ROCKETRY
Andrew Jones
Thu, December 14, 2023
A giant rocket separating during stage separation, with fiery plumes in all directions.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) should evaluate and improve the way it investigates space launch mishaps, according to recommendations from a government agency.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report published on Dec. 7 looks at data from 2000 through mid-January 2023, which show that 50 out of 433 commercial space launches during this time resulted in "mishaps" — a term used to describe events such as catastrophic explosions and other failures.
The FAA has been the lead investigative agency for 49 of the 50 mishaps, the report notes, with the exception being the fatal 2014 Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo crash. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated that incident.
Related: FAA wraps up safety review of SpaceX's huge Starship rocket
Though the FAA oversees inquiries, the agency says it determines if the launch operator will conduct investigations itself on a case-by-case basis. However, the GAO found that, in practice, the FAA has authorized the operator to conduct investigations.
A recent, high-profile mishap occurred in April, when the debut launch of SpaceX's giant Starship rocket ended in a spectacular explosion. SpaceX led that mishap investigation, with FAA oversight. The resulting report called for 63 corrective actions that SpaceX needed to take before being able to apply for a license for its second test flight. The FAA is also supervising the investigation into Starship's second test launch, a Nov. 18 liftoff that ended in a fiery demise and was also deemed a "mishap."
The new GAO report recommends that the Office of Commercial Space Transportation, under the FAA, comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of its mishap investigation process.
A second recommendation calls for the FAA to define criteria for when an investigation should be led by the launch operator with FAA oversight or by the FAA itself.
The report notes that FAA officials told the GAO that it relies on an operator-led approach because the agency does not have adequate resources for in-house investigation, given highly specialized vehicle designs among companies. In-house mishap investigations would be "an immense undertaking that would mean investigations would take 10 to 20 times longer, officials told us," the report stated.
RELATED STORIES:
— FAA wraps up safety review of SpaceX's huge Starship rocket
— FAA to oversee investigation of SpaceX's explosive 2nd Starship flight
— FAA closes investigation of Blue Origin launch failure
The 2022 failure of Blue Origin's New Shepard research flight was also conducted with oversight from the FAA. The company led the investigation, which the FAA oversaw. The NTSB and NASA's Flight Opportunities Program and Commercial Crew Office also had observer status. New Shepard also carries crew for short suborbital flights.
The FAA agreed with Blue Origin's determination of the cause of the incident — a structural issue with a nozzle — and the agency closed the investigation this past September. However, Blue Origin needed to implement 21 corrective actions to "prevent mishap reoccurrence, including redesign of engine and nozzle components to improve structural performance during operation as well as organizational changes," before it could fly again, the September FAA report stated. The company is now preparing for an uncrewed flight scheduled for Dec. 18, some 15 months after the failure.
The GAO report states that the Department of Transportation, the FAA's parent agency, "concurred with our recommendations." The department committed to providing a detailed response to each GAO recommendation within 180 days of the report's issuance.
Aborted test and missing parts add to European space woes
Thu, December 14, 2023
A worker of Ariane Group stands in front of a Ariane 6 rocket's Vulcain 2.1 engine, prior to the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, in Vernon
By Tim Hepher
PARIS (Reuters) - The final flight of Italy's Vega rocket has been delayed after crucial parts went missing, while the latest test of Europe's new Ariane 6 has been aborted, the European Space Agency said, the latest glitches to affect Europe's troubled launch sector.
The aborted test of the upper stage of Ariane 6 should not affect plans for an inaugural launch in mid-2024, ESA said.
Europe is racing to restore independent access to space after Ariane 6 suffered repeated delays and the Vega C was grounded after a launch failure, leaving a handful of launches of the original Vega version of the rocket.
Vega's final lift-off had been set for spring 2024, but that has been delayed to September after two out of four of its large propellant tanks disappeared from a factory in Italy, ESA officials told a news conference.
The loss was first reported by specialist publication European Spaceflight, which said the tanks had been found "crushed" and unusable in a landfill, alongside scraps of metal.
Because there are no spares, other than ones used in testing, which could be risky to re-use, the plan is to adapt slightly larger tanks designed for the more recent Vega C model, said Toni Toker-Nielsen, ESA's director of transportation.
He said the lost Vega tanks had not been stolen, but had no explanation as to how they ended up in a garbage dump.
According to the French space agency, Vega runs on propellant stored in four spherical 142-litre tanks.
Vega C failed on its second mission just under a year ago, destroying two imaging satellites. It will return to flight between mid-November and mid-December 2024, Toker-Nielsen said.
For the larger Ariane 6, the hot-firing test of the upper stage at Lampoldshauen in Germany on Dec. 7 was designed to study operating limits in degraded conditions and other factors.
"Unfortunately we had an abort two minutes into the firing test," Toker-Nielsen told reporters.
Manufacturer ArianeGroup is analysing the reasons, he said, adding there were no signs that the aborted test would delay the inaugural flight, scheduled for mid-June to end-July 2024.
ArianeGroup, co-owned by Airbus and Safran, was not immediately available for comment.
ESA said last month a long-firing engine test had been carried out successfully at a launchpad in French Guiana, allowing it to pick a launch window in 2024.
A further loading test will go ahead as planned on Friday.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
Europe counts down to Ariane 6 rocket's maiden launch in mid-2024
Dhananjay Khadilkar
Sat, December 16, 2023
Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket launcher will make its first voyage between June 15 and July 31 next year, the European Space Agency has announced. The agency's head told RFI that the project signals the end to a period of crisis for Europe's launch programme.
Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), confirmed the dates for Ariane 6's long-awaited debut flight following the success of a key test on 23 November.
Speaking to RFI, Aschbacher called the test at Europe's spaceport in French Guiana "extremely important".
"It was the so-called long-duration hot-fire test, which simulated a full flight of of the rocket," he told RFI.
"It was extremely important because this was the test where we go through the various scenarios into various steps of a flight."
Aschbacher said that the test had confirmed the rocket's Vulcain 2.1 engine was firing successfully.
'Urgent' that Europe pursues space exploration, European space chief says
Launch crisis
According to the space chief, Europe is well on the path to get out of what he has called an "acute launcher crisis".
"We are out of the crisis when we launch [Ariane 6]," he said. "We are on a very good path to get out of this crisis."
Thu, December 14, 2023
A worker of Ariane Group stands in front of a Ariane 6 rocket's Vulcain 2.1 engine, prior to the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, in Vernon
By Tim Hepher
PARIS (Reuters) - The final flight of Italy's Vega rocket has been delayed after crucial parts went missing, while the latest test of Europe's new Ariane 6 has been aborted, the European Space Agency said, the latest glitches to affect Europe's troubled launch sector.
The aborted test of the upper stage of Ariane 6 should not affect plans for an inaugural launch in mid-2024, ESA said.
Europe is racing to restore independent access to space after Ariane 6 suffered repeated delays and the Vega C was grounded after a launch failure, leaving a handful of launches of the original Vega version of the rocket.
Vega's final lift-off had been set for spring 2024, but that has been delayed to September after two out of four of its large propellant tanks disappeared from a factory in Italy, ESA officials told a news conference.
The loss was first reported by specialist publication European Spaceflight, which said the tanks had been found "crushed" and unusable in a landfill, alongside scraps of metal.
Because there are no spares, other than ones used in testing, which could be risky to re-use, the plan is to adapt slightly larger tanks designed for the more recent Vega C model, said Toni Toker-Nielsen, ESA's director of transportation.
He said the lost Vega tanks had not been stolen, but had no explanation as to how they ended up in a garbage dump.
According to the French space agency, Vega runs on propellant stored in four spherical 142-litre tanks.
Vega C failed on its second mission just under a year ago, destroying two imaging satellites. It will return to flight between mid-November and mid-December 2024, Toker-Nielsen said.
For the larger Ariane 6, the hot-firing test of the upper stage at Lampoldshauen in Germany on Dec. 7 was designed to study operating limits in degraded conditions and other factors.
"Unfortunately we had an abort two minutes into the firing test," Toker-Nielsen told reporters.
Manufacturer ArianeGroup is analysing the reasons, he said, adding there were no signs that the aborted test would delay the inaugural flight, scheduled for mid-June to end-July 2024.
ArianeGroup, co-owned by Airbus and Safran, was not immediately available for comment.
ESA said last month a long-firing engine test had been carried out successfully at a launchpad in French Guiana, allowing it to pick a launch window in 2024.
A further loading test will go ahead as planned on Friday.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
Europe counts down to Ariane 6 rocket's maiden launch in mid-2024
Dhananjay Khadilkar
Sat, December 16, 2023
Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket launcher will make its first voyage between June 15 and July 31 next year, the European Space Agency has announced. The agency's head told RFI that the project signals the end to a period of crisis for Europe's launch programme.
Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), confirmed the dates for Ariane 6's long-awaited debut flight following the success of a key test on 23 November.
Speaking to RFI, Aschbacher called the test at Europe's spaceport in French Guiana "extremely important".
"It was the so-called long-duration hot-fire test, which simulated a full flight of of the rocket," he told RFI.
"It was extremely important because this was the test where we go through the various scenarios into various steps of a flight."
Aschbacher said that the test had confirmed the rocket's Vulcain 2.1 engine was firing successfully.
'Urgent' that Europe pursues space exploration, European space chief says
Launch crisis
According to the space chief, Europe is well on the path to get out of what he has called an "acute launcher crisis".
"We are out of the crisis when we launch [Ariane 6]," he said. "We are on a very good path to get out of this crisis."
Shetland is first UK spaceport for vertical rocket launches
BBC
Sun, December 17, 2023
A site in the Shetland Islands has become the UK's first spaceport for vertical rocket launches.
SaxaVord Spaceport on the small island of Unst has been given approval from the Civil Aviation Authority to begin launches in 2024.
It will be the first fully-licensed spaceport in Western Europe able to launch vertically into orbit.
It permits up to 30 launches a year, that will be used to take satellites and other payload into space.
Rocket launch from Shetland announced for next year
We built a spaceport on a Scottish island
The site, which is the first spaceport in Scotland, has a number of launch operators around the world currently developing rockets.
It is hoped that German rocket firm HyImpulse will attempt sub-orbital launches - flights that do not travel high enough to reach outer space - from August.
Full orbital launches are expected to take place at SaxaVord from 2025.
Map
Another German company, Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), is also planning orbital launches, followed by Lockheed Martin/ABL Space Systems with the official UK Government Pathfinder launch.
Edinburgh-based Skyrora also aims to be the first UK company to launch from British soil in the coming years.
The SaxaVord Spaceport, a former RAF radar station, is co-owned by Frank and Debbie Strang.
They bought the site 15 years ago with initial plans to turn it into an eco-tourism attraction.
Mr Strang said the awarding of the licence was "historic".
Debbie and Frank Strang bought a former RAF radar station 15 years ago
He added: "Our team is very proud that the government has entrusted us with operating a complex, multi-disciplinary and multi-launch spaceport, and we all take this responsibility very seriously.
"There is much to do still but this is a fantastic way to end the year and head into Christmas."
The space industry in the UK is estimated to be worth £17.5bn and supports about 48,800 jobs at 2,200 firms.
Cornwall Spaceport was the UK's first licensed spaceport, however its rockets are launched horizontally carried by an aircraft.
Tim Johnson, director of space regulation at the CAA, said: "Granting SaxaVord their licence is an era-defining moment for the UK space sector.
"This marks the beginning of a new chapter for UK space as rockets may soon launch satellites into orbit from Scotland.
"We are undertaking vital work to make sure the UK's space activities are safe and sustainable for all."
UK transport Secretary Mark Harper said the CAA's announcement would boost Shetland's economy and "put the United Kingdom at the forefront of spaceflight innovation".
Last week, the UK Space Agency announced funding of more than £6.7m to further Scotland's spaceport ambitions.
Scotland currently has five proposed spaceports under development, with the Sutherland Spaceport also under construction with ambitions of launching 12 rockets into orbit per year.
A further spaceport is planned on North Uist, with both Glasgow Prestwick and Spaceport Machrihanish hoping to join the space race and conduct horizontal orbital launches in the future.
Shetland’s SaxaVord spaceport cleared for vertical rocket launches
Neil Pooran
Sun, December 17, 2023
Shetland’s SaxaVord spaceport cleared for vertical rocket launches
SaxaVord spaceport
A site at the northern-most point of the Shetland Islands has become the UK’s first licensed spaceport for vertical rocket launches.
SaxaVord Spaceport on Unst has been granted the licence by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), paving the way for its first launches in 2024.
The regulator verified that the privately-owned spaceport met the safety and environmental requirements for vertical space launches.
Owned by husband and wife Frank and Debbie Strang, the former RAF base is located on a remote peninsula on Unst.
It is licensed for up to 30 launches each year and caters for companies looking to launch satellites into polar, sun-synchronous orbits.
So far, just under £30 million has been spent on developing the spaceport, which includes three launch pads and a hangar for assembling rockets.
German companies Rocket Factory Augsburg and HyImpulse hope to carry out launches from SaxaVord in 2024.
Tim Johnson, director of space regulation at the CAA, said: “Granting SaxaVord their licence is an era-defining moment for the UK space sector.
A CGI picture of how the first launch could look (SaxaVord/PA)
“This marks the beginning of a new chapter for UK space as rockets may soon launch satellites into orbit from Scotland.
“We are undertaking vital work to make sure the UK’s space activities are safe and sustainable for all.”
Mr Strang said the award of the licence is “historic”, adding: “Our team is very proud that the Government has entrusted us with operating a complex, multi-disciplinary and multi-launch spaceport, and we all take this responsibility very seriously.
“There is much to do still but this is a fantastic way to end the year and head into Christmas.”
He and his wife took over the former RAF base in 2004. They also have plans for a hotel and visitor centre at SaxaVord.
Both the UK and Scottish governments welcomed the news of the licence.
Around £30 million has been spent developing the site (SaxaVord/PA)
UK Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “The United Kingdom’s space industry is growing, with SaxaVord set for lift-off to become this country’s first vertical spaceport.
“Today’s historic announcement will boost Shetland’s economy and put the United Kingdom at the forefront of spaceflight innovation.”
The Scottish Government’s innovation minister Richard Lochhead said: “This milestone heralds a new era for space in Scotland.
“As the UK’s first licensed vertical spaceport, SaxaVord and Scotland can soon be a gateway to space, deploying cutting-edge small satellites into orbit for international and domestic customers alike.”
While Cornwall Spaceport became the UK’s first licensed spaceport, SaxaVord’s licence allows it to host vertical launches rather than horizontal launches of rockets carried by aircraft.
BBC
Sun, December 17, 2023
A site in the Shetland Islands has become the UK's first spaceport for vertical rocket launches.
SaxaVord Spaceport on the small island of Unst has been given approval from the Civil Aviation Authority to begin launches in 2024.
It will be the first fully-licensed spaceport in Western Europe able to launch vertically into orbit.
It permits up to 30 launches a year, that will be used to take satellites and other payload into space.
Rocket launch from Shetland announced for next year
We built a spaceport on a Scottish island
The site, which is the first spaceport in Scotland, has a number of launch operators around the world currently developing rockets.
It is hoped that German rocket firm HyImpulse will attempt sub-orbital launches - flights that do not travel high enough to reach outer space - from August.
Full orbital launches are expected to take place at SaxaVord from 2025.
Map
Another German company, Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), is also planning orbital launches, followed by Lockheed Martin/ABL Space Systems with the official UK Government Pathfinder launch.
Edinburgh-based Skyrora also aims to be the first UK company to launch from British soil in the coming years.
The SaxaVord Spaceport, a former RAF radar station, is co-owned by Frank and Debbie Strang.
They bought the site 15 years ago with initial plans to turn it into an eco-tourism attraction.
Mr Strang said the awarding of the licence was "historic".
Debbie and Frank Strang bought a former RAF radar station 15 years ago
He added: "Our team is very proud that the government has entrusted us with operating a complex, multi-disciplinary and multi-launch spaceport, and we all take this responsibility very seriously.
"There is much to do still but this is a fantastic way to end the year and head into Christmas."
The space industry in the UK is estimated to be worth £17.5bn and supports about 48,800 jobs at 2,200 firms.
Cornwall Spaceport was the UK's first licensed spaceport, however its rockets are launched horizontally carried by an aircraft.
Tim Johnson, director of space regulation at the CAA, said: "Granting SaxaVord their licence is an era-defining moment for the UK space sector.
"This marks the beginning of a new chapter for UK space as rockets may soon launch satellites into orbit from Scotland.
"We are undertaking vital work to make sure the UK's space activities are safe and sustainable for all."
UK transport Secretary Mark Harper said the CAA's announcement would boost Shetland's economy and "put the United Kingdom at the forefront of spaceflight innovation".
Last week, the UK Space Agency announced funding of more than £6.7m to further Scotland's spaceport ambitions.
Scotland currently has five proposed spaceports under development, with the Sutherland Spaceport also under construction with ambitions of launching 12 rockets into orbit per year.
A further spaceport is planned on North Uist, with both Glasgow Prestwick and Spaceport Machrihanish hoping to join the space race and conduct horizontal orbital launches in the future.
Shetland’s SaxaVord spaceport cleared for vertical rocket launches
Neil Pooran
Sun, December 17, 2023
Shetland’s SaxaVord spaceport cleared for vertical rocket launches
SaxaVord spaceport
A site at the northern-most point of the Shetland Islands has become the UK’s first licensed spaceport for vertical rocket launches.
SaxaVord Spaceport on Unst has been granted the licence by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), paving the way for its first launches in 2024.
The regulator verified that the privately-owned spaceport met the safety and environmental requirements for vertical space launches.
Owned by husband and wife Frank and Debbie Strang, the former RAF base is located on a remote peninsula on Unst.
It is licensed for up to 30 launches each year and caters for companies looking to launch satellites into polar, sun-synchronous orbits.
So far, just under £30 million has been spent on developing the spaceport, which includes three launch pads and a hangar for assembling rockets.
German companies Rocket Factory Augsburg and HyImpulse hope to carry out launches from SaxaVord in 2024.
Tim Johnson, director of space regulation at the CAA, said: “Granting SaxaVord their licence is an era-defining moment for the UK space sector.
A CGI picture of how the first launch could look (SaxaVord/PA)
“This marks the beginning of a new chapter for UK space as rockets may soon launch satellites into orbit from Scotland.
“We are undertaking vital work to make sure the UK’s space activities are safe and sustainable for all.”
Mr Strang said the award of the licence is “historic”, adding: “Our team is very proud that the Government has entrusted us with operating a complex, multi-disciplinary and multi-launch spaceport, and we all take this responsibility very seriously.
“There is much to do still but this is a fantastic way to end the year and head into Christmas.”
He and his wife took over the former RAF base in 2004. They also have plans for a hotel and visitor centre at SaxaVord.
Both the UK and Scottish governments welcomed the news of the licence.
Around £30 million has been spent developing the site (SaxaVord/PA)
UK Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “The United Kingdom’s space industry is growing, with SaxaVord set for lift-off to become this country’s first vertical spaceport.
“Today’s historic announcement will boost Shetland’s economy and put the United Kingdom at the forefront of spaceflight innovation.”
The Scottish Government’s innovation minister Richard Lochhead said: “This milestone heralds a new era for space in Scotland.
“As the UK’s first licensed vertical spaceport, SaxaVord and Scotland can soon be a gateway to space, deploying cutting-edge small satellites into orbit for international and domestic customers alike.”
While Cornwall Spaceport became the UK’s first licensed spaceport, SaxaVord’s licence allows it to host vertical launches rather than horizontal launches of rockets carried by aircraft.
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