Valued at Up to $986 Million … USAF SMC Selects Firefly Black as a Launch Service Provider

Firefly Black, LLC has been selected by the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center’s Small Launch and Targets Division as a launch service provider for the Orbital Services Program-4 Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract.

Valued at up to $986 million, OSP-4 seeks to provide the Air Force with responsive launch solutions as a follow-on to its successful OSP-3 program.

Firefly Black intends to bridge demand between pure small launch capability and that provided by the National Security Space Launch program by providing a family of small-to-medium launchers and in- space transportation services.

Firefly Black, LLC is the national security and civil space subsidiary of Firefly Aerospace. Firefly Black provides launch services to Department of Defense, intelligence communit, and civil space customers seeking small-to-medium launch solutions for up to six metric tons of payload to LEO.

Using Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha and Beta launch vehicles and in-space Orbit Transfer Vehicle, Firefly Black provides America with industry leading capability at the lowest cost/kg in the emerging small launch vehicle class. Headquartered in Washington, DC, Firefly Black also performs Legislative and Executive Branch outreach and advocacy supporting the small satellite and small launch industries.

Leslie Kovacs, the President of Firefly Black, said the company is honored to have been selected by the Air Force for this key government space launch acquisition. Continuing rapid successes in the all-private development of the firmn’s Alpha launch vehicle, including Stage 2 qualification, a successful quad engine firing of our first stage, and conversion of Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg AFB to support the company’s first quarter, 2020 first launch, underscore Firefly Black’s commitment to answer the nation’s call for responsive and reliable small launch services.


 

For all involved in the satellite and space industry and the various market segments that add value to these dynamic environments, the 2020 SmallSat Symposium is truly worth your consideration for attendance.

The 2020 SmallSat Symposium starts on February 3, 2020, with workshops, then the Conference runs February 4 to 6 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley.

The SmallSat Symposium is hosted by Satnews Publishers which, since 1983, has been a provider of a satellite news, media and events. This information packed forum was created to enable you and your company to secure a larger portion of market share as well as to take part in the next stages of your company’s or organization’s growth.

The personal connections at the SmallSat Symposium enable attendees to network with established organizations, subject-matter experts as well as ‘New Space’ entrants.

The SmallSat Symposium will focus on new technologies and the business environment that is shaping the implementation of smallsat constellations, smallsat launchers, the challenges facing the smallsat developer and actors as well as the enormous benefits of these advanced technologies that will benefit our world.

This event assembles more than 100 diverse speakers, all of whom possess deep industry experience. Additionally, numerous opportunities exist to mingle and network with peers while enjoying exceptional, complimentary meals and refreshment breakfast.

Learn more at this direct link…

As the Crow Flies … Gettin’ Ready for a New Zealand Launch

Rocket Lab‘s next mission, As the Crow Flies is ramping up for a launch within the 14-day window running from October 15 – 28, 2019.

The mission will lift-off from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. Encapsulated in Electron’s fairing will be a single spacecraft for Astro Digital, a California-based satellite manufacturer and operator.

Astro Digital provides customers with complete space-based systems and mission support services for applications such as Earth observation, satellite communications, and technology demonstration.

This mission will fly a Palisade technology demonstration satellite, a 16U CubeSat bus with on-board propulsion system, a next generation Astro Digital developed communications system, and software developed by Advanced Solutions Inc. including an advanced version of ASI’s MAX Flight Software.

The mission is named ‘As The Crow Flies’ in a nod to Astro Digital’s Corvus Platform, which provides flexible and cost-effective solutions across a wide range of applications and mission profiles on bus variants ranging from 6U and 16U CubeSats to ESPA Class. Corvus is also a widely-distributed genus.

 

DARPA Awards SEAKR Engineering with Blackjack LEO Demo Program Contract

SEAKR® Engineering, Inc. (SEAKR) has been awarded a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Pit Boss contract supporting the Blackjack Proliferated Low Earth Orbit Demonstration Program — Key contributors to SEAKR’s Pit Boss effort are Microsoft, Applied Technology Associates (ATA), Advanced Solutions Inc. (ASI), Kythera Space Solutions and NKrypt.

DARPA’s Blackjack program focuses on integrating commercial satellite technologies into a constellation of affordable, small, secure, and resilient military satellites. SEAKR’s Pit Boss solution will support the BlackJack program’s mission as a next generation on-board processor leveraging off-the-shelf electronics adapted through design implementation to function reliably in space. To deliver an extensible, scalable, and adaptable solution, SEAKR’s Pit Boss aims to deliver state of the art processing capability incorporating autonomous operations, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning techniques, and bridged terrestrial and on-orbit technologies.

SEAKR’s processing system for DARPA’s Blackjack program leverages four generations of architectural capability supporting the full spectrum of payload processing performance requirements, with a high level of on-orbit reconfigurable processing capability. Pulling from its established heritage capabilities, strength in RF communications, along with the continuous product and architectural advancement, SEAKR continues to define leading edge, state-of-practice processing systems in partnership with Government, Civil, and Commercial entities.


DARPA’s Blackjack program aims to develop and demonstrate the critical elements for a global high-speed network in low Earth orbit (LEO) that provides the Department of Defense with highly connected, resilient, and persistent coverage.

Image is courtesy of DARPA.

SEAKR’s previous study and prototype advancements have successfully contributed to our customer’s ability to solve complex challenges imperative in advancing capability to meet today’s most daunting mission objectives. Key technologies being deployed and leveraged include: ADC and DAC Technologies, FPGA-based Processing Technologies, and ASIC-Based Processing Technologies.

 


For all involved in the satellite and space industry and the various market segments that add value to these dynamic environments, the 2020 SmallSat Symposium is truly worth your consideration for attendance.

The 2020 SmallSat Symposium starts on February 3, 2020, with workshops, then the Conference runs February 4 to 6 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley.

The SmallSat Symposium is hosted by Satnews Publishers which, since 1983, has been a provider of a satellite news, media and events. This information packed forum was created to enable you and your company to secure a larger portion of market share as well as to take part in the next stages of your company’s or organization’s growth.

The personal connections at the SmallSat Symposium enable attendees to network with established organizations, subject-matter experts as well as ‘New Space’ entrants.

The SmallSat Symposium will focus on new technologies and the business environment that is shaping the implementation of smallsat constellations, smallsat launchers, the challenges facing the smallsat developer and actors as well as the enormous benefits of these advanced technologies that will benefit our world.

This event assembles more than 100 diverse speakers, all of whom possess deep industry experience. Additionally, numerous opportunities exist to mingle and network with peers while enjoying exceptional, complimentary meals and refreshment breakfast.

Learn more at this direct link…

Out of Stealth Mode Comes SAR Satellite Space Company EOS Data Analytics

U.S.-based EOS Data Analytics Inc. (EOS), a space portfolio company of Noosphere Ventures, has unveiled EOS SAR – a project to develop its own synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors intended for deployment in a constellation of smallsats.

EOS SAR has been in stealth mode for more than two years. EOS has more than 5 years of experience in developing data analytics products and cloud services for optical and SAR data from satellites. Over the years, the company has developed an in-depth understanding of commercial and government remote sensing markets, which informed the decision to create its own SAR satellite constellation.

EOS engineers have already designed a radar prototype and are moving ahead with the development of a low-cost high-performance SAR payload for small satellites with ultra-high resolution down to 25 cm. EOS SAR satellites will operate in Stripmap and Spotlight modes (including interferometry) and will cover a wide range of applications. EOS is also considering dual-frequency SAR in X- and S-band on a single satellite. Dual-band operation increases versatility for all weather imaging and improves object-ground contrast. A special configuration of the radar front end allows for imaging of selected areas in both bands in a single orbit.

The SAR payload incorporates a deployable reflector antenna developed in-house at EOS. This antenna technology enables EOS SAR instrument to improve satellite efficiency and offer superior image quality. Moreover, the antenna itself has low mass and dimensional characteristics, making it more favorable and less costly to launch the satellite into orbit.

EOS is building a SAR satellite payload suitable for constellations enabling high revisit rates. A constellation of 12 satellites will provide 2-3 hours revisit time for a given area. The first SAR satellite launch is expected in 2022, with commercial constellation operations starting in 2023.

Max Polyakov, CEO of EOS and Managing Partner at Noosphere Ventures, said EOS learned that the remote sensing market has strong demand for high-resolution high-quality SAR data, but low supply of such data. The choice of SAR technology is driven by the need to image Earth’s surface through dense cloud cover, in any season and all weather. It is critical for users to have access to uninterrupted, persistent situational awareness. EOS is strategically leveraging deep expertise and diverse capabilities within Noosphere Ventures portfolio including radar electronics, deployable antennas, propulsion systems, batteries, and data analytics in order to create a SAR payload technology which delivers unsurpassed performance at an unbeatable price. At the same time, the company is open to cooperation and are currently looking for bus providers and a constellation owner to deploy and monetize the constellation. The constellation will be part of a fully U.S. owned and operated commercial remote sensing enterprise.

Perigee Aerospace Signs on to use Southern Launch Rocket Facilities in South Australia

Perigee Aerospace has signed an agreement to use the Southern Launch rocket facilities in South Australia, starting next year.

Signed at the 8th Space Forum in Adelaide, South Australia, the agreement sees the two New Space startups work together to launch small payload rockets over the Great Australian Bight. Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp signed the deal with Perigee CEO Yoon Shin at the beginning of Space Week in South Australia. The pair committed to testing the launch facility in 2020 ahead of regular, commercial launches from 2021.

Yoon Shin said he already had customers for his small launch vehicle Blue Whale, pictured to the left, designed to lift smallsats into low altitude high inclination orbits. “We have various customers willing to launch their payloads ranging from 35 to 50 kilograms on our rocket,” he said. “So we are making some of the deals, and since our launch date is secured, right now we can start progressing those deals even further.”

Started in 2012, Perigee Aerospace began by developing and launching numerous sounding rockets for meteorological research for the Korean government. In 2018 and 2019 the company received two rounds of venture capital backing from some of South Korea’s leading technology investors including Samsung Venture Investments and LB Investment (a subsidiary of LG) to support the development of Blue Whale. The company is also supported by KAIST, South Korea’s top technical research institution.

Damp said securing a commercial launch partner with such good backing would fast track the development of the launch site at Whaler’s Way at the tip of the Eyre Peninsula. He said there would not be a problem building the necessary infrastructure in a year because Southern Launch had been granted Major Project status by the South Australian Government and the physical requirements of a New Space project were not massive.

A lot of people say ‘space launch! this means Cape Canaveral’, you know, bulldozers, all this type of stuff,” Damp said. “In reality, we’re putting up a glorified garden shed for the vehicle assembly and then a piece of concrete, which is about the same size footprint as a residential home. So this is tiny, tiny equipment to launch rockets into space. It’s called New Space.”

The 1190 hectare Whaler’s Way site is about a 35 minute drive from the regional center of Port Lincoln. The complex is 250 km. west of Adelaide and 500 km. south of Woomera, the historic rocket launch site that is restricted to military use.

Damp said the project was an example of how the entire business model around space has changed. “It’s the small sats, a couple of kilograms, helping farmers get connected to their land, or monitoring illegal shipping, fishing, you name it.”

Shin said he started negotiations with Southern Launch after meeting Damp at the International Astronautical Congress in Bremen, Germany, in 2018. He said there were three main reasons for signing up with Southern Launch, the first being its location, which is suitable for launching smallsats into sun synchronous or polar, or inclinations down to 60 degrees into orbit, which are the inclinations most of the customers are interested in. The second reason was that launching over the Great Australian Bight meant there was little air or maritime traffic and the third reason was the strategy of the newly established Australian Space Agency to prioritize commercial applications.


The Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex in South Australia will be capable of launching rockets like Rocket Lab’s Electron, pictured here.

Australia aims to grow the space market segment from AU$3.9 billion to AU$12 billion by 2030 and double space industry employment to 30,000. South Australia has been a significant player in the nation’s space industry and is home to major Tier 1 defence companies and several emerging space startups. The space industry in South Australia received a further boost in April when it was announced the $245 million national SmartSat CRC would be headquartered in the state. The research centre will join the Australian Space Agency at an innovation neighborhood called Lot Fourteen in the CBD on Adelaide. Lot Fourteen will also house the Defence and Space Landing Pad, Mission Control Centre, Space Discovery Centre and a growing ecosystem of space startups such as Myriota and Inovor.

Article by Jim Plouffe, Contributor, The Lead

Smallsats from Rwanda and Egypt Launch from ISS


Photo of Rwanda’s RWASat-1 smallsat.

In a posting by David Oni at the Space in Africa infosite, he reports that the African space industry has recorded another milestone as the nations of Rwanda and Egypt have launched their 1st and 8th satellites (NARSScube-1 and RWASat-1), respectively.

The satellites were carried aboard Japan’s Kounotori-8, (aka HTV-8), a robotic cargo spacecraft carrying a payload of supplies, experimental materials and new replacement batteries to help power the International Space Station (ISS).

The HTV-8 which was launched by Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) from one of the company’s H-IIB rockets, which was designed to carry both a pressurized and unpressurized cargo compartments.

The rocket, which was commissioned by Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), took off from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center at its scheduled instantaneous launch window of 12:05 PM EDT (1:05 AM JST) on Tuesday, September 24, and arrived the International Space Station on Saturday,  September 28.


NARSScube-1 is a single-unit cubesat built by Egypt’s National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS).

Photo is courtesy of NARSS.

Among the cargo carried onboard the HTV-8 rocket were three smallsats (AQT-D, NARSScube-1 and RWASat-1) for deployment from the International Space Station via the JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD).

NARSScube-1 and RWASat-1 were built to the cubesat standard, and are scheduled to be released from Kibo module’s airlock later this year.


Journalist David Oni.

To read the entire article,
please access this direct Space in Africa infosite link…

ICEYE and ST Engineering Geo-Insights Sign MoU for South East Asia Markets Support

ST Engineering Geo-Insights, and ICEYE have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as well as a commercial reseller agreement to serve the commercial and government markets in South East Asia.

As a part of the agreement, the two companies will provide mutual support to develop the regional and global market for rapid revisit, high resolution SAR imagery and SAR based geospatial analytics.


The MoU signing between ST Engineering Geo-Insights & ICEYE in September of 2019.

ICEYE recently announced their three SAR satellite constellation is now available for commercial access, receiving significant attention in the global Earth Observation (EO) market. ICEYE is creating a growing SAR satellite constellation for frequent and reliable satellite-based information about any location on Earth, regardless of the time of day and even through cloud cover.

ICEYE is providing commercial data services to government and industry users. The company is actively increasing the size of their SAR satellite constellation, with two more satellites planned for launch by the end of  2019. ICEYE’s SAR smallsats can be manufactured and launched cost-effectively, providing up to 1 meter resolution SAR images.

ST Engineering Geo-Insights is a joint venture company formed between DSO National Laboratories and ST Engineering Electronics.  Leveraging on the strengths of the parent companies, Geo-Insights offers geospatial analytics and value-added services based on satellite imagery data to address growing global demands for timely insights.


For all involved in the satellite and space industry and the various market segments that add value to these dynamic environments, the 2020 SmallSat Symposium is truly worth your consideration for attendance.

The 2020 SmallSat Symposium starts on February 3, 2020, with workshops, then the Conference runs February 4 to 6 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley.

The SmallSat Symposium is hosted by Satnews Publishers which, since 1983, has been a provider of a satellite news, media and events. This information packed forum was created to enable you and your company to secure a larger portion of market share as well as to take part in the next stages of your company’s or organization’s growth.

The personal connections at the SmallSat Symposium enable attendees to network with established organizations, subject-matter experts as well as ‘New Space’ entrants.

The SmallSat Symposium will focus on new technologies and the business environment that is shaping the implementation of smallsat constellations, smallsat launchers, the challenges facing the smallsat developer and actors as well as the enormous benefits of these advanced technologies that will benefit our world.

This event assembles more than 100 diverse speakers, all of whom possess deep industry experience. Additionally, numerous opportunities exist to mingle and network with peers while enjoying exceptional, complimentary meals and refreshment breakfast.

Learn more at this direct link…

Kepler Communications to Begin First of Many Soyuz Launches with New Partners ISL and GK Launch Services

A launch agreement for the first two satellites of many more to follow has been signed with Kepler Communications, which will be working with Space Logistics B.V (ISL) and GK Launch Services. Kepler’s satellites will be sent into sun-synchronous orbit in Q2-Q3 2020, and will be the first of multiple batches of the next-generation platform, forming part of Kepler’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation for global data services.

Kepler’s next generation of satellites will incorporate both a high-capacity Ku-band communications system and a narrowband payload, for both high-speed data transfers and low-power direct-to-satellite IoT connectivity. Planning to place approximately 140 satellites in LEO in three incremental phases, from 2020 to 2023, Kepler continues to execute on schedule against plan. Kepler has two demonstration satellites in orbit that are currently delivering Kepler’s high-capacity data transfer service to a number of early customers.      

Jared Bottoms, Head of Launch & Satellite Programs at Kepler said that ISL has been a key partner for Kepler as they have grown in their deployment strategy. They are excited to continue to use their unique deployers and services, this time with GK launch services to deploy the first of the next generation. ISL and Kepler partnered for the company’s first inaugural mission which successfully launched Kepler’s first satellite into orbit in January 2018, and its next satellite later in November in the same year. 

Abe Bonnema, Director of ISL, added saying that following the successful partnership for the launch of their demonstrator satellites, they are pleased and grateful to be selected by Kepler again for this important task of getting the first next-generation satellites to orbit on their 27th ISILaunch Campaign with their Soyuz partners next year. 

GK Launch Services CEO, Alexander Serkin concluded saying that they are happy that Kepler has chosen Soyuz-2 LV for launching its next-generation satellites. The GK team possesses all necessary competences to successfully and smoothly implement the mission that they hope will become a good basis for building a relationship with Kepler for future missions.

The company’s LEO constellation will grow to become a space data relay system to serve other constellations with high-speed data backhaul capabilities. Today, Kepler is focused on building the install base for Global Data Service™, its pole-to-pole wideband connectivity service for mobile and fixed applications. EverywhereIOT™, Kepler’s affordable solution for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, will enter user trials in the coming months. 

Orbit Fab Raises $3Million to Make Orbital Refueling Easier, Cheaper and More Accessible

Orbit Fab,  one of the companies competing in this year’s TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield in San Francisco this week, has closed a seed round of $3 million. The funding comes from Type 1 Ventures, TechStars and others, and will help Orbit Fab continue to build on the great momentum it has already bootstrapped with its space-based robotic refueling technology.

You might remember the name Orbit Fab from a milestone accomplishment the young company achieved earlier this year: Becoming the first startup to supply water to the International Space Station, itself an achievement but also a key demonstration of the viability of its technology for use in orbital satellite refueling. Refueling satellites could have tremendous impact on the commercial satellite business, extending the operating life of expensive satellites considerably, which translates to better margins and more profitable businesses.


Orbit Fab’s first space payload, the ISS water resupply robot.

Thanks to co-founders Daniel Faber and Jeremy Schiel’s connections in the space industry, from more than 15 years working in space technology businesses in a leadership capacity, the company was able to demonstrate its technology working in space less than a year after Orbit Fab was actually founded. Faber, Orbit Fab’s CEO, and Schiel, the startup’s CMO, met when both were working at Deep Space Industries — Faber as CEO and Schiel as a contractor.

“We ended up reconnecting later on and really looking at a few different business models on how to push the industry forward,” Schiel said in an interview. “The one that really landed with customers, and the one that resonated with the industry was refueling satellites. Elon [Musk] has been making rockets reusable — we thought it’s time that we make satellites reusable as well.”

Starting from this realization, the pair founded the company in January 2018. They then secured their first round of pre-seed investment from Bolt in San Francisco in June that year, and also landed two contracts —  including one with NASA, and one with the International Space Station National Laboratory.

“Basically in four-and-a-half months, we got flight-qualified and human-rated from NASA our two tanker test beds that we flew to the International Space Station in December 2018, and March of 2019,” Shield said.

How did they do it with that speed? Faber credits their rapid progress largely to lead engineer James Bultitude, an accomplished space engineer with five payloads on the International Space Station already.

“He took [the project] from a napkin through to flight hardware in four-and-a-half months,” Faber said. “All qualified to NASA human-rated safety standards, which was quite the feat. We really had to push hard on NASA.”

Faber said that the company’s ability to spur the U.S. space agency into action has been a key driver of its success. In fact, he relayed a story in which their National Lab demonstration payload was actually left off of its intended flight, but the team was able to get its cargo approved by top NASA decision-makers over the course of a weekend and just barely made the cut as a result.

As for working with NASA as a startup, Faber said that it’s become a very different affair, with the agency eager and adapting to working more with younger companies and startups bringing a different pace of innovation to the field.

“The change is almost palpable on the phone with NASA – you can almost hear them changing,” he said.

At Disrupt, Orbit Fab demonstrated their robotic connector for refueling on stage for the first time. The idea is that satellite makers will build their standard nozzles into their designs, and then a robotic refueler will be able to seek out the nozzle, open and then close on to the coupler, forming a solid connection to allow propellant transfer.

Already, Orbit Fab is talking to partners, including Northrop Grumman, and it’s a member of the Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations (CONFERS), an industry group that aims to make robotic service and maintenance of satellites a viable reality.

By Darrell Etherington, TechCrunch

Virgin Orbit and the UK Partnership Brings RAF Test Pilot to the LauncherOne Team

The Royal Air Force (RAF) and Virgin Orbit have announced the next step in a new space partnership with the selection of an RAF test pilot to be seconded to the small satellite launch program, pending U.S. and U.K. regulatory approvals.

The announcement was made in Long Beach, California, aboard the iconic RMS Queen Mary ship — a fitting venue given the ship’s history as Winston Churchill’s floating headquarters for parts of World War 2 and a symbol of the U.S./U.K. special relationship. The British Consulate in Los Angeles hosted the event, where Air Vice-Marshal Simon “Rocky” Rochelle and Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart announced that Flight Lieutenant Mathew “Stanny” Stannard had been selected.

Stanny is currently a pilot with one of the RAF’s test and evaluation squadrons and will join the pioneering Virgin Orbit program to enable learning across a range of areas. Virgin Orbit has developed a new smallsat launch vehicle called LauncherOne, which is released from a modified Boeing 747-400 called Cosmic Girl.

The Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows display team flew over the ship as part of the event, which is one of the last stops on their North American tour. Earlier in the day, the Red Arrows joined up in flight with Virgin Orbit’s customized 747-400 carrier aircraft, Cosmic Girl, for a special mixed-formation flypast above the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.

Air Vice-Marshal Rochelle, the RAF Air Capability Chief of Staff, said that it’s great news that the RAF can now confirm the secondment of Flight Lieutenant Stannard to the Virgin Orbit team. This move comes through the company’s close collaboration and formal partnership with Virgin Orbit within Team ARTEMIS. Having one of the RAF Test Pilots working at the heart of such a cutting-edge program is a significant step in the organization’s space journey. It also reinforces the close relationship the RAF has with industry and with the U.S. — we expect this to further enable U.K. satellite launch capabilities.

The secondment is expected to last three years. Flt. Lt. Stannard added that he was delighted to have been selected for this role and he’s looking forward to working with the Virgin Orbit team. There are significant opportunities for the RAF in the space domain so to be at the forefront of this area, working in direct partnership with Virgin Orbit is a real privilege.

The former U.K. Defence Secretary, Penny Mordaunt, announced the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) ambitious space program in July, committing £30 million ($36.9 million) to fast-track the launch of a smallsat demonstrator within a year. The demonstrator, also known as Program ARTEMIS, is being delivered by a new transatlantic team of U.K. and U.S. defense personnel and industry partners including Virgin Orbit. This activity will sit alongside a host of other programs that will demonstrate the U.K.’s developing role in space.

Virgin Orbit has just commenced its first proper launch campaign, transporting its orbital test rocket to the Mojave Air and Space Port in September to conduct a final series of check-outs and engineering demonstrations. In the coming weeks, the company will move swiftly through these exercises, leading up to a captive carry flight prior to LauncherOne’s maiden flight to LEO.

Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart explained that as an American company with British ownership guided by Sir Richard Branson, a truly legendary British entrepreneur, it is perhaps within the company’s DNA to help the United Kingdom and the United States collaborate in space. As part of Team ARTEMIS, Virgin Orbit has been working with the RAF and the U.S. Air Force to demonstrate the utility of smallsats and responsive, resilient space launch and operations. The company is thrilled to welcome Flt. Lt. Matthew Stannard to the firm’s team of hugely talented pilots where we know his presence will move the firm further, faster and to new heights.

British Consul General for Los Angeles Michael Howells commented that not only is this partnership a great demonstration of how the U.K. and U.S. continue to cooperate on security and defense, but it is also a perfect example of how Southern California and the U.K. remain hubs of innovation for the future of spaceflight. Virgin Orbit are already a key partner for a commercial spaceport in the U.K., and the UK is excited to continue as a global leader in small satellite technology and launch capability.