Enlarge / Static fire test of the Falcon 9 rocket that will launch the Crew 8 mission in early March.
SpaceX
Welcome to Rocket Report Issue 6.33! If you look at the list of “next three launches” below, you will see that all three are Falcon 9 rockets. This isn't the first time this has happened this year, and it probably won't be the last either. It looks like SpaceX may actually be close to its goal of 150 launches this year – a remarkable frequency.
As always, we welcome reader contributions. If you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe to us using the box below (the form will not appear in AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report includes information on small, medium and heavy rockets, as well as a brief look at the next three launches on the calendar.
India is building a second spaceport. Indian space research organization ISRO has been given the green light to build a new spaceport in Tamil Nadu to help private players launch small rockets, reports Tech Crunch. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the spaceport on an island called Kulasekharapatnam off the southern state of Tamil Nadu. This will be the country's second spaceport after the space agency's existing Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
Easier route to the poles … The spaceport will be intended for the launch of smaller launch vehicles and will be ready in about two years. The 2,350-hectare Kulasekharapatnam Spaceport will help save fuel for small rocket launches as the port can launch rockets directly south across the Indian Ocean without having to cross land masses. This differs from the existing launch site at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, which entails higher fuel requirements for launch into a polar orbit as the rockets have to follow a curved path southwards to avoid Sri Lanka's landmass. (submitted by Joey S-IVB)
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Astra founders warn of “imminent bankruptcy”. The founders of satellite propulsion and launch vehicle company Astra have significantly scaled back their offer to privatize the company, warning of “impending bankruptcy” if the company does not accept their new proposal, Space News reports. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, Astra disclosed a letter sent three days earlier to a special committee of the company's board from Chris Kemp and Adam London, its chairman and chief technology officer, in which the costs were reduced by two The offer to purchase outstanding shares in the listed company was cut by a third.
Pray I don't change it any further… In November, Kemp and London proposed buying Astra shares for $1.50, about double their price at the time the deal was announced. In the new proposal they are only offering $0.50 per share. Kemp and London cited several reasons for the share price reduction. These included continued cash burn by the company since the initial offer was made and higher “non-operating costs” as the company retained multiple outside consultants to evaluate options. Under the revised proposal, Kemp and London said they expect to raise a total of $45 million to take Astra private, of which $7.7 million would go to shareholders. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
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RFA unveils plans for SaxaVord spaceport. An environmental report published by the UK Civil Aviation Authority has provided greater insight into the planned operation of the Rocket Factory Augsburg at the SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland, European Spaceflight reports. The report details a plan for RFA to conduct up to 10 launches per year from SaxaVord, which would represent a third of the spaceport's total budget of 30 orbital launches per year.
More engines please… Due to the local bird population, RFA is unable to conduct launches or static fire tests between mid-May and late June. The company will also be limited to a maximum of two launches per month. The design of the rocket also changes. Significantly, the 21-meter-long first stage will now feature 13 Helix engines producing 1,300 kilonewtons of thrust, instead of just nine engines, the company previously announced. (submitted by Ken the Bin)