NASA/Ben Smegelsky
Welcome to Rocket Report, edition 7.04! Perhaps the most shocking news this week came from ABL. In a terse social media statement, the company said it had lost its second RS1 rocket during pre-flight testing. This is unfortunate, as the company had been working very carefully and meticulously towards this second launch. It’s a reminder of how demanding this industry still is.
As always, we Reader submissions welcomeand if you don’t want to miss an issue, subscribe using the box below (the form won’t appear in the AMP-enabled version of the site). Each report includes information on small, medium and large rockets, as well as a brief outlook for the next three launches on the calendar.
ABL loses rocket after static firing testABL Space Systems said on Monday that its next-generation rocket suffered “irreparable” damage while preparing for launch. “Following a pre-flight static fire test on Friday, a residual pad fire caused irreparable damage to RS1,” the company said. stated on social media site X“The team is investigating the root cause and will provide updates as the investigation progresses.” As of three days after writing this report, the company has not posted any additional information.
I have no particular expectations …This is a serious setback for the launch company, which attempted the first flight of its RS1 rocket 18 months ago and has long been preparing for this second attempt. The California-based company has kept a low profile and has not posted on social media since May. The RS1 rocket is advertised as having a launch capacity of 1.35 tons and a price tag of $12 million. During the ABL’s first launch attempt in January 2023, a rocket anomaly caused all nine of the RS1’s first stage engines to shut down. (Courtesy of Ken The Bin)
Point-to-point company conducts engine commissioningA space transportation startup that envisions high-speed point-to-point travel has begun testing an engine to power its spacecraft. Space news coverageFrontier Aerospace Chairman Alex Tighe said during a panel discussion at the Farnborough International Airshow that the company conducted a test burn of the Mjolnir engine on July 18. Mjolnir is a full-flow, staged combustion engine. The burn lasted less than a second, but demonstrated successful turbopump start-up and ignition.
Start with a small version … The company plans to extend the engine’s burn time as part of its testing program. The version of Mjolnir currently being tested has just under 3,000 pounds of thrust. New Frontier plans to put a much more powerful version of the engine on its Intercontinental Rocketliner, a suborbital vehicle intended to carry 100 people on a high-speed flight around the Earth at hypersonic speeds. (Courtesy of Ken the Bin and EllPeaTea)
Eartha Major invests in OhioUrsa Major plans to purchase several industrial 3D printers for its additive manufacturing-focused research and development center in Youngstown, Ohio, and hire 15 new employees. Payload ReportThe Colorado-based rocket engine maker will make a $10.5 million capital investment in addition to a $4 million grant from privately funded economic development nonprofit JobsOhio. The expansion of its existing small facility will allow the company to accelerate development of solid rocket motors, a top priority for the Department of Defense.
War requires what is needed. …During April, Ursa was awarded an undisclosed contract by the Navy to develop low-cost manufacturing methods for standardized solid rocket motors for use in a range of missiles. The U.S. supply chain for these motors, supplied primarily by Northrop Grumman and L3Harris, is under strain from U.S. support for Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggressors. In November, Ursa raised $138 million at a reported valuation of $750 million to support its expansion into solid rocket motor manufacturing.
