Europe prepares to progress Vega rocket further. The European Space Agency stated it will even more increase the “competitiveness and ecological sustainability” of the Vega launch system beyond 2025 through a contract signed with Avio in Italy. The agreement allows a development to the Vega-E booster, which will make comprehensive usage of Vega-C building blocks. The Vega C version of the booster is expected to debut next year. The Vega-E rocket will use a totally brand-new upper stage, featuring a new, low-cost liquid-fueled engine.
From four stages to 3 … “This agreement takes Vega a step further having at its heart the new M10 liquid oxygen– methane cryogenic engine, which will even more increase its competitiveness, performance and sustainability,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA Director of Space Transportation. 2 phases will be derived from Vega-C: the first-stage P120C strong rocket motor (which supplies the thrust at liftoff) and the second-stage solid rocket Zefiro-40 motor.
Mark “Forger” Stucky, Virgin Galactics flight test director and pilot, is no longer with the space tourism company. “I am now a previous Director of Flight Test and previous SpaceShipTwo pilot,” Stucky wrote in a post on LinkedIn.
Related to a book? … “We thank him for his 12 years of service on the flight test program,” a Virgin Galactic representative said in a declaration. Stucky assisted establish Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo system, serving initially as the engineering test pilot for Scaled Composites– which constructed the spacecraft for Virgin Galactic– before spending the last six years as Virgin Galactics lead test pilot and director of flight testing. This could be related to Stuckys candor in the recent book about Virgin Galactic, Test Gods, written by Nick Schmidle. (submitted by BH).
Russia introduces Nauka module, but will it reach the ISS?. After years of delays, a Proton rocket finally released the big new module for the International Space Station, called “Nauka,” on Wednesday. The MLM (multipurpose lab module) deployed its solar ranges and navigational antennas as planned, but then informal reports beginning emerging about the modules main propulsion system having a problem.
Severe cause for concern … According to Russian area reporter Anatoly Zak, as of Thursday early morning, Naukas main engines were out of commission and experts were repairing the concern. This is an important piece of the space station for Russia, and if it were to fail, that may reduce Russian reward to continue taking part in the worldwide task.
Starliner attached to Atlas V rocket for launch. Boeings CST-100 Starliner spacecraft has been completely assembled on its trip to area, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, NASA said this weekend. These preparations were finished in advance of the launch time on Friday, July 30, at 2:53 pm EDT. This will be the 2nd Orbital Flight Test of Starliner.
A do-over … The Atlas V rocket will launch Starliner on an objective to rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station before landing 5 to 10 days later in the western United States. The uncrewed objective is an end-to-end test flight to show the system is all set to fly astronauts. It comes after a failed presentation mission 18 months ago throughout which Boeing came close to losing Starliner in flight. Astronauts might launch on Starliner in 2022 if this mission is successful. (submitted by Ken the Bin).
Ad.

The easiest method to keep up with Eric Bergers space reporting is to sign up for his newsletter, well collect his stories in your inbox.

The vehicle released from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and landed at an airport simply over 800 kilometers away at Alxa League in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, SpaceNews reports. After years of hold-ups, a Proton rocket lastly launched the big brand-new module for the International Space Station, named “Nauka,” on Wednesday. A positive vote for Neutron … The center will enable Rocket Lab to build the rockets near the Virginia launch website. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation released a Long March 2C rocket on Monday from the Xichang Satellite Launch. Not all set to fly yet … SpaceX creator Elon Musk has said this “Booster 3” will not introduce, however if all goes well with its ground testing, the company will proceed with a launch of Booster 4.

Rocket Lab might construct Neutron in Virginia. Rocket Lab has just recently disclosed plans to develop a brand-new medium-lift lorry, Neutron, that could take on SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket. Now, based upon zoning requests, the business seems interested in manufacturing the Neutron rocket on 28 acres near the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, Shore Daily News reports.
A positive vote for Neutron … The center will allow Rocket Lab to construct the rockets near the Virginia launch site. This would be an advantage for the company as it anticipates releasing as numerous as 12 of the boosters a year from the Eastern Range.
China tests fairing healing. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation launched a Long March 2C rocket on Monday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The launch carried three Yaogan-30 remote-sensing satellites and the Tianqi-15 interactions satellite. In addition to effectively providing the satellites to orbit, the launch also included a speculative attempt to recover the rockets payload fairings, NASASpaceflight.com reports.
So were they recovered? … The payload fairings for the objective were enhanced based upon information from previous fairing-recovery attempts. For the first time, these fairings were designed to open their parachutes at a high elevation. The fairings likewise had an improved electrical system for their parachute hardware. Sadly, information about the result of the experiment has yet to be released. (submitted by Ken the Bin).
The FAA includes Houston office for space safety. On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration revealed the opening of a new safety field office in Houston to increase its oversight of industrial space operations in Texas and New Mexico. From this place in Texas most-populous city, the FAA said its inspectors will be able to more effectively and effectively keep an eye on the ongoing screening programs and industrial space tourism operations of SpaceX and Blue Origin in Texas and Virgin Galactic in New Mexico, together with others in the region.
Shorter travel times … According to the federal company, this is the most current action it is taking to keep rate with the increasing frequency of industrial space launch and reentry activities. The move follows an occurrence previously this year when a Starship test launch, in South Texas, was postponed due to take a trip by an FAA inspector from the East Coast.
SpaceX finishes very first Super Heavy hot fire test. After attaching three Raptor engines to the Super Heavy rocket, SpaceX engineers on Tuesday performed a fixed fire test of the large rocket for the very first time. Video of the test, published by NASASpacelight.com, shows a full-duration test shooting that appears to have worked out.
Not prepared to fly yet … SpaceX founder Elon Musk has said this “Booster 3” will not introduce, but if all complements its ground screening, the company will continue with a launch of Booster 4. This rocket is already being constructed at the companys assembly facility a couple of kilometers from the launch website in South Texas. Whereas SpaceX is evaluating Booster 3 with three Raptor engines, a totally orbital variation of Super Heavy will have 33 of the methane-fueled Raptors.
, proposed an amendment to the appropriations legislation that customized NASAs Human Landing System program and supported upgrades of the SLS rocket. Eventually, the modification was withdrawn, however it highlights the lengths to which dedicated politicians such as Aderholt are willing to go to conserve the SLS rocket from obsolescence, Ars reports.
Discovering objectives for the huge rocket … Aderholts amendment stated NASA must pick a “2nd” Human Landing System supplier throughout the coming financial year, which would always either be a team led by Blue Origin or Dynetics. The change would have required the 2nd lander to be launched on the SLS rocket. In addition, at a long time in the future however no behind 2032, NASA should have a strategy to fly at least one SLS Block 1B cargo flight a year. “The objective for which is to be determined by the NASA Administrator,” the modification mentioned. I mean, begin.
Next 3 launches.
Star One D2, Eutelsat Quantum
July 30: Atlas V
18:53 UTC. August 2: Soyuz

Rocket Lab completes anomaly review. The rocket company stated this week it has concluded an extensive review into the cause of the abnormality that resulted in the loss of its “Running Out Of Toes” mission released on May 15, 2021.
Getting back into the launch cadence … Rocket Lab has actually considering that been able to reliably duplicate the issue in testing and has carried out redundancies in the ignition system to avoid any future reoccurrence. The company now states it plans to resume a “busy” launch schedule for the 2nd half of 2021.
Ad.

Invite to Edition 4.08 of the Rocket Report! Its been another big week for personal spaceflight, which indicates I made my 2nd trip in nine days to the El Paso airport. This time, I took pleasure in getting to see Blue Origins launch website in West Texas, and viewing New Shepard launch personally. Its an impressively crafted automobile that appears to provide a very smooth flight to space.
As constantly, we invite reader submissions, and if you do not wish to miss a problem, please subscribe using the box below (the type will not appear on AMP-enabled variations of the website). Each report will include information on little-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a glance ahead at the next 3 launches on the calendar.
Jeff Bezos launch. Will Blue Origin follow? On Tuesday morning, the creator of Amazon satisfied a long-lasting imagine flying into area aboard a rocket and pill he personally moneyed. “Best day ever,” Bezos said after landing securely underneath 3 parachutes. “My expectations were high, and they were significantly exceeded.” It was a great day for Blue Origin and its wonderfully crafted New Shepard launch system.
… After he returned from his spaceflight on Tuesday, what I most desired to understand is whether Jeff Bezos is all-in on area. His business Blue Origin is behind on major jobs such as the BE-4 rocket engine and New Glenn rocket. At the age of 57, does he have adequate years or desire to make sure Blue Origins success?
China continues testing recyclable launch innovation. On Friday, China carried out a clandestine very first test flight of a recyclable suborbital vehicle as a part of its development of a multiple-use space transport system. The lorry launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and landed at an airport simply over 800 kilometers away at Alxa League in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, SpaceNews reports. Neither images nor video nor additional info– such as elevation, flight duration, or propulsion systems– were offered.
No considerable information yet … The CASC release stated the car utilizes integrated air travel and space innovations and suggests a vertical takeoff and horizontal landing profile. The test follows a September 2020 test flight of a “multiple-use speculative spacecraft”. The spacecraft orbited for days and launched a little sending payload before deorbiting and landing horizontally. The spacecraft is extensively believed to be a recyclable spaceplane concept. (sent by Ken the Bin).