Rocket Report: Boeing to bid SLS for military launch; Ariane chief says all is well

Jun 20, 2023

Eric Berger - Mar 10, 2023 12:00 pm UTC

Welcome to Edition 5.29 of the Rocket Report! It was a big week for new rockets, with the failure of Japan's new H3 booster and then the near-launch of Relativity Space's Terran 1. Speaking of the H3, I guess I didn't quite realize that Japan put a satellite valued at more than a quarter of a billion dollars on the debut flight of the rocket. That was, umm, bold.

Please note: There will no newsletter next week because I'll be enjoying a Spring Break respite with my family

As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.

Root cause of most recent Vega failure identified. An independent inquiry commission investigating the loss of the Vega C mission in December 2022 found that a flaw in the carbon-carbon material utilized for the throat insert of the Zefiro 40 second-stage nozzle was the root cause of the failure, European Spaceflight reports. The commission recommended that Avio implement an alternative solution for the Zefiro 40's nozzle with another carbon-carbon material.

Standing down Vega C for a while ... This alternative material is already manufactured by ArianeGroup and has been utilized aboard Vega's flight-proven Zefiro 23 and Zefiro 9 nozzles. This change will, however, take time, with the vehicle expected to return to flight by the end of 2023. In order to negate as much disruption to the vehicle's launch manifest as possible, Arianespace has made the decision to reassign a Vega C mission to one of its two remaining older Vega launchers. This mission is expected to be launched before the end of the summer. (submitted by Buddy, Ken the Bin, and EllPeaTea)

Relativity scrubs first Terran 1 launch attempt. Relativity Space got to within 70 seconds of launching the Terran 1 rocket Wednesday before it halted the countdown due to an "out of bounds" temperature reading for methane in the upper stage, Ars reports. Although the company recycled the countdown for a second attempt during the three-hour launch window, it was called off with time to spare. "Thanks for playing," launch director Clay Walker told his team. The launch attempt has been reset to 1 pm ET (18:00 UTC) on Saturday.

Set your expectations accordingly ... No private company has ever launched its first independently developed, liquid-fueled rocket and had it reach orbit on the first try. And Relativity is pushing a lot of boundaries with its methane-fueled booster. Probably the biggest test here is whether the 3D-printed structure of Terran 1 can withstand the dynamic pressure of ascent through the lower atmosphere. (submitted by EllPeaTea)

Space Force allocates Cape launch pads. Wednesday was a big day for small launch companies as the US Space Force implemented what it called a "Launch Pad Allocation Strategy," Payload reports. This means it opened up access to launch pads to several companies. ABL Space will get to fly from Space Launch Complex-15, Stoke Space will have SLC-14, and Phantom Space and Vaya Space will split SLC-13.

Finding a home ... Receiving permission to launch from the country's oldest and most important spaceport is an important milestone for new small launch companies. "We are over the Moon excited by this opportunity," said Julia Black, director of range operations at Stoke Space. "To be trusted with the reactivation of the historic Launch Complex 14 is an honor, and we look forward to adding to its well distinguished accomplishments for America's space program." (submitted by Ken the Bin)

A new book dives deep into small launch. Ashlee Vance's When the Heavens Went on Sale will be published in about two months, and for those interested in the commercial launch industry, it is a ripping read, Ars concludes. He profiled four companies: Planet, Rocket Lab, Astra, and Firefly. And when I say "profiled," I mean he spent weeks—and in some cases months—living and visiting with the founders and their employees, with unparalleled access to their operations.

A lot of meat on the bone ... I can highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in space, especially if you want to know how space startups work behind the public promises and marketing. The book provides real insight into these companies and the people who toil in them. The view into Astra, where Vance had essentially unfettered access for years, is pretty incredible. Similarly, Vance spent weeks with Firefly investor Max Polyakov and Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck. The result is a book rich in detail about the industry, good, bad, and ugly. There's plenty of ugly.

Vector Launch partners with Ursa Major. Vector Launch—yes, the same company that went bankrupt in 2019—is apparently back with plans to build its Vector-R rocket. For a revamped version of the rocket, Vector is purchasing Hadley engines built by Ursa Major, Payload reports. Vector's first launch is coming "soon," the company says. Hey, maybe it is. We'll see.

A constellation of engines ... Ursa Major is a promising propulsion company that is building the 5,000-pounds-per-thrust Hadley engine and has a larger one in development. In addition to Vector, the company is supplying Hadley engines to Phantom Space, Stratolaunch, and a handful of other commercial and government customers. And that's interesting because Jim Cantrell, who led Vector into bankruptcy, is now running Phantom Space. (submitted by Ken the Bin)