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Rocket Report: Starship, Rocket Lab, and Astrobotic
Welcome to Edition 6.36 of the Rocket Report! SpaceX is preparing for the next Starship test flight as early as May. The most recent Starship test flight went smoothly enough for the FAA to anticipate a simplified investigation and launch licensing process. However, the launch of actual satellites via Starship may be delayed.
Starship Disrupting the Market
Officials from small satellite launch companies are concerned about the impact of SpaceX’s Starship on their market. Starship’s ability to carry over 100 metric tons of payload into low-Earth orbit is attractive to customers with heavy or small spacecraft. Aggregating multiple small satellites onto Starship could lead to lower prices compared to dedicated small satellite launch providers. This situation may push customers to build larger satellites with more affordable components, further challenging small launch providers.
SpaceX’s rideshare missions already reshape the small satellite launch market. Falcon 9’s Transporter mission offers a lower price per kilogram of payload compared to smaller rockets like Electron, Alpha, or Vega. Small launch providers highlight delivering payloads to bespoke orbits, but SpaceX’s Transporter missions are gaining interest, particularly with the introduction of Orbital Transfer Vehicles for last-mile delivery.
Rocket Lab’s Recent Launch
Rocket Lab recently launched its Electron rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia, with a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. The two-stage Electron rocket successfully delivered the payload into low-Earth orbit as part of technology demonstrations for the NRO. This mission marks Rocket Lab’s fourth launch from Virginia and showcases its partnership with the NRO through terms like Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket (RASR).
The National Reconnaissance Office is becoming a frequent customer of Rocket Lab, transitioning from large spacecraft launches to smaller satellite deployments. The most recent mission, NROL-123, was the fifth under the RASR contract and Rocket Lab’s 46th launch of the Electron rocket since its debut in 2017. Rocket Lab continues to expand, now developing a launch pad for its Neutron rocket at Wallops.
Astrobotic’s Xodiac Night Flight
The Xodiac rocket, a vertical takeoff and landing testbed, conducted its first night flight as part of upcoming precision landing challenges. Xodiac’s liquid-fueled design supports vertical hops and hosts sensors for precision landing assistance. The recent night flight in California prepares Xodiac for nighttime flight testing in collaboration with NASA’s TechLeap Prize’s Nighttime Precision Landing Challenge starting in April.
Xodiac, previously owned by Masten Space Systems, now operated by Astrobotic, has completed numerous successful flights. Astrobotic, known for developing Moon landers, aims to advance automated landing and navigation technologies through Xodiac testing. The upcoming night flights will simulate landing on the Moon’s surface or shadowed craters, showcasing the capabilities of sensors under extreme conditions.
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