Tag: Rocket Lab
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Space Force NSSL Ceiling Hits $30B After Lane 1 Triple
Is $30 Billion Enough for the Space Force’s Launch Appetite? The US Space Force tripled the ceiling on its National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 contract to $17 billion on Friday, July 18, 2026 — pushing the combined maximum value of NSSL Phase 3 past $30 billion when added to the Lane 2…
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South Korea Commits 40B Won to OTV Race Already Underway
Is South Korea Too Late to the Orbital Transfer Vehicle Market? South Korea’s government is committing 40 billion won to develop and demonstrate a flight-model orbital transfer vehicle by 2029 — entering a space logistics race that Impulse Space, D-Orbit, and Rocket Lab USA have been running for years. The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) is…
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Rocket Lab Clears Full-Duration Archimedes Burn, Advancing Neutron Toward First Flight
Neutron development has progressed in the background while Rocket Lab continues regular launches of its small-lift Electron rocket. The vehicle is now advancing toward a possible debut later this year. The recent second-stage engine test paves the way for integration with Neutron in the coming months. The burn took place at Rocket Lab’s Archimedes Test…
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Rocket Lab Marks 10th Straight Success for Synspective With “Ten Owl of Ten” Launch
The flight had been delayed from its original schedule by a responsive space mission that took scheduling priority. That tradeoff reflected a launch manifest now complex enough to require active sequencing decisions. Synspective, a Japanese radar-imaging company, has flown all ten of its dedicated missions on Rocket Lab vehicles. Every one of those ten flights…
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Rocket Lab Completes Tenth Dedicated Synspective Launch
Rocket Lab has successfully launched another satellite for Japanese Earth observation company Synspective, completing the tenth dedicated Electron mission for the customer with a 100% mission success record. The mission, named “Ten Owl Of Ten,” lifted off aboard an Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 5:43 a.m. NZST on 27 June…
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Rocket Lab Wins NASA Contract for Three Electron Science Missions
Rocket Lab has secured a new launch contract from NASA to carry out three scientific missions using its Electron rocket, further expanding its government launch portfolio. The launches will support NASA’s Polarised Submillimetre Ice-cloud Radiometer (PolSIR) and Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-2 (TSIS-2) missions, with liftoffs scheduled to begin in 2027 from Rocket Lab’s…
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Rocket Lab Launches U.S. Space Force Mission in Under 17 Hours After Call-Up
Rocket Lab has successfully launched a responsive space mission for the U.S. Space Force, deploying a spacecraft less than 17 hours after receiving a launch order as part of the Victus Haze mission. The mission, conducted under the U.S. Space Force’s Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) program, lifted off aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from…
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True Anomaly Completes Mission X-3 Tests, Advances Jackal Orbital Vehicle Toward Space Force Missions
True Anomaly has successfully completed all objectives for its Mission X-3 flight test campaign, marking a major milestone for the company’s autonomous orbital vehicle, Jackal, and clearing the final steps toward full operational commissioning. Mission X-3 represents the third and most advanced self-funded demonstration mission conducted by the Colorado-based aerospace company. The campaign focused on…
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Launch Preview: 10 launches scheduled from sites across the world
A very busy launch manifest is expected in the upcoming week, with 10 launches scheduled from various sites across the world. Falcon 9 is expected to launch five of the 10 launches this week, with two Starlink missions, a mission for the National Reconnaissance Office, a mission for AST SpaceMobile, and a demo of the…
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Launch Preview: Chinese, Rocket Lab, and Starlink flights scheduled
The upcoming week features flights from China, California, Virginia, and Florida. Three Starlink launches, two from Vandenberg and one from Cape Canaveral, are set for this week along with a HASTE suborbital flight from Wallops. Internationally, flights are scheduled from Jiuquan and Wenchang in China. ZhuQue-2E is set to make its first operational flight with a…