All posts tagged: ABL

Max Q: ABL Space nears next launch

Max Q: ABL Space nears next launch

Published by skeptic

Hello and welcome back to Max Q! In this issue: ABL Space nears next launch News from SpaceX and more ABL Space Systems has been quiet since the company conducted its first launch attempt in January, which resulted in the rocket crashing back down to Earth a little over 10 seconds after liftoff. Now we know why: They have been very, very, very busy. In a detailed blog post on Wednesday, CEO Harry O’Hanley described in detail the investigation the company conducted after the launch failure and the major upgrades it introduced to the RS1 rocket and GS0 ground system as it nears another launch attempt. Image credit: ABL Space Systems  More news from across TC Astrobotic’s first lunar lander is set to take off on United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket on Christmas Eve. Qosmosys, a Singapore-based startup, has closed an astonishing $100 million seed round to develop its lunar lander tech. Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket will likely return to flight before the year is out, though work remains before missions can resume. SpaceX will launch …

ABL Space Systems provides update on the road to second RS1 launch

ABL Space Systems provides update on the road to second RS1 launch

Published by skeptic

ABL Space Systems has been quiet since the company conducted its first launch attempt in January, which resulted in the rocket crashing back down to Earth a little over 10 seconds after lift-off. Now we know why: they have been very, very, very busy. In a detailed blog post on Wednesday, CEO Harry O’Hanley described in detail the investigation the company conducted after the launch failure and the major upgrades it introduced to the RS1 rocket and GS0 ground system as it nears another launch attempt. ABL is developing two systems: the lightweight, 87-foot-tall RS1 launch vehicle and a ground system called GS0, which O’Hanley referred to as “a launch site in a box.” Together, the two systems are meant to fulfill the dream of having a mobile, flexible all-in-one orbital launch system that can travel by shipping container to any site and be ready for launch a short time later. “Imagine this: a convoy of container trucks arrive at a parking lot,” O’Hanley wrote. “A few days later, it’s an orbital launch site. That’s …

ABL Space Systems scores million for rapid response launch for defense customers

ABL Space Systems scores $60 million for rapid response launch for defense customers

Published by skeptic

Launch startup ABL Space Systems has landed a $60 million contract to build out its “responsive launch” operational capacity, as part of the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Air Force Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program. The new funding, which equally matches government funding with private investment, comes as the company prepares for the second launch attempt of its RS1 rocket. In a statement, ABL said that a key challenge with responsive space launches “is breaking from the assumption of a pre-defined orbit, trajectory, and launch site.” For such missions, the company said it would build new operational capacity for short-notice launches. “We believe that operational flexibility is key to meeting the rapidly changing needs of our customers,” Eva Abramson, ABL’s head of strategic development, said in a statement. “This award will help us in further developing on-call launch capabilities to meet mission-driven payload, launch site and target orbit needs.” The U.S. Space Force has made strides in recent years to expand its Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) capabilities by working with private industry, and rocket startups …