Rocket Report: China addresses falling rocket debris, Vulcan launch slipping
Enlarge / A Long March-2D rocket carrying 41 satellites blasts off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province June 15, 2023. (credit: Xinhua)
Welcome to Edition 5.42 of the Rocket Report! Sorry for missing last week, but I had to attend a family reunion. On a completely unrelated note, be sure to check back right here next week for an exciting announcement about the future of space coverage at Ars Technica. No, I'm not going anywhere-rather we're going to double up our coverage with a big hire!
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 Galactic sets next flight date. Virgin Galactic plans to conduct the first commercial flight of its SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle in late June on a mission for the Italian Air Force, Space News reports. Virgin said its Galactic 01" mission will take place between June 27 and June 30 from Spaceport America in New Mexico. The flight will carry three people from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy under a contract Virgin Galactic signed with the Italian Air Force in 2019.