The rocket lifted off at 12:05 pm local time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. Onboard were three remote-sensing satellites, one radar satellite, a mini weather satellite, and an experimental satellite. CAS Space stated the payloads are intended for urban planning, environmental monitoring, meteorological observation, and other civilian applications.

The Y7 designation denotes the seventh launch in the Kinetica 1 series. With this mission, China has conducted 31 spaceflights so far in 2025.

Debuting in July 2022 at the same site, the Kinetica 1 remains China's largest and most capable solid-fueled rocket. Standing 30 meters tall and 2.65 meters in diameter, it weighs 135 metric tons at launch and can deliver up to 1.5 tons of payload to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. The rocket, previously named ZK 1A, has completed seven launches and placed 63 satellites in orbit to date.

CAS Space is currently developing the next-generation Kinetica 2 rocket, which is expected to fly for the first time later in 2025.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:21 AEST Tokyo, Japan (SPX) May 19, 2025 - China's private rocket manufacturer LandSpace successfully launched its modified ZQ-2E Y2 rocket on Saturday, deploying six satellites into orbit from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 12:12 pm (Beijing Time). The ZQ-2E Y2 is an enhanced version of the Zhuque-2 (ZQ-2) model, named after the Vermilion Bird of ancient Chinese mythology, a symbol of fire and the southerly direction.

The upgraded ZQ-2E model features a dual-cryogenic liquid propellant system powered by liquid oxygen and methane, the latter being the primary component of natural gas. This system, combined with a high-thrust engine, enables the rocket to deliver up to 4 tonnes to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.

Saturday's mission marks the fifth launch of the ZQ-2 series, following the successful deployment of two satellites in November 2024 using the modified ZQ-2 Y1 variant. The latest model also benefits from enhanced engine thrust and the use of composite materials in its fairing, which reduces weight and improves efficiency and reliability.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:21 AEST Washington DC (UPI) May 18, 2025 - India failed in its attempt to launch a satellite to observe Earth when the third stage failed, the nation's space agency said Sunday.

The Indian Space Research Organization's EOS-09 spacecraft lifted off atop a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota at 5:59 a.m. local time Sunday. There have been 101 launches from Sriharikota, which is 1417 miles from New Delhi, including three to the moon and one to Mars.

The satellite was lost because of an issue with the third stage of the rocket about six minutes after launch.

"Third stage, motor started perfectly, but during the functioning of the third stage, we are seeing an observation, and the mission could not be accomplished," ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said in a televised statement after the launch. "Third stage, motor started perfectly, but during the functioning of the third stage, we are seeing an observation, and the mission could not be accomplished. After analysis, we shall come back."

ISRO posted on X that "the mission could now be accomplished.

The 3,735-pound satellite was to be deployed from the upper stage about 18 minutes after liftoff at an altitude of 332 miles.

This was to be India's ninth mission in India's Earth Observation Satellite series.

The satellite included a synthetic aperture radar payload, which had been been successfully deployed in other missions.

The satellites can observe Earth day and night, including cloud cover.

India Today noted the round-the-clock, reliable intelligence is significant among security concerns along India's borders with Pakistan and China.

India was the first country to land a spacecraft near the moon's south pole in 2023. This is an arrea scientists believe could hold reserves of frozen water.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:21 AEST Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 15, 2025 - Space Nuclear Power Corporation (SpaceNukes) has been selected as a commercial partner to develop advanced fission reactor technology for the Space Power and Propulsion for Agility, Responsiveness and Resilience (SPAR) Institute. The SPAR Institute, led by the University of Michigan, is part of the US Space Force's Space Strategic Technology Institute 3 for Advanced Space Power and Propulsion.

Central to this collaboration is the development of Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) systems, which integrate a nuclear reactor power source with electric propulsion to enable "Maneuver Without Regret" capabilities. NEP systems are significantly more efficient than traditional chemical propulsion, offering 5 to 25 times more thrust per unit mass, reducing the risk of running out of propellant during complex maneuvers.

SpaceNukes stands out as the only US company with recent experience in designing, building, and testing an innovative reactor concept. In 2018, the company's Kilopower reactor power system was successfully demonstrated during the KRUSTY test, showcasing a ready-to-fly technology capable of supporting missions on the Moon, Mars, and deep space.

As part of this effort, SpaceNukes is collaborating with University of Michigan students and faculty to develop 2nd-generation reactor technologies. These next-generation reactors offer significant improvements, including higher reactor and radiator temperatures, resulting in lighter, more compact systems that provide greater agility and reduced detectability, making them highly suitable for both civilian and defense applications.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:21 AEST Sydney, Australia (SPX) May 15, 2025 - Southern Launch and Varda Space Industries successfully executed the reentry of the W-3 mission at the Koonibba Test Range on May 14, 2025. This milestone came just ten weeks after the W-2 mission, Australia's first commercial spacecraft reentry, further demonstrating Southern Launch's ability to support rapid mission turnarounds.

The W-3 capsule, developed by Varda Space Industries, carried a cutting-edge Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) payload designed by the US Air Force and Innovative Scientific Solutions Incorporated (ISSI). The IMU, engineered to withstand extreme reentry conditions, was tested at velocities exceeding Mach 25 as it returned to Earth's atmosphere, providing critical data for future aerospace applications.

Touching down at 11:47 AM local time after 61 days in orbit, the W-3 capsule's high-speed descent provided valuable data for researchers and marked a significant step in refining space reentry technologies. The mission also underscored the importance of Southern Launch's series return authorisation, secured under the amended Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018. This permit, the first of its kind for a domestically returning spacecraft, supports high-cadence reentry missions essential for the growing in-space manufacturing sector.

During the W-3 mission, Southern Launch coordinated extensive safety measures, including air and sea space management, to ensure a secure landing environment. Advanced tracking telescopes were deployed to monitor the capsule's descent and touchdown under parachute, reflecting the company's commitment to operational precision.

Post-landing, the recovered capsule will be processed at Southern Launch's dedicated facilities before being transported to Varda's headquarters in Los Angeles for further analysis. The W-3 capsule was initially launched aboard SpaceX's Transporter-13 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on March 14, 2025, supported by a Rocket Lab Pioneer satellite.

W-3 mission data will play a vital role in advancing high-speed reentry systems and expanding the commercial potential of space.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:21 AEST Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 19, 2025 - Akoustis Technologies, a leading provider of patented bulk acoustic wave (BAW) high-band RF filters, has completed the sale of most of its assets to Tune Holdings Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX). The sale, conducted as a going-concern transaction under Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

The transaction, valued at approximately $30.2 million in cash along with the assumption of certain liabilities, includes nearly all of Akoustis's assets, excluding those owned by Grinding and Dicing Services, Inc. (GDSI).

"We are pleased to close this strategic transaction, which will maximize value for our creditors and preserve the vast majority of our employees' jobs," said Mark Podgainy, Finance Transformation Officer at Akoustis. "We are grateful to our loyal customers, suppliers and employees who have stood with us through this process."

Following the Court-approved auction on April 25, 2025, Tune Holdings emerged as the winning bidder, taking control of Akoustis's core operations and team infrastructure. This move ensures continued support for Akoustis's global customer base and secures the delivery of next-generation BAW RF filters worldwide.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:21 AEST Washington DC (UPI) May 17, 2025 - American aerospace firm Rocket Lab on Saturday carried a successful launch mission from its facility in New Zealand.

The California-based publicly-traded company completed its third mission for Japanese firm the Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space, using one its partially-reusable Electron orbital launch vehicle.

"Another fantastic launch by the Electron team to flawlessly deliver another iQPS mission to orbit," Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said in a statement on the company's website.

"Constellation deployment requires a reliable rocket with pinpoint orbital deployment accuracy that allows for the seamless integration of the latest spacecraft to the constellation - and that's exactly the service Electron continues to provide as the global leading launcher for small satellite missions. With another mission lined up with iQPS in just a few short weeks, we're looking forward to supporting their constellation with multiple missions this year and next."

The mission delivered a synthetic aperture radar Earth-imaging satellite, into low Earth orbit, approximately 357 miles above the planet.

Liftoff from the Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand occurred at 8:17 p.m. NZST Saturday, marking the company's 64th mission overall using the Electron rocket.

Rocket Lab's contract with the Japanese company stipulates five further launches through next year. Four of those are set to take place in 2025, beginning next month, as the Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space continues building its constellation of satellites.

"We are truly delighted to have successfully launched our 10th satellite into orbit just two months after the launch of our QPS-SAR-9," iQPS CEO Shunsuke Onishi said in the Rocket Lab media release.

"This achievement is a remarkable milestone to the outstanding technical capabilities of our development team, and we are deeply grateful to Rocket Lab team for enabling such a precise and agile launch. With more Electron launches ahead, we're more committed than ever to accelerating the buildout of our satellite constellation, and we look forward to continuing this powerful partnership."

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:21 AEST Tokyo, Japan (SPX) May 20, 2025 - Galactic Energy, a Beijing-based private rocket manufacturer, successfully completed its fifth sea-based launch of the Ceres 1 carrier rocket on Monday. The rocket lifted off at 3:38 pm from a modified deck barge in the Yellow Sea off the coast of Shandong Province, delivering four satellites into a low-Earth orbit approximately 850 kilometers above the planet.

The satellites, developed by Beijing's Guodian Gaoke, will join the Tianqi Network, which now consists of 37 satellites. This network supports data collection for the internet of things (IoT) and is utilized in sectors like forestry, agriculture, tourism, and environmental protection.

Galactic Energy has now conducted 20 orbital missions with its Ceres 1 rocket, deploying a total of 81 commercial satellites, significantly outpacing other private competitors in China.

The company's first sea-based mission occurred in September 2023, also off the coast of Shandong, launching four Tianqi satellites. Subsequent missions included a second in May with four satellites, a third in August deploying six satellites, and a fourth in December with four more satellites.

China has conducted 16 sea-based launches to date, using four rocket types: Long March 11, Smart Dragon 3, Ceres 1, and Gravity 1.

The Ceres 1 is a 20-meter-tall, solid-propellant rocket with a 1.4-meter diameter and a liftoff weight of 33 metric tons. It is capable of carrying a 300-kilogram payload to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit or a 350-kilogram payload to a 200-kilometer low-Earth orbit.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:21 AEST Sydney (AFP) May 16, 2025 - An Australian aerospace firm said Friday it has scrubbed a historic attempt to send a locally developed rocket into orbit, citing a glitch in the nose cone protecting its payload -- a jar of Vegemite.

An electrical fault erroneously deployed the opening mechanism of the carbon-fibre nose cone during pre-flight testing, Gilmour Space Technologies said.

The nose cone is designed to shield the payload during the rocket's ascent through the Earth's atmosphere before reaching space.

The mishap happened before fuelling of the vehicle at the company's spaceport near the east coast township of Bowen, about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) up from the Queensland capital Brisbane.

"The good news is the rocket and the team are both fine. While we're disappointed by the delay, we're already working through a resolution and expect to be back on the pad soon," said chief executive Adam Gilmour.

"As always, safety is our highest priority."

Gilmour said the team would now work to identify the problem on its 23-metre (75-foot), three-stage Eris rocket, which is designed to send satellites into low-Earth orbit.

- 'Used to setbacks' -

A replacement nose cone would be transported to the launch site in the coming days, he said.

Weighing 30 tonnes fully fuelled, the rocket has a hybrid propulsion system, using a solid inert fuel and a liquid oxidiser, which provides the oxygen for it to burn.

If successful, it would be the first Australian-made rocket to be sent into orbit from Australian soil.

"We have all worked really hard so, yes, the team is disappointed. But on the other hand, we do rockets -- they are used to setbacks," said communications chief Michelle Gilmour.

"We are talking about at least a few weeks, so it is not going to happen now," she told AFP.

The payload for the initial test -- a jar of Vegemite -- remained intact.

"It's hardy, resilient, like Aussies," she said.

Gilmour Space Technologies had to delay a launch attempt the previous day, too, because of a bug in the external power system it relies on for system checks.

The company, which has 230 employees, hopes to start commercial launches in late 2026 or early 2027.

It has worked on rocket development for a decade, and is backed by investors including venture capital group Blackbird and pension fund HESTA.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:09:21 AEST Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 15, 2025 - Rocket Lab has achieved a rapid turnaround of two Earth return missions within just two months, successfully delivering Varda Space Industries' W-3 capsule back to Earth. This marks the third overall success in Varda's W-series missions, highlighting Rocket Lab's growing expertise in hypersonic re-entry logistics.

The latest mission saw the W-3 capsule return at 02:07 a.m. UTC on May 14, following the company's established track record of on-orbit and de-orbit support for Varda. This effort represents the third of four contracted missions, with the first, W-1, marking a historic milestone in February 2024 as the world's first space manufacturing mission conducted outside the International Space Station. The second mission, W-2, successfully concluded with a re-entry at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia on March 14, just 15 days before the launch of the W-3 mission.

Each Pioneer spacecraft, developed at Rocket Lab's Spacecraft Production Complex in Long Beach, California, provides critical mission support, including power, communications, propulsion, and attitude control for Varda's 120kg capsules. These systems incorporate Rocket Lab's vertically integrated components, including star trackers, reaction wheels, solar panels, propulsion systems, and advanced composite structures.

"Managing three successful missions for Varda in just over a year is a testament to our team's ability to produce tailored spacecraft for our customer's specific needs quickly and efficiently," said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck. "Our Pioneer spacecraft consistently proves its rapid re-entry capability, versatility, and reliability, delivering critical mission functions that continually push the boundaries of space technology. Varda's missions showcase Rocket Lab's commitment to groundbreaking advancements in space manufacturing and re-entry logistics, and we're immensely proud to be a part of these achievements."

"Varda's third successful reentry represents a new era in the commercialization of low Earth orbit," added Dave McFarland, Varda's Vice President of Hypersonic and Reentry Test. "The rapid succession of our missions demonstrates that this is a capability both Varda, and our partners can consistently rely on."

The fourth spacecraft in the W-series is currently undergoing integration and testing at Rocket Lab's Long Beach headquarters, further demonstrating the rapid development capabilities of the Pioneer platform.

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