Space Systems

Launch Complex 3 goes operational at Wallops as Rocket Lab stages Neutron hardware and prepares static-fire tests

Launch Complex 3 goes operational at Wallops as Rocket Lab stages Neutron hardware and prepares static-fire tests

Rocket Lab has opened Launch Complex 3 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and set the stage for Neutron’s debut flight before year-end. The ribbon-cutting took place Aug. 28 with state leaders and company executives on site. The complex sits at Pad 0-D, a new coastal facility built for testing, launch and booster return of the company’s medium-lift reusable rocket. 

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Northrop Grumman and USSF Run First Coherent Multi-Antenna DARC Demo to Track Multiple GEO Satellites

Northrop Grumman and USSF Run First Coherent Multi-Antenna DARC Demo to Track Multiple GEO Satellites

Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Space Force achieved a first for the Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability at Site 1 in Western Australia, synchronizing multiple ground antennas to act as one radar and track several satellites in geosynchronous orbit. Program officials described a multi-week integration push that culminated in coherent operation of the array and real satellite tracks from the site near Exmouth.

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U.S. Space Force Selects Boeing for .8B Secure Strategic Communications Program

U.S. Space Force Selects Boeing for $2.8B Secure Strategic Communications Program

The U.S. Space Force has selected Boeing to build the first two satellites of the Evolved Strategic SATCOM program, issuing a $2.8 billion fixed-price-incentive contract that includes options for two more spacecraft. The decision, announced late July 3, positions the company to deliver the future backbone of nuclear command-and-control communications well into the 2030s.

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Chinese Shijian-25 and -21 Satellites Execute Close GEO Rendezvous for Refueling Test

Chinese Shijian-25 and -21 Satellites Execute Close GEO Rendezvous for Refueling Test

WASHINGTON — The Chinese spacecraft Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 have come within docking range high over the equator twice this month, and data suggest a third close pass is hours away. According to industry sources, the two satellites occupy nearly identical geostationary slots and have matched speed, altitude, and longitude with meter-level precision.

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