Rocket Report: Astra sets launch date, SpaceX reaches a record valuation

Enlarge / A rendering of Isar Aerospace's proposed Spectrum rocket. (credit: Isar Aerospace)

Welcome to Edition 3.09 of the Rocket Report! This week two missions, built by the UAE and China, launched successfully toward Mars. Last but not least for this year's Martian launch window comes NASA with Mars Perseverance, which remains on track for a July 30 launch on an Atlas V rocket. Good luck to NASA and United Launch Alliance!

As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.

Virgin Orbit targets "end of year" for next flight. The first flight of Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne rocket failed to reach orbit in May when a propellant line broke seconds after the ignition of the rocket's first-stage engine, the company's chief executive said Wednesday. Head honcho Dan Hart said the demonstration mission for the LauncherOne rocket went well until several seconds after the ignition of the NewtonThree engine that powers the rocket's first stage, SpaceNews reports.

Read 30 remaining paragraphs | Comments