Tag: Mojave
-
Voyager Technologies to Acquire Astrobotic in Deal Valued at Up to $300 Million
Voyager Technologies has agreed to acquire lunar exploration company Astrobotic Technology in a transaction valued at up to approximately $300 million, as the space infrastructure company seeks to expand its role in supporting future lunar missions and long-term Moon operations. The deal, which is expected to close by early July 2026 pending regulatory approvals, will…
-
The company with the world’s largest aircraft now has a hypersonic rocket plane
Stratolaunch has finally found a use for the world’s largest airplane. Twice in the last five months, the company launched a hypersonic vehicle over the Pacific Ocean, accelerated it to more than five times the speed of sound, and autonomously landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Stratolaunch used the same vehicle for both…
-
The company with the world’s largest aircraft now has a hypersonic rocket plane
Stratolaunch has finally found a use for the world’s largest airplane. Twice in the last five months, the company launched a hypersonic vehicle over the Pacific Ocean, accelerated it to more than five times the speed of sound, and autonomously landed at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Stratolaunch used the same vehicle for both…
-
Virgin Orbit launches seven satellites for US Space Force and NASA
Virgin Orbit launched its fifth flight of the LauncherOne rocket, after scrubbing an attempt on Wednesday because the propellant temperature was deemed to be “slightly out of bounds”. That decision was made prior to the take-off of Cosmic Girl, the carrier aircraft. A nominal take off and launch occurred on Friday for the mission, named…
-
LauncherOne lofts defense and commercial satellites on first operational flight
Small satellite launch company Virgin Orbit has successfully launched it’s LauncherOne rocket on its first operational flight since wrapping up its flight test program earlier this year. Launch occurred at 7:47 AM PDT (14:47 UTC), within the two hour window that opened at 6:00 AM PDT (13:00 UTC). LauncherOne Flight Three, also known as “Tubular…
-
Virgin Orbit names next mission and expands operations to Brazil
Following the first successful launch of LauncherOne in January, Virgin Orbit is aiming for their next mission to lift off in June. While the launch campaign is underway, the small satellite launch provider continues to secure additional launch sites around the world for expending launch operations, adding their newest site in Brazil. In a ceremony…
-
LauncherOne reaches orbit on second attempt with NASA CubeSats
After an eight month stand down to resolve issues revealed during the first mission of Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket, the company made their second orbital launch attempt on Sunday, January 17. The air-launched rocket successfully carried ten CubeSats to their target orbit for NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) program. The cosmic girl aircraft took…
-
Paul Allen’s Stratolaunch Systems puts its brand on the world’s biggest airplane
Stratolaunch Systems’ giant plane now sports the company’s name. (Stratolaunch Photo via Twitter) The mammoth plane that Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s Stratolaunch Systems is testing at California’s Mojave Air and Space Port now bears the name of the billionaire and his air-launch venture. In photos tweeted this week, Stratolaunch showed off the plane’s new livery —…
-
Virgin Galactic’s rocket plane climbs closer to space
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane, built to eventually carry commercial passengers to the edge of space, accomplished another powered test flight into the rarefied upper atmosphere Thursday with two pilots on-board. The two-man team in the cockpit helmed the SpaceShipTwo vehicle, dubbed VSS Unity, as it dropped from the belly of a jet-powered carrier aircraft…
-
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo completes second powered test flight
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo fires its engine during Tuesday’s test flight. Credit: Virgin Galactic Helmed by two test pilots, Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane set new altitude and speed records for the company’s test program Tuesday during a powered flight over California’s Mojave Desert. Tuesday’s test flight moved Virgin Galactic closer to eventually flying paying passengers…