Seth Kurkowski

Northrop Grumman recently completed the final launch of its Cygnus spacecraft on the Antares rocket, marking a temporary hiatus until they return in a few years with an upgraded rocket and Cygnus spacecraft, as announced by the company.

The Australian private space sector is facing uncertainty after the government cut a program worth $1.5 billion, and the current government is seeking to reduce spending to address a deficit.

After years of debate and division, Space Command finally has a decision on where it will be headquartered at. The decision came straight from the top and like all moves in DC is filled with more political divide.

Yesterday evening, Northrop Grumman successfully launched its final Antares 220+ rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia. The NG-19 mission carried Northrop’s Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station, transporting essential supplies such as food, experiments, and other cargo for the crew.

Next month, SpaceX is set to launch its seventh rotation of crew members to the International Space Station for NASA. The upcoming Crew-7 mission is notable for being the most diverse crew to fly on a Dragon spacecraft, with all four members hailing from different nations and agencies – a first for SpaceX.

This week we have three launches into space, one from SpaceX, one from Rocket Lab, and then one from Northrop Grumman. The biggest one will be from Northrop as it will be the final flight of its Antares 230+ rocket before moving the remaining Cygnus launches to SpaceX as it develops a new launcher.

SpaceX made a last-minute decision to scrub and reset the launch of Hughes Network Systems’ Jupiter 3 mission just a minute before liftoff. The rescheduled launch is now set for tonight.

Congress appears to be pushing the Space Force to add a third winner in the force’s National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 2 contract. This move could potentially bring significant financial opportunities to a fortunate company, offering them a chance to become a major player in the space industry alongside ULA and SpaceX.

SpaceX is diligently working towards achieving another successful launch of its Starship rocket later this year. The previous launch resulted in damages that necessitated repairs to the orbital pad and even led to a lawsuit. Despite these setbacks, SpaceX is making progress towards its next launch campaign.

SpaceX is having an outstanding year with its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, boasting 49 launches currently on the books. The company is also making remarkable progress in Starship development, and it appears it will generate significant revenue by year-end.

Late last night, Rocket Lab conducted its seventh rocket launch of the year. This mission, named “Baby Come Back,” involved a rideshare of several CubeSats into orbit from New Zealand. The launch concluded with the successful recovery of the booster of the Electron rocket.

In the early hours here in the United States, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched its largest and most powerful rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. Atop the rocket was the nation’s second attempt to land on the Moon, this time with an improved lander.

NASA’s Artemis program and the preparations for the Artemis 2 mission are in full swing. Flight hardware is arriving at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to construct the giant SLS rocket, and crewed hardware is also being delivered. The Artemis astronauts’ first ride on launch day is now in procession of Canoo’s fully electric crew transport vehicles.

After Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter last year, I wondered if he would utilize the platform to enhance the coverage of his companies. It turns out that my thought was correct. On Friday, during the Starlink launch from Vandenberg, SpaceX introduced multiple streams on Twitter, offering different views of the launch.

In a departure from historical precedent, SpaceX and the FAA find themselves in agreement as both parties file motions to have the lawsuit against Starship dismissed. This development comes as SpaceX prepares for additional rounds of pre-launch testing in Boca Chica.

Yesterday marked the end of an era for European space launches with the final flight of the Ariane 5 rocket. With the mission completed, Europe now finds itself in a precarious position without an available launcher in the short term.

This week we have a few launches out of the Americas, one that is bittersweet, then two that will feel normal to all of us. The bittersweet one will of course be the Ariane 5’s final flight before retirement.