February 7, 2019

Iridium NextGen Constellation Complete (Source: Space News)
Iridium formally declared its next-generation satellite constellation complete Wednesday. The company announced that it has transferred all its communications services off its two-decade-old legacy fleet and onto the Iridium Next constellation. That constellation offers new capabilities over the original one, including higher-speed data services. Iridium has "deboosted" 52 of the original satellites, 47 of which have re-entered, and plans to deorbit the remaining 13 legacy satellites over the next few months. (2/7)

Rideshare Aggregators Could Lift Small Launchers (Source: Space News)
Developers of small launch vehicles say they're interested in supporting dedicated rideshare missions of smallsats as they face competition from larger vehicles. Spaceflight, a leading smallsat aggregator, announced Wednesday it signed an agreement with Vector for at least one dedicated Vector-R launch of several smallsats. During a panel discussion at the SmallSat Symposium, other small launch vehicle developers said they're also willing to work with aggregators, even while extolling the benefits of dedicated smallsat launches. SpaceX, which flew a rideshare Falcon 9 mission in December that carried 64 satellites, is interested in doing such missions on a regular basis in the future, offering cost benefits over smaller vehicles. (2/7)

DOD Wants to Support Small Launchers (Source: Space News)
The Defense Department wants to find ways to support small launch vehicle developers. Will Roper, assistant secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, said Wednesday that small launch vehicles could be "ideal" for responsive space applications. Roper said he wants the Air Force to work more closely with the small launch industry. Another senior Pentagon official, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord, previous said she also thought the Pentagon should engage with commercial small launch providers about military applications of those vehicles. (2/7)

Cautious Approach to Ariane 6 Threatens Competitive Potential (Source: Bloomberg)
A French government auditor warns that the Ariane 6 rocket may not be competitive with American rivals. A new report by the independent state auditor Cour des Comptes concluded that the cautious approach taken to develop the Ariane 6 means that it "risks not being competitive over the long term" compared to American vehicles that embraced new technologies, like reusability. The auditor called for consolidating government purchases of the rocket and investing in disruptive technologies. (2/7)

SLS Maiden Voyage Could Slip to 2021 (Source: Ars Technica)
The first launch of NASA's Space Launch System could be slipping again. NASA is currently planning for a June 2020 launch of the SLS on Exploration Mission 1, but some sources believe that launch could be delayed to 2021. Delays in testing, compounded by the government shutdown, are expected to push back the launch. A NASA spokesperson said this week that while NASA was still assessing the effects of the shutdown on the program, it was still "working toward a launch in 2020." (2/7)

More Local Opposition to Proposed Hawaii Spaceport (Source: Hawaii News Now)
A proposed Hawaiian spaceport faced public opposition at another meeting. The public meeting Wednesday in the city of Hilo discussed a proposal by Alaska Aerospace Corporation to develop a launch site for small launch vehicles. As with a meeting last month, many local residents spoke out against the plan, worried about pollution and noise from launches. Alaska Aerospace said they don't believe the launches will have serious environmental impacts based on their experience operating a launch site on Alaska's Kodiak Island. (2/7)