 | Top Stories
A Chinese company has suffered another failure of its small launch vehicle. A Hyperbola-1 rocket by iSpace lifted off at 7:40 p.m. Eastern Wednesday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The rocket, though, failed to reach orbit because of a problem with its fourth stage, the Beijing-based company said. The failure is the fourth in seven flights of the solid-fuel rocket, which in 2019 became the first privately developed Chinese rocket to reach orbit. The loss could add to concerns over China's commercial launch industry, as it follows Space Pioneer's recent catastrophic static-fire explosion, which saw a fully-fueled first stage unintentionally launch from its test stand. [SpaceNews]
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is likely to remain at the International Space Station at least through late July. NASA and Boeing officials said Wednesday that they are continuing tests of the spacecraft's thrusters at White Sands, New Mexico, trying to replicate the problems that caused several thrusters to shut down while approaching the station last month. Those officials again emphasized that the spacecraft is safe for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to use to return home in an emergency, but they want to complete testing before proceeding with any plans for a nominal return. At a separate media event Wednesday, Wilmore and Williams praised the vehicle despite the problems and said they didn't mind spending some extra time in space. [SpaceNews]
Private equity firm AE Industrial Partners (AEI) is looking for more space investments after closing a $1.28 billion fund. The aerospace and defense investment firm announced the closure of its third flagship fund this week after exceeding a $1.2 billion target and hitting a hard cap. AEI has already invested some of that money in companies like Firefly Aerospace, Redwire, Sierra Space and York Space Systems. AEI sees soaring demand for new space technologies to meet national security needs. [SpaceNews]
X-Bow Systems has raised $70 million to expand development of solid rocket motors. The company announced Wednesday the Series B round led by venture capital firm Razor's Edge and with participation from Lockheed Martin's and Boeing's venture arms, among others. X-Bow has positioned itself as an emerging player in the solid rocket motor market, using 3D printing technology to produce motors and propellants. The funding will be used to expand its production capabilities and complete a new manufacturing facility in Texas. [SpaceNews]
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| Other News
D-Orbit is establishing a joint venture in the United States to enter the satellite manufacturing market. The European company, best known for its line of orbital transfer vehicles, is working with a group of industry veterans to create D-Orbit USA. The venture will offer a smallsat bus that it believes will be cheaper and faster to build than competing models. D-Orbit USA has not signed up any customers yet but hopes to launch its first satellite as soon as 2025. [SpaceNews]
Sweden has published its first military space strategy. The strategy, released earlier this month ahead of a NATO summit meeting, says the country will "establish itself as a significant and responsible space actor in the defence and security area." The policy includes four pillars on topics ranging from creating space capabilities to partnering with other countries, and uses language similar to that used by the U.S. Defense Department on topics like space being "increasingly competitive and contested." [Breaking Defense]
Virgin Galactic has completed a new production facility in Arizona. The company said Wednesday it has completed the facility near Phoenix that will be used for final assembly and testing of its Delta-class suborbital spaceplanes. Assembly of the first vehicles will begin early next year with the goal of having them enter service in 2026. The Delta-class vehicles will succeed VSS Unity, which made its final suborbital spaceflight a month ago. [Virgin Galactic]
Rocket Lab's next launch will carry a Capella radar imaging satellite. Rocket Lab said Wednesday its "A Sky Full Of SARs" mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than July 20 from New Zealand, placing Capella's Acadia-3 satellite into orbit. The launch will be the fifth Electron flight to carry Capella satellites, including a launch failure last September. [Rocket Lab]
| |  | No Complaints About a Flight Delay
"I'm not complaining, Butch isn't complaining, that we're here for a couple extra weeks."
– NASA astronaut Suni Williams, describing Wednesday the extended stay that she and Butch Wilmore have on the International Space Station because of the delayed return of their Starliner spacecraft.
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