Pryer Aerospace to support New Glenn heavy-lift launch vehicle

Pryer Aerospace, a manufacturer of aerospace structural components and assemblies in Tulsa, Okla., announced Wednesday that it has signed a multi-year contract with Blue Origin, LLC, a privately-funded space company and manufacturer of reusable launch vehicles and engines. Under this contract, Pryer will provide large complex machined parts and leading edge structures for New Glenn, Blue Origin's massive heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle, designed to support national security space launch and commercial space missions for years to come.

"With this contract Pryer Aerospace solidifies a role for Oklahoma and our company in the space industry,” said Jeff Landreth, CEO of Pryer.

ABL Space Systems updates RS1 launch vehicle design

On Friday, ABL Space Systems announced design updates to its RS1 launch vehicle, an increase in payload capacity, and a decrease in price.

The upgraded RS1 has a larger six-foot diameter and is powered by a new family of gas generator engines, E1 and E2. The vehicle's design capacity is 1,200 kilograms to 200-kilometer, low inclination orbit, or 875 kg to 500-km sun-synchronous orbit. RS1 is priced at $12 million per launch, or as low as $10,000 per kilogram.

"In both engineering and manufacturing, small launch vehicles are fundamentally simpler than large launch vehicles, and there are many opportunities for efficiency gains," said ABL CEO Harry O'Hanley.

Founded in 2017, ABL recently completed its first development vehicle and conducted a successful tanking test.

ABL is planning an RS1 stage test in the second half of 2019, with a target first launch in 2020. 

"The global launch vehicle market is still missing a truly low-cost option in the 500-1,500 kg capacity range," said ABL CFO Dan Piemont. "We're confident RS1 fills an important role in the market for a variety of mission profiles, including bulk deployment of cubesats, deployment of three to five larger, more capable satellites, or dedicated launch of satellites with aggressive mission requirements."

ABL Space Systems was founded by former SpaceX engineering leaders in 2017 to develop low-cost launch vehicles for the small satellite industry. The company is headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., where it has 30,000 square feet of facilities for research, development, and production. ABL is a privately-owned corporation backed by a premier group of private equity investors.

United Launch Alliance and Air Force improve launch processing

United Launch Alliance (ULA) and the U.S. Air Force have demonstrated a commitment to innovation and continuous improvement through implementation of Off-site Vertical Integration (OVI) of several structural elements for the Atlas V launch vehicle. OVI significantly reduces the number of lifting operations performed at the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) at Cape Canaveral, taking them off the critical path and allowing for reduced time between launches. Relocating these operations to the Delta Operations Center (DOC), an indoor facility, also mitigates risk of weather-related processing delays.

"We are very pleased to have successfully completed the first Off-site Vertical Integration for the upcoming Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) launch," said Jim Sponnick, ULA vice president, Atlas and Delta Programs. "The associated one-week reduction in the launch-to-launch processing spans enables us to better meet the launch needs of our customers."

For a 500-series Atlas V rocket like the one launching the MUOS-4 mission, the OVI process accomplishes the integration of six structural elements along with the Centaur upper stage inside a test cell in the DOC, rather than conducting major portions of these complex hardware lifting and mating tasks outside at the VIF. In the last six years, there were 25 days of weather delays to launch vehicle stacking operations at the VIF.

One of the innovations required to enable OVI was the development of a transporter to safely move the five-story stack of rocket hardware approximately six miles from the DOC to the VIF. The transporter includes a tank pressure control system for the Centaur upper stage.

"The Off-site Vertical Integration process, including ground support equipment designs and operational procedures, were developed in collaboration with our Air Force customer to support launch manifest needs and enable continuous improvement to these critical launch operations," said Sponnick.

ULA's next satellite launch is the MUOS-4 mission for the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy, scheduled to launch Aug. 31 aboard an Atlas V from Space Launch Complex-41 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

FAA grants Houston Airport System space Launch Site License

The Houston Airport System has been granted a Launch Site License from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that enables Ellington Airport to establish itself as a launch site for Reusable Launch Vehicles, making it the 10th commercial spaceport in the United States.

Nearly two years after Houston City Council members gave their overwhelming support for the project, the FAA's formal approval opens the door for plans that could see Ellington Airport become a focal point for aerospace operations, such as the launching of micro satellites, astronaut training, zero gravity experimentation, spacecraft manufacturing and a host of other potential activities.

Situated near the Gulf of Mexico, and featuring more than 400 acres of land readily available for development, Ellington Airport is tailor-made for the requirements associated with an operating licensed Spaceport.

GPS satellite operating properly after launch

A Boeing-built Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF satellite, launched Friday, has sent the signals to controllers that confirm it is currently operating properly within the constellation that millions of people rely on for timing and navigation information.

GPS IIF-7 was launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas-5 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla. It is the seventh of 12 such satellites Boeing has built for the U.S. Air Force, and the third on-orbit delivery this year.

Boeing and the Air Force will complete the full on-orbit checkout of the satellite next month. The GPS IIFs offer improved signal accuracy, better anti-jamming capability, longer design life and the new civilian L5 signal.

Created by the Department of Defense to enhance U.S. military warfighting capability, GPS is available for use, free of charge, to anyone with a GPS receiver. U.S. and allied military forces use GPS devices in virtually every system to improve their capabilities and effectiveness. From finance to farming to tracking packages, use by the civilian community continues to grow rapidly and new commercial applications are continuously being developed.

GPS IIF-7, launched Friday, is the seventh in a series of next-generation GPS satellites and will join a worldwide timing and navigation system utilizing satellites positioned in orbit above the Earth's surface. The sixth GPS IIF was launched May 16. GPS IIF-8, slated for launch during the fourth quarter, arrived at Cape Canaveral on July 16 to undergo final launch preparations.

Student Rocket Launch event in Colorado

More than 100 students of all ages will put their rockets and payloads on display high above the plains of Pueblo, Colo., during the seventh annual Student Rocket Launch on Saturday.

The launch will feature three high-power sport rockets built by interns at United Launch Alliance (ULA) that will carry science experiments thousands of feet above the ground. The five largest payloads are built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. interns. K-12 students from Colorado, Ohio and Alabama created 13 additional payloads. This year's rocket team includes approximately 65 interns from ULA and 45 interns from Ball.

The event will take place at the Hudson Ranch, located just outside of Pueblo. Attendees are invited to view the rockets up-close on the launch pads beginning at 8:30 a.m. MDT, with the first launch at 10 a.m. The final launch will occur at noon.

The Rockets

"The Future" is the largest rocket launched in Colorado, standing 25-feet tall and weighing 320 pounds. It will soar to approximately 9,000 feet above the ground, carrying 15 payloads. The "Stars 'N' Stripes" is a 20-foot rocket that will carry two payloads, and "Atlas IV," at 10 feet tall, will deploy one payload.

"The Student Rocket Launch provides one of the most in-depth, hands-on educational opportunities for interns in the country," said Matt Smith, ULA's vice president of Engineering and Information Technology.

The Future, Stars 'N' Stripes and Atlas IV are all built and refurbished by ULA summer interns in Centennial, Colo.; Decatur, Ala.; Harlingen, Texas; Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.; and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The interns volunteer to work on the rockets outside of their "day jobs," building and testing the rockets with the guidance of ULA employees who participate as mentors.

The Southern Colorado Rocketeers, Colorado Springs-based rocketry club and Northern Colorado Rocketry also will be launching rockets throughout the event. This year, the event also coincides with the 56th Annual National Association of Rocketry Annual Meet.

The payloads

This year's concepts include: a self-correcting rock-climbing car that's "driven" back by "Batman"; R/C controlled para gliders; a self-inflating balloon; a chalk cloud; and smoke grenades, environmental suites, cooling systems and many other sensors and cameras.

"The rocket launch aspect of the 10-week internship demonstrates their understanding of the teamwork needed to become future leaders," said Jeff Osterkamp, Ball's vice president for Engineering.

The Future rocket payloads include a class teddy bear (named "S. Carpenter Bear" after the astronaut from Colorado), an experiment to test post-launch dispersion of bar-coded Alabama cotton bolls, and payloads designed to capture images and data using cameras, Global Positioning System, geographic information system, altimeters, accelerometers and other devices.

Arianespace aims for new satellite launch record in 2014

Following a year of unprecedented orders, European-based Arianespace is gearing up to beat its record for the number of satellite launches during a year in 2014.

In 2013, Arianespace signed 18 launch contracts: 15 for geostationary satellites to be launched by the heavy Ariane 5 rocket, giving it a market share of 60 percent, and three for Earth observation satellites, to be launched by the smaller Vega booster.

Arianespace now has a record backlog of orders equal to more than three years of launches. With 21 Ariane 5 launches, nine Soyuz launches and six Vega launches, Arianespace continues to have the largest launch backlog in the industry.

With its family of Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega launchers, Arianespace confirmed its ability in 2013 to handle a complete range of missions, from commercial launches into geostationary orbit to launches of scientific spacecraft into special orbits. Ariane 5 has now logged an impressive 11 years of uninterrupted success, with 57 successful launches in a row and 12 consecutive countdowns with launches taking place right on time.

Arianespace carried out eight launches in 2013: seven from the Guiana Space Center and one from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Three Ariane 5 ECA launchers orbited six telecommunications satellites, an Ariane 5 ES launched the fourth Automated Transfer Vehicle, dubbed "Albert Einstein", to the International Space Station, and two Soyuz missions orbited the first four 03b satellites, and the Gaia space telescope respectively. The second launch of Vega orbited the Proba-V, VNREDSat-1 and ESTCube-1 satellites.

On Dec. 14, Arianespace signed a contract with Astrium (now Airbus Defence and Space) for 18 additional Ariane 5 ECA launchers, to be used starting in 2017. Overall, the company has a total of 62 launchers (38 Ariane 5, 14 Vega and 10 Soyuz) under order.

Outlook for 2014

To meet the requirements of its record backlog of orders, Arianespace aims to beat its record for launches in a year, of ten in 2012. Operations will kick off in February, using Ariane 5 ECA for two geostationary transfer orbit missions: VA217, with ABS-2 and Athena-Fidus, then VA216, with Astra 5B and Amazonas 4A.

Ariane 5 ME

To meet emerging market requirements, including the advent of a number of small and medium satellites, calling on the advantages of electric propulsion systems, Arianespace hopes to be able to deploy its upgraded Ariane 5 ME launcher as soon as possible. This new version will offer greater flexibility, thanks to an upper stage equipped with the restartable Vinci cryogenic engine. A first launch could be carried out as early as 2018.

Ariane 6

Extending the advantages of Ariane 5 ME, the new Ariane 6 launcher will meet the needs of both government and commercial customers by offering competitive launch rates for large and small satellites alike. Arianespace fully supports the initiative by European Space Agency and the European space industry to develop the most competitive launcher possible over the next decade.

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Over 3,000 space payloads to be launched over next 20 years

An estimated 3,164 space payloads are proposed to be built and launched to earth or deep space orbits between 2013 and 2032, according to Teal Group, an aerospace and defense market analysis firm based in Fairfax, Va. They estimate the value of these satellites and other space payloads at more than $235 billion.

Teal analysts identify and quantify 276 proposed launches in 2013 (minus the 150 launched through Nov. 20), 481 in 2014, 481 in 2015, 329 in 2016, 173 in 2017, 102 in 2019, 111 in 2020, 98 in 2021, 103 in 2022, 81 in 2023, 82 in 2024, 99 in 2025, 89 in 2026, 75 in 2027, 83 in 2028, 86 in 2029, 104 in 2030, 79 in 2031, and 85 in 2032.

"Keep in mind, probably half (or more) of the spacecraft announced and identified in our Teal Group Worldwide Mission Model will never be built and launched, because of insufficient funding or technical challenges,” said Marco Caceres, a lead analyst for Teal Group. “And other spacecraft not yet proposed or even conceived will be built and launched.”

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Air Force delays Launch Services Mission Assurance contract award

Due to unforeseen issues and federal sequestration implications, the Air Force announced Friday they are delaying the award of a Launch Services Mission Assurance (LSMA) follow-on contract. Air Force Space Command announced the delay in a notice published on the Federal Business Opportunities website.

The Air Force released the final Request For Proposal for the LSMA follow-on contract on Sept. 10 with proposals due Oct. 25.

“Due to unforeseen issues and federal sequestration implications, the LSMA follow-on award is delayed,” the Air Force said in the notice released Friday. As a result of the delay, the Excess Ballistic Missile (XBM) Sustainment contract incumbent, TASC, Inc., will continue engineering support until the follow-on LSMA contract is awarded in April.

TASC, Inc. helped ensure the success of the inaugural mission of the Air Force's Minotaur V rocket from NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Sept. 6 by providing independent mission assurance, launch site support and engineering analysis.

“It is critical for XBM Sustainment Engineering Support to be continued,” the Air Force said.

The extension of the XBM contract with TASC, Inc. will run for four months, Dec. 14 through April 14; in addition to this extension, the government is considering additional option months to ensure XBM sustainment support is provided until award of the LSMA contract.

“The sole purpose of this contract modification is to ensure the critical XBM Sustainment Engineering services continue until award of the competitive solicitation is awarded,” the Air Force said. “This acquisition action does not assume that the incumbent is the only contractor who can provide this support. This action only assumes that there are no other contractors at this time who are capable of providing these services without an unacceptable delay. As stated previously, full and open competition is expected for the follow-on effort.”

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Video: RockSat-X experiments launched aboard NASA rocket

A group of experiments developed by university students nationwide were successfully launched into space from Wallops Island, Va. at 6 a.m. EDT Tuesday aboard a NASA Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital rocket.



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Student space experiments planned for launch from Virginia

A NASA Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket carrying experiments developed by university students from across the nation is scheduled for launch Tuesday morning from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The experiments were developed through the RockSat-X program conducted with the Colorado Space Grant Consortium. The goal of the RockSat-X program is to provide students a hands-on experience in developing experiments for space flight. This experience allows these students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to a real world hands-on activity. Approximately 40 students and instructors will be at Wallops to witness the launch.

The rocket is set for launch between 6 and 10 a.m. EDT.

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Video: Atlas rocket lifts Navy satellite into orbit

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the second Mobile User Objective System satellite (MUOS-2) for the U.S. Navy was launched from Space Launch Complex-41 on Friday.

This is ULA's sixth launch of an aggressive 12 mission schedule for the year and the 72nd ULA mission since its formation in 2006.

MUOS is a next-generation narrowband tactical satellite communications system designed to significantly improve beyond-line-of-sight communications for U.S. forces on the move. MUOS will provide military users 10 times more communications capacity over the existing system by leveraging 3G mobile communications technology, and will provide simultaneous voice and data capability.

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Video: Second Navy MUOS satellite loaded aboard rocket

The U.S. Navy's second Mobile User Objective System satellite (known as MUOS-2), encapsulated inside a five-meter diameter payload fairing, was recently mated to a United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster in preparation for launch Friday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

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NASA launches rockets to study electrical currents in ionosphere

Two suborbital rockets were successfully launched 15 seconds apart Thursday morning from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility as part of a study of electrical currents in the ionosphere.

The launch of the Black Brant V at 10:31:25 a.m. EDT and the Terrier-Improved Orion at 10:31:40 were part of the Daytime Dynamo experiment, a joint project between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

The project is designed to study a global electrical current called the dynamo, which sweeps through the ionosphere. The first rocket carried a payload that collected data on the neutral and charged particles in the ionosphere. The second rocket released a long trail of lithium gas to track how the upper atmospheric wind varies with altitude. These winds are believed to be the drivers of the dynamo currents.

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Russian Proton rocket crashes to the ground

A Russian Proton rocket spun out of control and crashed to the ground soon after launch on Monday. The rocket, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, was carrying three GLONASS navigation satellites.

The Proton launch vehicle is manufactured by the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center (KhSC) based in Moscow. International Launch Services (ILS), based in Reston, Va., markets the Proton booster for commercial satellite launches.

Proton Facts & Figures

• Proton is responsible for launching 30 percent of global commercial satellites.
• There have been over 380 Proton launches since its maiden flight in 1965; 81 of which were for International Launch Services commercial customers.
• The value of all commercial contracts signed to date equates to approximately $7.5 billion dollars.
• Commercial Proton launches have provided approximately 50 percent of Khrunichev’s revenues over the past decade.
• This business helps to provide over 40,000 jobs at KhSC and over 100,000 jobs throughout Russia.
• ILS has maintained a healthy backlog which now equates to approx. $1.5 billion for 15 missions.
• Over the past six years, Proton has launched an average of 10 times per year.
• So far in 2013, ILS has launched four commercial missions.

Source: International Launch Services

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Video: Author's first children's book launched into space

L.A. native and middle school author/teacher Joseph Gutiz literally launched his first children's novel into space recently using a weather balloon, a GoPro camera and a GPS satellite-tracking device.

Gutiz wanted to do something different for the launching of his children's novel, The Adventures of Chubby Cheeks: The Pro Quest. His out of the box idea turned out to be a success as he was able to retrieve the video with all of its footage 80 miles into the Mojave Desert, from where it was launched.

The Adventures of Chubby Cheeks: The Pro Quest is a novel for ages 8-13, but can be a good read for adults as well. This urban novel brings awareness to the various common issues that plague today's youth. Diverse characters are featured in a well-plotted story that eventually leads to an inspirational Venice Beach skateboarding competition between his bullies and his group of friends.

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