The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee held a sub-committee hearing this morning to examine changes taking place in the Department of Defense Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program (EELV.) Prior to today’s hearing, the GAO released a report regarding cost accounting in the EELV program, and like a number of prior reports it leaves the clear impression […]
A ULA Delta IV lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex-37 Thursday evening at 8:59 p.m. Carried to orbit at 11,000 nautical miles and an inclination of 55 degrees was a 3,534 lb. Global Positioning System 2F satellite. The Boeing built spacecraft will take its place in the 31 satellite fleet, […]
After the various trials of the ultimately successful SES-8 mission on December 3rd, SpaceX’s New Year’s resolutions almost certainly included a trouble free flight for its second GTO launch in 34 days, and the first of a busy 2014. And that is exactly what they got. This evening’s liftoff took place on time at the […]
Update: Following a scrub on Thursday due a problem with helium pressurization, the launch of the Delta IV carrying SatCom 5 has been reset for 8:37 p.m. EDT this evening. Original: After a stand down dating back to October 4th , a United Launch Alliance (Boeing) Delta IV is prepared to return to flight this […]
At 5:38 PM Wednesday evening, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launched the latest Global Positioning Satellite into orbit, augmenting the space based system which has become almost inextricably entwined in daily life. Following check out in orbit, the GPS IIF-4 will become the 31st operational spacecraft currently in the system. With most GPS satellites significantly exceeding their […]
The GAO has released its annual Defense Acquisitions Assessment of Selected Weapons Programs report(PDF), and as usual, it portrays a defense establishment which seems to confirm President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s worst predictions. Among the gems where defense space programs are concerned, here are the winners, with the growth in current estimated total acquisition cost versus the original program estimates. […]
SpaceX announced yesterday that the company has completed engine flight qualification the Merlin 1D engine. If SpaceX follows prior precedent with the Merlin 1C, the next step should be a buildup of multiple engine testing leading to a full length mission firing of the Falcon 9v1.1 first stage. Also presumably on the to do list, qualification […]
Two weeks ago, at the European Space Agency Ministerial meeting in Naples, Italy, Germany and France advocated competing views over the future of the Ariane V launch vehicle, and in particular how to respond to pricing pressure from SpaceX. Now, according to an article in Space News, the chosen course of action is already showing cracks. The Ariane V, which holds a dominant position […]
Note: This replaces a prior post to reflect new information Space News is reporting that the Pentagon has decided to break the United Launch Alliance EELV monopoly, and open up the program to competition. Under the new plan, the Air Force is authorized to proceed with a block buy of “up to” 36 launch cores from current monopoly vendor United Launch Alliance, […]
SpaceX conducted a static test fire of its Falcon 9 booster on Saturday in preparation for its upcoming mission to ISS, scheduled to launch at 8:35 PM ET on Sunday, October 7th. Following the test fire, the booster was to be lowered to the horizontal position and returned to the hangar to be integrated with its Dragon […]
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