January 20, 2019

Stratolaunch Scales Back Operations After Paul Allen's Death (Source: Orlando Business Journal)
Stratolaunch, the Seattle-based space venture created by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen seven years ago, says it’s discontinuing its programs to develop a new type of rocket engine and a new line of rockets. The company said it would continue work on the world’s largest airplane, which is designed to serve as a flying launch pad for rockets.

Last week, Stratolaunch put its 385-foot-wide, twin-fuselage plane through a high-speed taxi test that many saw as a precursor for its first test flight at Mojave Air and Space Port. “Stratolaunch is ending the development of their family of launch vehicles and rocket engine. We are streamlining operations, focusing on the aircraft and our ability to support a demonstration launch of the Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL air-launch vehicle,” the company said in an emailed statement. “We are immensely proud of what we have accomplished and look forward to first flight in 2019.”

The dramatic turn of events comes three months after Allen’s death. Employees were told today that more than 50 people were being laid off as a result of the streamlining strategy, according to two sources who aren’t employed by Stratolaunch but are familiar with the operation. The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said about 20 employees were staying on to work on the plane and prepare for the flight test. (1/18)

Blue Origin Aims to Launch Delayed New Shepard Flight Monday (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
Blue Origin plans to launch the next test flight of its New Shepard suborbital booster Monday from West Texas as the commercial space company moves closer to flying people to the edge of space. The company, founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, said in a tweet that teams have resolved an unspecified “ground infrastructure issue” that delayed the mission from December, and weather looks good for launch Monday.

The single stage New Shepard will lift off from Blue Origin’s test facility north of Van Horn, Texas. Blue Origin says it will provide a live webcast of the flight, which is scheduled to take off at 9 a.m. The launch will mark the 10th flight of a New Shepard rocket, and the fourth flight of the reusable New Shepard vehicle currently in service. (1/19)

NROL-71 Launches on ULA Delta 4 From California Spaceport (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully completed its first flight of 2019. The launch utilized the largest rocket in ULA’s arsenal to send a classified payload into space. In doing so the company finally managed to move past a saga of delays. ULA’s Delta IV Heavy rocket had been selected to send the classified NROL-71 payload to orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base’s Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6). NROL-71 had been slated to get underway on Sept. 26, Dec. 7, 8, 18, 19, 20 and 30 (in 2018). On Jan. 5, 2019 ULA stated that the launch date was “under review.” (1/19)