October 2019
Skyrora – building on British space heritage
...of about 335 kg into near-polar and sun-synchronous orbits at an altitude of around 500 km. The XL is a three-stage launch vehicle. The first stage is powered by nine Skyforce Turbo engines, each of 70 kN (about 7 tonnes) thrust at sea level, burning...
26 September 2017
Rocket Lab to fly Planet and Spire satellites on second test flight
... test flight and now we’re eager to test the next crucial step – payload deployment. No major changes to the launch vehicle hardware have been required, the third-party error that meant we didn’t make orbit has been...
April 2019
Building the UK’s first spaceport
... The operational and development requirements of a spaceport are directly related to the specific launch vehicles that utilise the site. Each launch vehicle and launch service provider (LSP) has specific requirements that must be satisfied in order...
April 2020
European spaceports compete for recognition and business
... long-standing sounding rocket facilities in Andøya. Norway has started considering alternative small launch vehicle options beyond its native North Star Launch Vehicle (NSLV) programme (its focus on the NSLV over other foreign launcher options could...
12 November 2018
"Its Business Time" for Rocket Lab's first commercial flight
...small satellites using atmospheric drag. The Electron orbital launch vehicle had its inaugural test flight in May 2017... facilities that enable rapid mass production of its Electron launch vehicle as all of its main components are 3D-printed, ...
December 2014
India joins the major league with the Mars Orbiter Mission
...already existed – the proven four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The use of this launcher, however, ... the rocket had been the three-stage Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), which is capable of carrying more weight. However,...
