{"id":17400,"date":"2022-04-02T23:34:24","date_gmt":"2022-04-02T15:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/spaceflight-inc-hails-a-pair-of-successful-launches-as-it-deals-with-frictions-in-spacex-relationship\/"},"modified":"2022-04-02T23:34:24","modified_gmt":"2022-04-02T15:34:24","slug":"spaceflight-inc-hails-a-pair-of-successful-launches-as-it-deals-with-frictions-in-spacex-relationship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/spaceflight-inc-hails-a-pair-of-successful-launches-as-it-deals-with-frictions-in-spacex-relationship\/","title":{"rendered":"Spaceflight Inc. hails a pair of successful launches as it deals with frictions in SpaceX relationship"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full-width\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"630\" height=\"401\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/220402-rocketlab2-630x401.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-688264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/220402-rocketlab2-630x401.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/220402-rocketlab2-1260x803.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/220402-rocketlab2-768x489.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/220402-rocketlab2.jpg 1364w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption>Rocket Lab\u2019s Electron launch vehicle lifts off into the skies over New Zealand, sending two BlackSky satellites into orbit. Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. played a supporting role in the mission. (Joseph Baxter Photo via Rocket Lab)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Thanks to its role in handling pre-launch logistics, Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. can claim a share of the credit for two successful satellite deployments that took place within 24 hours this week \u2014 but it\u2019s also facing a rift in relations with SpaceX, one of its longtime launch partners.<\/p>\n<p>First, about the successes: On Friday, SpaceX launched 40 satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket, as part of a mission known as Transporter-4. Spaceflight Inc. handled the arrangements for flying several of those satellites.<\/p>\n<p>Spaceflight also played a supporting role in today\u2019s launch of a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from New Zealand\u2019s Mahia Peninsula. Two Earth observation satellites were successfully sent into orbit for BlackSky, a Virginia company that was once Spaceflight\u2019s corporate sibling and still has a significant workforce based in Seattle.<\/p>\n<p>Spaceflight Inc.\u2019s role and the Seattle angle were recognized in Rocket Lab\u2019s mission patch for the launch, which includes the Space Needle in its design.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThanks for another great launch day!\u201d Spaceflight told Rocket Lab in a tweet.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rocket Lab launches pair of BlackSky satellites from New Zealand\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cGugzCh__Xc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In contrast, Spaceflight\u2019s interactions with SpaceX have become less cordial and more complicated over the past few months.<\/p>\n<p>Spaceflight\u2019s business model relies on purchasing excess capacity from launch providers around the globe \u2014 and it\u2019s been making deals with SpaceX for rideshare satellite launches since 2015. One of the biggest highlights came in 2018, when Spaceflight Inc. bought the entire capacity on a SpaceX Falcon 9 to put 64 satellites in orbit. Spaceflight also played a role in SpaceX\u2019s Transporter-1 and Transporter-2 missions last year.<\/p>\n<p>Then the relationship hit a snag, due to problems involving Spaceflight\u2019s Sherpa orbital transfer vehicle. <\/p>\n<p>Sherpa spacecraft are designed to separate from a launch vehicle and deploy multiple satellites into different orbits. They\u2019ve been used successfully on multiple SpaceX flights. But during the run-up to SpaceX\u2019s Transporter-3 launch in January, Spaceflight\u2019s Sherpa-LTC1 suffered a problem with its propulsion system and was removed from the mission. As a result, both Spaceflight Inc. and SpaceX had to scramble to rearrange their satellite launch schedules.<\/p>\n<p>Spaceflight was also planning to fly a Sherpa orbital tug on this week\u2019s Transporter-4 mission, but said it was told by SpaceX that its Sherpa-FX5 was taken off the manifest \u201cdue to concerns about the test levels for customer spacecraft installed on Sherpa.\u201d That set off another scramble.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome have speculated that Sherpa failed a vibration test, and that is not the case,\u201d Jodi Sorensen, Spaceflight\u2019s vice president of marketing, said in a blog post. \u201cThe vibration test was 100% successful, with no failures observed with Sherpa post-test.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Inside look: Spaceflight Sherpa-FX\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/deJosbj0Np4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The relationship suffered a further blow when Space News reported that SpaceX sent an email to its satellite rideshare customers, telling them that \u201cwe will no longer be flying or working with Spaceflight Industries after currently manifested missions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Spaceflight\u2019s president and CEO, Curt Blake, said he was \u201csurprised and disappointed\u201d by SpaceX\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will continue to work with them on our current missions as planned, and hope to work with SpaceX again in the future,\u201d Blake was quoted as saying in Sorensen\u2019s blog post. \u201cWe are simultaneously accelerating alternate launch options via our large network of launch providers to serve our customers\u2019 needs, including more Sherpa missions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX hasn\u2019t commented publicly about the rift.<\/p>\n<p>In a follow-up statement emailed to GeekWire, Spaceflight said it\u2019s moving forward with all of the Falcon 9 missions it currently has on its schedule, including multiple Sherpa missions planned for this year as well as a GEO Pathfinder mission that\u2019s due to go around the moon next year. <\/p>\n<p>The company also said it\u2019s trying to resolve the deeper issues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Spaceflight and SpaceX technical teams continue to work closely together to ensure a smooth and successful integration and launch experience for customers,\u201d Spaceflight said. \u201cWe\u2019re continuing efforts on all fronts to address the situation and understand how we can work together in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rocket Lab\u2019s Electron launch vehicle lifts off into the skies over New Zealand, sending two BlackSky satellites into orbit. Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. played a supporting role in the mission. (Joseph Baxter Photo via Rocket Lab) Thanks to its role in handling pre-launch logistics, Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. can claim a share of the credit for two [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[20,442,4560,2340,2341,316],"class_list":["post-17400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-satellite","tag-satellites","tag-sherpa","tag-spaceflight","tag-spaceflight-industries","tag-spacex"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17400"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17400"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17400\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}