Tag: Northrop Grumman
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Vulcan suffers solid rocket booster problem during USSF-87 launch
An anomalous plume is visible from one of the Vulcan’s solid rocket motors during the launch of the USSF-87 mission on Feb. 12, 2026. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now. United Launch Alliance said an issue affected one of the four solid rocket boosters that helped propel its Vulcan rocket into space Thursday on a mission for…
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Northrop Grumman tests second solid motor developed under 2025 SMART program
Northrop Grumman has successfully tested the Bombardment Attack Missile Motor 29! 2.0, also known as BAMM29! 2.0, solid rocket motor from a test stand at its facility in Promontory, Utah. The BAMM29! 2.0 motor was developed in eight months on an accelerated timeline, as opposed to 18 to 24 months for traditional development programs. During…
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GAO Warns SDA Missile-Tracking Satellite Program Faces Capability and Cost Risks
The Space Development Agency’s effort to deploy a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites for missile warning and tracking is at risk of falling short of its goals and operational requirements, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office released on Thursday. The report, covering the period from October 2023 to January 2026,…
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ESA Revises ISS Barter Plan With NASA After Cancelling Cargo Transport Call
The European Space Agency (ESA) has outlined a revised barter arrangement with the United States that would allow it to meet its International Space Station (ISS) cost-sharing obligations without commissioning a dedicated commercial cargo delivery mission, senior officials said this month. The move follows ESA’s decision in December to cancel a call for proposals for…
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Space Development Agency awards roughly $3.5 billion to 4 companies for 72 missile tracking and warning satellites
An artist’s rendering of Rocket Lab’s Tracking Layer Tranche 3 (TRKT3) program satellites, which are built on its Lightning satellite platform. Image: Rocket Lab The U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency (SDA) awarded roughly $3.5 billion to four companies to begin building out the third generation of its low Earth orbit constellation. The SDA issued…
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Northrop Grumman tests fast-developed SMART motor, looks ahead to future applications
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC), one of the largest space and defense contractors in the United States, is best known for its Space Shuttle and SLS solid rocket motors. However, it also manufactures a wide range of other solid rocket motors for space and defense applications. The company maintains and operates a program, the Solid Motor…
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U.S. Space Force Awards Prototype Contracts for Space-Based Missile Interceptors
The U.S. Space Force has awarded initial prototype contracts to multiple companies to develop space-based interceptors capable of disabling enemy missiles within minutes of launch, as part of the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative, the service said in a statement. The contracts were issued under competitive Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs), a mechanism used to…
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Janus Henderson to Make Strategic Investment in Starlab Space
Janus Henderson Group and Voyager Technologies said on Tuesday that the investment firm will take a strategic stake in Starlab Space, a commercial space station developer preparing to operate in low Earth orbit after the retirement of the International Space Station. Starlab Space, founded in 2021 and based in Houston, is a joint venture led…
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SEOPS Books Dedicated 2028 Mission on Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum Rocket
SEOPS, a Texas-based small-satellite launch aggregator, has signed a launch services agreement with Isar Aerospace for a dedicated mission on the company’s Spectrum rocket, scheduled for 2028, the companies said on Monday. The deal marks a shift for SEOPS, which has relied exclusively on SpaceX rideshare missions since the retirement of Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket.…
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Voyager Technologies Taps Vivace to Build Starlab Space Station Structure
Voyager Technologies has selected Vivace Corporation to produce the primary structure of the Starlab commercial space station, the companies announced Wednesday. Vivace, an aerospace manufacturer serving NASA, United Launch Alliance, Rocket Lab, and Northrop Grumman, will carry out design-to-manufacture work and begin production at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, Louisiana. Earlier this year,…