Edition 8.38 Highlights
Welcome to Edition 8.38 of the Rocket Report. The standout story this week revolves around the third launch of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. The initial 15 minutes brought pure excitement as a reused booster soared into the sky and touched down flawlessly on a sea barge. Yet, that peak quickly turned to disappointment with the company's first orbital payload loss—the AST SpaceMobile satellite ended up in a low orbit thanks to an upper stage malfunction. Reports point to a valve issue, though that's hardly surprising in rocketry where valves seem to fail more often than not.
Subscription and Submissions
As usual, we encourage reader submissions for launch stories. If you want every edition in your inbox, subscribe via the form below—it won't show on AMP versions of the site. Coverage spans small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets, plus a preview of the next three launches on the schedule.
Canada's Spaceport Draws Fire
Canada's space ambitions aren't without pushback. Roughly a month back, National Defense Minister David McGuinty revealed a $200 million, 10-year investment to Maritime Launch Services for a dedicated launch pad in Nova Scotia. Local residents like Marie Lumsden aren't buying it. In the Halifax Examiner, she posted an image of a modest concrete slab at the end of a gravel road, representing the current 'spaceport' setup. Folks have organized as Action Against the Canso Spaceport over real worries about the project and its backers.
This isn't a spaceport; it's a gravel road with a concrete pad, and locals have legitimate concerns about safety and the operators involved.
SpaceX Milestone Steals the Show
While New Glenn grapples with setbacks, SpaceX continues its dominance. Falcon 9 boosters have now notched 600 landings, a testament to relentless reusability efforts. This booster, on its whatever-th flight, nailed another droneship touchdown, pushing the envelope for commercial launch economics. Heavy-lift contenders watch closely as SpaceX racks up these stats, underscoring why Starship development presses on amid regulatory hurdles.
Upcoming Launches Preview
- Falcon 9 from Florida: Starlink batch deployment, targeting reusable booster recovery.
- New Glenn static fire test: Blue Origin preps for fourth attempt post-failure analysis.
- Electron from New Zealand: Small-lift mission for responsive space access.
