Rocket Report: SpaceX’s next-gen booster fails; Pegasus will fly again
In the latest edition of the Rocket Report, Blue Origin continues to capture attention with significant developments surrounding its New Glenn rocket. Following a successful launch and landing of its second New Glenn rocket on November 13, the company, founded by Jeff Bezos, unveiled an ambitious roadmap aimed at enhancing the rocket’s capabilities. This plan includes the addition of more engines to the New Glenn, which is designed to compete in the burgeoning space launch market. With this strategic move, Blue Origin is positioning itself to increase payload capacity and improve efficiency, potentially reshaping its future missions. The excitement surrounding New Glenn reflects a broader trend in the aerospace industry, where companies are racing to innovate and expand their offerings in response to growing demand for space access.
Meanwhile, SpaceX is also making strides as it gears up for the first flight of its next-generation Starship rocket in South Texas. This development is particularly noteworthy as the Starship program has faced its share of challenges and delays. The upcoming flight represents a critical step in SpaceX’s mission to revolutionize space travel, with ambitions for missions to the Moon and Mars. The Rocket Report indicates that while Blue Origin and SpaceX are competing for dominance in the commercial space sector, both companies are pushing the boundaries of technology and engineering. As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, the Rocket Report will pause its updates, but readers can look forward to resuming coverage in December, where they can expect insights into upcoming launches and advancements in rocket technology.
Additionally, the report highlights a significant contract awarded to Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus rocket. Katalyst Space Technologies secured a $30 million contract from NASA to develop a robotic rescue mission for the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which has been operational since 2004. This observatory, designed to study gamma-ray bursts, is facing challenges due to its lack of a propulsion system and atmospheric drag affecting its orbit. Katalyst’s choice of the Pegasus XL rocket for this mission underscores the importance of innovative solutions in extending the operational lifespan of vital space instruments. The collaboration between Katalyst and Northrop Grumman exemplifies how emerging companies are partnering with established aerospace giants to address complex challenges in space exploration.
Welcome to Edition 8.20 of the Rocket Report! For the second week in a row, Blue Origin dominated the headlines with news about its New Glenn rocket. After a stunning success November 13 with the launch and landing of the second New Glenn rocket, Jeff Bezos’ space company revealed a roadmap this week showing how engineers will supercharge the vehicle with more engines. Meanwhile, in South Texas, SpaceX took a step toward the first flight of the next-generation Starship rocket. There will be no Rocket Report next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. We look forward to resuming delivery of all the news in space lift the first week of December.
As always, we
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Northrop’s Pegasus rocket wins a rare contract.
A startup named Katalyst Space Technologies won a $30 million contract from NASA in August to build a robotic rescue mission for the agency’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory in low-Earth orbit. Swift, in space since 2004, is a unique instrument designed to study gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the Universe. The spacecraft lacks a propulsion system and its orbit is subject to atmospheric drag, and NASA says it is “racing against the clock” to boost Swift’s orbit and extend its lifetime before it falls back to Earth. On Wednesday, Katalyst announced it
selected Northrop Grumman’s air-launched Pegasus XL rocket
to send the rescue craft into orbit next year.
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