Rocket Report: Demo-2 launch this spring, concerns about Firefly’s backer

Enlarge / The Rocket Report is published weekly. (credit: Arianespace)

Welcome to Edition 2.32 of the Rocket Report! We're building toward a big weekend in launch from the East Coast, with both an Antares rocket from Wallops and a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral on the docket. In the meantime, enjoy a smorgasbord of news about topics both controversial and crowning.

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.

Questions raised about Firefly's backer. In an investigative piece, Snopes digs into the association between the rocket company's financial backer, Max Polyakov, and a series of deceptive dating sites. After Firefly nearly died in 2016, Polyakov stepped forward with an estimated $75 to $100 million, allowing the company to rehire former employees and expand operations. The company's first launch is expected during the second quarter of this year.

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