, scale, and quality. With in-process monitoring, Stargate printers can now analyze the prints in real time, detecting any quality issues and using predictive capabilities to print fuselages to aerospace dimensional tolerances.

Tripling in size since 2020, Relativity now employs 800+ people across its Long Beach, Vandenberg, Seattle, Washington D.C., Stennis, and Cape Canaveral locations and has also begun a move to new headquarters, which has capacity for 2,000+ employees, a metallurgical laboratory, powder bed fusion printers, a mission control center, as well as dozens of the company’s proprietary Stargate 3D printers.

“We are honored to be chosen by OneWeb to help launch their Gen 2 constellation,” said Tim Ellis, Co-Founder and CEO of Relativity. “They have an incredible team, technology, and momentum as a world leader in satellite connectivity with hundreds of operational satellites already in orbit. It is clear that more disruptive launch capacity is needed in the marketplace – Relativity is developing Terran R to fill this additional demand. We cannot wait to plan, execute, and successfully launch these missions together with OneWeb.”

“We are excited about this agreement with Relativity, who we’ve long admired as a true disruptor in the aerospace manufacturing industry. Relativity will add new capacity to our launch programme well into the future,” said Massimiliano Ladovaz, CTO, OneWeb.

Relativity is building humanity’s multi-planetary future. We invented a new approach to design, print, and fly our own rockets, starting with the world’s first entirely 3D-printed rocket, Terran 1, and Terran R, a larger, fully reusable, entirely 3D-printed launch vehicle. As a vertically integrated technology platform, Relativity is at the forefront of an inevitable shift toward software-defined manufacturing. By fusing 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and autonomous robotics, we are pioneering the factory of the future. Disrupting 60 years of aerospace, Relativity offers a radically simplified supply chain, building a rocket with 100x fewer parts in less than 60 days. We believe in a future where interplanetary life fundamentally expands the possibilities for human experience. Our long-term vision is to upgrade humanity’s industrial base on Earth and on Mars.

OneWeb is a global communications network powered from space, headquartered in London, enabling connectivity for governments, businesses, and communities. It is implementing a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites with a network of global gateway stations and a range of user terminals to provide an affordable, fast, high-bandwidth and low-latency communications service, connected to the IoT future and a pathway to 5G.

Turion Space has selected Exolaunch to provide launch services for the company’s first DROID spacecraft aboard a SpaceX, Falcon 9, Transporter rideshare mission.

The launch is planned for early 2023 using Exolaunch’s CarboNIX separation system that proved its reliable performance having deployed nearly 40 microsats over nine missions.

This is the first mission for Turion Space, named “Get it Up There,” to serve as a demonstrator for a fleet of satellites designed, assembled, launched, and operated by Turion Space. This fleet is designed to provide on-demand and recurring inspection data of other space objects in LEO and host internal development experiments for future space logistic services, including space debris removal.

“Exolaunch was recommended to us by several companies and it became apparent from day one why,” said Tyler Pierce, CFO at Turion Space. “They have been so easy to work with, have a very high-reliability system, and top-notch customer support at all levels.”

“We’re pleased to welcome Turion Space as a customer and support the launch of DROID.001 with Falcon 9,” said Kier Fortier, Launch Director at Exolaunch USA. “The choice of the launch partner is a matter of trust, especially for the premiere flight. Our teams are working closely to send DROID.001 to orbit early next year and we look forward to future missions with Turion Space.”

Turion Space designs, develops, and operates “DROID” spacecraft in Irvine, California. These spacecraft enhance space resiliency by gathering space-situational-awareness data and providing space logistics services including in-orbit transportation, and orbital debris removal services. Turion Space is a startup backed by Y-combinator to combat the growing threat of space debris, clearing a safe path for humanity’s exploration and expansion into the final frontier.

Exolaunch (Germany, USA) is a global leader in rideshare launch, deployment and integration services for the NewSpace industry. With a decade of flight heritage and 230+ satellites launched across 16 missions on launch vehicles around the world, Exolaunch has an industry insight it can leverage to develop one-stop solutions tailored towards meeting customer needs and addressing market trends. Exolaunch executes launch contracts for NewSpace leaders, the world’s most innovative startups, research institutions, government organizations, and space agencies. Exolaunch manufactures lightweight and flight-proven separation systems to deliver integration and deployment services for small satellites. The company is also developing a line of environmentally-friendly orbital transfer vehicles named Reliant for the satellite last-mile transportation, in-space logistics and space debris removal. Exolaunch is committed to making space accessible for everyone and to promoting safe, sustainable and responsible use of space.