Necessary to compete … “Northrop and Firefly have a similar perspective and that is, for that class of rocket, reusability is a requirement for a bunch of reasons,” said Bill Weber, Firefly’s CEO. “Economically, it becomes an advantage because we don’t have to go build additional floor space… Similarly, the pricing structure for customers starts to get super competitive.” Firefly and Northrop Grumman announced a partnership in 2022 to develop the MLV, which includes a kerosene-fueled first stage and second stage. Initially, though, Firefly will build MLV first stages to marry with Northrop’s solid-fueled upper stage used on the Antares rocket to continue launching cargo to the International Space Station.
Eumetsat ditches Ariane 6. In a shocking announcement this week, the European intergovernmental organization responsible for launching and operating the continent’s weather satellites has pulled its next mission off a future launch of Europe’s new Ariane 6 rocket, Ars reports. Instead, the valuable MTG-S1 satellite will now reach geostationary orbit on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket in 2025. “This decision was driven by exceptional circumstances,” said Phil Evans, director general of the organization Eumetsat. “It does not compromise our standard policy of supporting European partners, and we look forward to a successful SpaceX launch for this masterpiece of European technology.”
Intriguing timing … The decision, taken at a council meeting of Eumetsat’s 30 member nations last week, comes shortly before the debut of the Ariane 6 rocket, scheduled for July 9. Outwardly, at least, this decision reflects a lack of confidence in the reliability of the Ariane 6, the ability of European companies ArianeGroup and Arianespace to produce future versions of the Ariane 6, or both. It comes not just on the eve of the long-awaited debut of the Ariane 6, but also at a time when European officials are trying to close ranks and ensure that satellites built in Europe get launched on European rockets. (submitted by Ken the Bin)
