Rocket Report Starship gets a tentative launch date; China tests ocean landing

News Summary

  • The launch means Space Pioneer—full name Beijing Tianbing Technology Co., Ltd—becomes the first private company to reach orbit with its first launch.Aiming for medium-lift next ...
  • Nevertheless, the 10-minute test signals the serious intent of the Chinese government to start reusing first stages.A soft landing ... During the test, the rocket prototype flew at an altitude of more than 1,000 meters before descending in a smooth hovering fashion and decelerating under reverse thrust.
  • Astra is still planning to conduct a first launch of its Rocket 4 vehicle before the end of the year, Space News reports.
  • Through the bankruptcy process, the company could shed some of its debt and possibly emerge as a leaner business serving a segment of the market seeking dedicated launch on a responsive vehicle.
  • The Tianlong-2 rocket lifted off from a transport erector launcher at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, sending a small remote sensing experiment satellite into orbit, Space News reports.
  • This kind of rocket recovery technology at sea could be widely applied to future rocket models, including the Jielong-3 and Jielong-3 heavy-lift launchers.Astra says Rocket 4 is on track.
Enlarge/ Starship is seen stacked on top of the Super Heavy rocket on April 5, 2023.3 with Welcome to Edition 5.32 of the Rocket Report! We have plenty to discuss this week, including the surpris [+7053 chars]