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Fish and Wildlife Service. Damage to the launch pad, the floor of which was largely demolished during liftoff, was visible in photos of the aftermath. SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Fish and Wildlife Service findings. The April 20 launch was days after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted SpaceX a license to launch the Starship via its Super Heavy rocket booster. REUTERS/Joe Skipper 1 2 3The report by the Fish and Wildlife Service, part of the U.S.

☆ SpaceX wins approval to add fifth U.S. rocket launch site
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Space Force said on Monday that Elon Musk's SpaceX was granted approval to lease a second rocket launch complex at a military base in California, setting the space company up for its fifth launch site in the United States. Under the lease, SpaceX will launch its workhorse Falcon rockets from Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, a military launch site north of Los Angeles where the space company operates another launchpad. A Monday night Space Force statement said a letter of support for the decision was signed on Friday by Space Launch Delta 30 commander Col. The new launch site, vacated last year by the Boeing-Lockheed joint venture United Launch Alliance, gives SpaceX more room to handle an increasingly busy launch schedule for commercial, government and internal satellite launches. SpaceX's grant of Space Launch Complex-6 comes as rocket companies prepare to compete for the Pentagon's Phase 3 National Security Space Launch program, a watershed military launch procurement effort expected to begin in the next year or so.

[1/6] Takeshi Hakamada, "ispace" 's founder and chief executive, is pictured at a venue to watch landing of the lander in HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program on the Moon, in Tokyo, Japan, April 26, 2023. But a lunar landing would be an ambitious feat for a private firm. The Japanese firm "determined that there is a high probability that the lander eventually made a hard landing." In disclosure to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, ispace said it did not expect an immediate impact on its earnings forecast. The lander completed eight out of 10 mission objectives in space that will provide valuable data for the next landing attempt in 2024, Hakamada said.

[1/6] Takeshi Hakamada, "ispace" 's founder and chief executive, is pictured at a venue to watch landing of the lander in HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program on the Moon, in Tokyo, Japan, April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO, April 25 (Reuters) - Japanese startup ispace (9348.T) said its attempt to make the first private moon landing had failed on Tuesday after losing contact with its Hakuto-R Mission 1 (M1) lander, concluding it had most likely crashed on the lunar surface. The M1 lander appeared set to autonomously touch down about 12:40 p.m. Eastern time (1640 GMT Tuesday) after coming as close as 295 feet (90 meters) from the lunar surface, a live animation of the lander's telemetry showed. The company said in a statement Wednesday in Japan that it believes the spacecraft may have made a "hard landing" on the lunar surface. The M1 also carried an experimental solid-state battery made by NGK Spark Plug Co (5334.T), among other objects to gauge how they perform on the moon.

REUTERS/Joe SkipperLOS ANGELES, April 20 (Reuters) - The spectacular explosion of SpaceX's new Starship rocket minutes after it soared off its launch pad on a first flight test is the latest vivid illustration of a "successful failure" business formula that serves Elon Musk's company well, experts said on Thursday. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECTAt least two experts in aerospace engineering and planetary science who spoke with Reuters agreed that the test flight delivered benefits. "This is a classical SpaceX successful failure," said Garrett Reisman, an astronautical engineering professor at the University of Southern California who is a former NASA astronaut and is also a senior adviser to SpaceX. Reisman called the Starship test flight a hallmark of a SpaceX strategy that sets Musk's company apart from traditional aerospace companies and even NASA by "this embracing of failure when the consequences of failure are low." She said the risks of a single flight test were small in comparison to the ambitious gains at stake.

BOCA CHICA, Texas, April 17 (Reuters) - Elon Musk's SpaceX called off the highly anticipated debut launch of its newly-combined Starship cruise vessel and Super Heavy rocket in the final minutes of countdown due to a frozen valve, delaying the uncrewed test flight for at least two days. But the California-based space company announced in a live webcast that it was scrubbing the planned 90-minute flight into space for a minimum of 48 hours, citing a frozen pressurization valve in the lower-stage rocket booster. A successful debut flight would also instantly rank the Starship system as the most powerful launch vehicle on Earth. But neither stage would be recovered for the expendable first test flight to space. After separating from the Starship, the Super Heavy booster is expected to execute the beginnings of a controlled return flight before plunging into the Gulf of Mexico.

☆ Analysis: Rocket startups face adapt-or-die moment amid investment drought
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Venture investment in space startups has dropped 50% year-over-year in 2022 to $21.9 billion, according to VC firm Space Capital. Astra Space (ASTR.O), which ditched its small Rocket 3.3 for a planned, larger Rocket 4 in the next few years, has struggled to bring its stock price above $1, facing delisting threats from Nasdaq. Despite the startups' struggles, launch demand has soared after sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine cut off access to Russian rockets. Recent failures with Europe's Arianespace's Vega-C rocket have added to demand in the U.S., outstripping the number of available rockets. Private plans to deploy mega-constellations, vast swarms of satellites in low-Earth orbit, have also given launch startups hope for future demand.

REUTERS/Gene BlevinsBOCA CHICA, Texas, April 17 (Reuters) - Elon Musk's SpaceX made final preparations early on Monday to launch its powerful new Starship rocket system to space for the first time, on a brief but highly anticipated uncrewed test flight from the Gulf Coast of Texas. But neither stage will be recovered for the expendable first test flight to space, expected to last no more than 90 minutes. The Federal Aviation Administration just last Friday granted a license for what would be the first test flight of the fully stacked rocket system, clearing a final regulatory hurdle for the long-awaited launch. As designed, the Starship rocket is nearly two times more powerful than NASA's own Space Launch System (SLS), which made its debut uncrewed flight to orbit in November, sending a NASA cruise vessel called Orion on a 10-day voyage around the moon and back. Reporting by Joe Skipper in Boca Chica, Texas, and Joey Roulette in Denver; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ SpaceX gets US regulatory green light for debut Starship flight to space
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Friday granted a long-awaited license allowing Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch its Starship rocket to orbit for the first time, clearing the way for a test flight crucial to the company's goals in space. "After a comprehensive license evaluation process, the FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy, payload, airspace integration and financial responsibility requirements," the FAA said in a statement on Friday, adding that the license is valid for five years. The launch, from SpaceX's Starbase rocket facilities in Boca Chica, Texas, is slated for Monday April 17, the company affirmed on Twitter. Regulatory notices filed earlier on Friday indicate liftoff could occur anytime from 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Central time. Reporting by Joey Roulette; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Henry NichollsApril 8 (Reuters) - As the fortunes of Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit were crashing to Earth last month, a little-known investor called Matthew Brown appeared offering a $200 million rescue. Virgin Group, which owns 75% of Virgin Orbit, also declined to comment for this article. The group is providing financing to Virgin Orbit as the satellite launch company seeks a buyer in bankruptcy. Asked about this, Brown told Reuters he structured deals to protect investor confidentiality with a preference for "laying low below the radar." Virgin Orbit filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday.

☆ Branson's Virgin Orbit files for bankruptcy, to seek buyer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Virgin Orbit went public in 2021 through a blank-check deal, raising $255 million less than expected. Spun off from Branson's space tourism firm Virgin Galactic in 2017, Virgin Orbit air-launches rockets from beneath a modified Boeing (BA.N) 747 plane to send satellites into orbit. Virgin Orbit's strategy has been that launching small rockets from a 747 in flight would allow for short-notice launches from anywhere. Virgin Investments, a unit of Virgin Group, will provide $31.6 million in new money to Virgin Orbit through debtor-in-possession financing to fund operations while it looks for a buyer in bankruptcy, the companies said. Virgin Orbit's bankruptcy filing showed its largest creditor as London-based Arqit Ltd, which was owed almost $10 million for services and as a customer deposit.

☆ Virgin Orbit's near future in "substantial doubt" over cash position - filing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 3 (Reuters) - Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit Holdings (VORB.O) in a U.S. regulatory filing on Monday said there is "substantial doubt" its cash position will allow it to continue operating for at least the next 12 months. Virgin Orbit's statement came in a notice explaining why it had yet to file its annual 2022 report. Unable to secure new funds, Virgin Orbit on Thursday moved to lay off roughly 85% of its workforce, or about 675 employees. Virgin Orbit, spun off from Branson's space tourism firm Virgin Galactic in 2017, went public in 2021 through a blank-check deal, where it raised $255 million, less than expected. It added it expects to report for 2022 roughly $33.1 million in revenue and a net loss of about $191 million.

☆ Virgin Orbit to lay off about 85% of staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 30 (Reuters) - Rocket maker Virgin Orbit Holdings(VORB.O) on Thursday said it was laying off about 85% of staff because it had not been able to raise new investment. Shares of the company, which is controlled by Richard Branson's Virgin Group, fell 38% in after hours trade. About 675 employees will lose their jobs, and the company expects to take related charges of about $15 million, Virgin Orbit said in a regulatory filing. Virgin Orbit went public in 2021 through a blank-check deal, where it raised $255 million less than expected. A small group of employees returned to work on March 23 to focus on rocket engine work, an email to staff said at the time.

After nearly two decades of Western-led intervention and engagement with the world, 18% of the population had internet access, according to the World Bank. "For girls in Afghanistan, we have a bad, awful internet problem," Sofia said. "It's too hard to access internet in Afghanistan and sometimes we have half an hour of power in 24 hours." Seattle-based Ookla, which compiles global internet speeds, put Afghanistan's mobile internet as the slowest of 137 countries and its fixed internet as the second slowest of 180 countries. She was working with international companies to find solutions to poor internet access but said she could not elaborate.

☆ Virgin Orbit extends worker furlough, continues funding talks -CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 27 (Reuters) - Billionaire Richard Branson's cash-strapped Virgin Orbit Holdings (VORB.O) will extend an unpaid furlough for most of its employees as talks seeking new funding continue, the company's chief executive said in an email to employees on Monday. Virgin Orbit declined further comment. Reuters reported last week that Texas-based Matthew Brown had been in talks to invest $200 million in the company. Branson owns a controlling stake of Virgin Orbit of roughly 75%. Virgin Orbit shares were down 12% in after-hours trading Monday after closing down 26 cents, or 33%, at 54 cents a share.

☆ Virgin Orbit says space startup in talks with potential investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

March 23 (Reuters) - Billionaire Richard Branson's cash-strapped satellite launch company Virgin Orbit Holdings (VORB.O) said on Thursday it is in talks with "interested parties" about an investment in the company. "As we disclosed on March 16, the company has taken cash preservation measures as it explores strategic options to secure Virgin Orbit's future," Virgin Orbit said in a statement. "The company can confirm that it is in discussions with interested parties about a potential investment in the company," Virgin Orbit added. Brown, who describes himself as a "space enthusiast" who has invested in more than 13 space companies, told CNBC he would own Virgin Orbit if the deal closes. Virgin Orbit said on Wednesday it would resume operations on Thursday and prepare for its next mission by recalling some employees.

☆ Relativity's debut rocket launch proves durability, fails in space
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - Relativity Space's 3D-printed rocket lifted off for the first time on Wednesday, passing a key milestone to demonstrate the vehicle's in-flight strength before its second stage failed upon reaching space, a company live stream showed. The California-based company's 110-foot tall Terran 1 rocket, which is 85% made of 3D-printed parts, lifted off on its debut flight around 11:25 p.m. EDT (0325 GMT on Thursday) from a launchpad at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Base. Upon reaching space, the rocket's second stage engine appeared to briefly ignite but failed to achieve thrust, ultimately failing to reach orbit. "While we didn't make it all the way today, we gathered enough data to show that flying 3D-printed rockets is possible," Relativity Test Program Manager Arwa Tizani Kelly said on the company's live video stream. Reporting by Joey Roulette; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NASA delays Boeing Starliner's debut crewed voyage
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Starliner's debut crewed mission, which will carry commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams, to the International Space Station will be a crucial moment for Boeing's space unit. The delay comes as Boeing and NASA performed extra testing on several areas of the spacecraft. "Boeing has conducted more than a dozen Starliner battery thermal runaway tests, stressing the battery cells beyond their intended limit. Federal procurement data shows NASA has agreed to pay Boeing at least $24.8 million for the upgrade of that system. NASA and Boeing's aim to have the valves redesigned for future missions initiated a dispute with Boeing's propulsion system supplier.

☆ Exclusive: Virgin Orbit near deal to raise $200 million from Matthew Brown
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - Billionaire Richard Branson's cash-strapped Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc (VORB.O) is near a deal for a $200 million investment from Texas-based venture capital investor Matthew Brown via a private share placement, according to a term sheet seen by Reuters. Virgin Orbit and Matthew Brown are aiming to close the deal on Friday, according to the term sheet, which is not binding and remains subject to final agreement. Virgin Orbit was not immediately available to comment, while Matthew Brown Companies did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Under the deal, Matthew Brown will be entitled to convert his $200 million investment in Virgin Orbit's preferred shares into common shares at the volume weighted average price in the 30 days before the deal is signed. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Virgin Orbit plans to recall a small team from the furlough on Thursday to work on rocket upgrades.

☆ Exclusive: Virgin Orbit in talks to raise $200 mln from Matthew Brown-term sheet
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - Billionaire Richard Branson's cash-strapped Virgin Orbit (VORB.O) is near a deal for a $200 million investment from Texas-based venture capital investor Matthew Brown via a private share placement, according to a term sheet seen by Reuters. The two companies are aiming to close the deal on Friday, according to the term sheet. Virgin Orbit was not immediately available to comment. Matthew Brown Companies did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Virgin Orbit plans to recall a small team from the furlough on Thursday to work on rocket upgrades.

☆ Branson's Virgin Orbit to recall small team from near-total furlough
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit (VORB.O) plans to recall on Thursday a small group of employees from a near company-wide furlough to work on rocket upgrades, an email to staff said, with the company confirming some team members would return. The move, in which only employees critical to company functions would remain, was intended to buy Virgin Orbit more time to finalize an investment plan and stave off bankruptcy. Discussions over Virgin Orbit's investment plan to stave off bankruptcy were ongoing, said a second person familiar with the process. A Virgin Orbit spokesperson said in a statement that the company was targeting an "incremental resumption" of operations to support its next launch. Virgin Orbit shares fell to a fresh record low close of $0.44 on Tuesday.

☆ Branson's Virgin Orbit to return small team from near-total furlough
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit (VORB.O) plans to return on Thursday a small group of employees from a near company-wide furlough to work on rocket upgrades, three people familiar with the matter said, with the company confirming it had recalled some team members. The number of employees due to return to work at the cash-strapped company was not immediately clear. Virgin Orbit chief executive Dan Hart announced the return of some staff from furlough in an email to employees on Tuesday night, said the three people, who requested anonymity to discuss internal company matters. Virgin Orbit said in a statement that it was targeting an "incremental resumption" of operations to support its next launch. Virgin Orbit shares fell to a fresh record low close of $0.44 on Tuesday.

☆ Exclusive: Virgin Orbit near deal to raise $200 mln from Matthew Brown - term sheet
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - Billionaire Richard Branson's cash-strapped Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc (VORB.O) is nearing a deal for a $200-million investment from Texas-based venture capital investor Matthew Brown via a private share placement, according to a term sheet seen by Reuters. Matthew Brown Companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Virgin Orbit and Matthew Brown are aiming to close the deal on Friday, according to the term sheet, which is not binding and remains subject to final agreement. Virgin Orbit's board agreed to move forward with the deal at a meeting held on Tuesday, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Under the deal, Matthew Brown will be entitled to convert his $200 million investment in Virgin Orbit's preferred shares into common shares at the volume weighted average price in the 30 days before the deal is signed.

☆ Blue Origin expects New Shepard rocket's return to flight in late 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin expects to return its New Shepard rocket to flight by the end of 2023 after the vehicle suffered a mid-flight failure in September, a company sales executive said on Wednesday. "We are looking to get back into flight with New Shepard by the end of this year," Ariane Cornell, vice president of commercial and international sales, said at a conference in Washington. The company has provided few details on an investigation into why its 59-foot-tall (18-meter-tall) New Shepard rocket aborted a research capsule roughly one minute after lifting off in Texas in September. No humans were aboard the rocket. Reporting by Joey Roulette; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Sierra Space taps veteran Boeing lobbyist to helm new government strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - Sierra Nevada Corp's space unit, Sierra Space, has tapped Boeing's former top lobbyist to lead a new, more aggressive government relations shop as the company courts government customers for its planned commercial space station. Tim Keating, a veteran political strategist who pushed Boeing through numerous procurement campaigns for over a decade, joined Sierra in early March as its Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Vice President of Global Government Operations, Keating told Reuters. Sierra Space, owned by billionaire couple Fatih and Eren Ozmen, is one of a handful of space industry players attempting to build a private space station that NASA hopes will replace the two decade-old International Space Station by 2030. "It wasn't really the emphasis, and now we're going to build out a team," Keating, who was also senior vice president of global government relations at Honeywell, said in an interview. Partnering with billionaire Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, Sierra sees NASA and other countries' space agencies as crucial early customers for its planned space station, a massive orbital research lab and tourist destination dubbed Orbital Reef.

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