February 27, 2022

ULA: Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Won’t Impact Remaining Atlas 5 Missions (Source: Spaceflight Now)
United Launch Alliance said Friday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will have no impact on the company’s Atlas 5 rocket program, which has 25 missions left to fly with Russian-made main engines before retirement. The launch provider said it has all the Russian engines it needs before transitioning to a replacement rocket, the Vulcan Centaur, with U.S.-made engines produced by Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’s space company.

The RD-180 engines were built by NPO Energomash of Khimki, Russia, a suburb of Moscow. An Atlas 5 rocket is scheduled for launch Tuesday from Cape Canaveral with a NOAA weather satellite, one of 25 missions remaining on the Atlas 5 schedule. ULA announced last year that all of the company’s remaining Atlas 5 rockets have been sold to customers. (2/25)

Russia Suspends Soyuz Launch Operations in French Guiana (Source: Spaceflight Now)
Blaming European sanctions enacted after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian space agency said Saturday it is recalling dozens of engineers and technicians from French Guiana and suspending Soyuz rocket operations there, grounding a pair of European navigation satellites previously set for launch in early April.

The decision, announced by Russian space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin, also brings into question the long-term future of the Soyuz launch base at the Guiana Space Center, a European-run spaceport on the northeastern coast of South America. Russian teams were preparing a Soyuz rocket and Fregat upper stage for launch April 5 from the spaceport near Kourou, French Guiana, with two European Galileo navigation satellites. The two European satellites and their Russian launch vehicle have already been delivered to the space center, but the preparations require expertise from Russian crews. (2/26)

European Official Responds to Russian Withdrawal From Kourou Spaceport (Source: European Commission)
"Following the sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU and its partners in response to Russia's military aggression in Ukraine. I confirm that this decision has no consequences on the continuity and quality of the Galileo and Copernicus services. Nor does this decision put the continued development of these infrastructures at risk.

We will take all relevant decisions in response to this decision in due course and continue developing resolutely the second generation of these two EU sovereign space infrastructures. We are ready to act decisively, together with the Member States, to protect these critical infrastructures in case of aggression, and continue to develop Ariane 6 and VegaC to ensure Europe's strategic autonomy in the area of launchers." (2/26)

Ukrainian Space Facilities -- and US Launches -- Endangered by Russia's Invasion (Source: SPACErePORT)
On Friday there were incorrect report that the Yuzhnoye Design Office in Ukraine had been destroyed during Russia’s invasion. Although incorrect, the report raises concerns that damage to Ukraine’s space industry is indeed possible. Yuzhnoye is the manufacturer of much of the first stage of Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket. Damage at Yuzhnoye could impact future Antares missions, along with Cyclone-4M rocket production for missions at Canada's proposed spaceport in Nova Scotia.

Yuzhnoye also builds/built the Zenit and Dnepr rockets. Also in Ukraine, Firefly Aerospace in 2019 opened an R&D center in the eastern city of Dnipro, which was shelled by Russian forces as part of the ongoing invasion. I have reached out to Firefly regarding the status of this facility. They have not yet responded. (2/25)