**Rocket Report: Blue Origin’s New Glenn Advances to Launch Site and Worldwide Space Industry News**
The space sector is rapidly transforming, showcasing significant advancements worldwide. This week’s Rocket Report showcases pivotal moments, including Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket arriving at its launch site, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) efforts in reusable rocket technology, and burgeoning startups set to innovate the space industry. Let’s explore the latest news.
### Blue Origin’s New Glenn Advances to Launch Complex 36
This week’s highlight is Blue Origin’s **New Glenn rocket** reaching its launch destination at Cape Canaveral in Florida. This signifies a crucial move toward its inaugural flight, anticipated as early as late 2024. The New Glenn is a heavy-lift rocket crafted to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and Starship, further intensifying the commercial space competition in the U.S.
Before its first flight, the rocket must achieve two significant milestones: a **wet dress rehearsal** and a **hot-fire test**. The wet dress rehearsal will consist of fully fueling the rocket and assessing its ground systems, while the hot-fire test will activate its seven BE-4 engines for several seconds. Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos is striving to meet a 2024 launch timeline, but as the deadline approaches, the company may have to postpone the launch to early 2025.
### ESA’s Initiative for Reusable Rocket Technology
The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected four companies—**Rocket Factory Augsburg, The Exploration Company, ArianeGroup, and Isar Aerospace**—to pioneer reusable rocket technology. This effort is part of two significant projects: **THRUST!** and **BEST!**.
– **THRUST!** is centered on enhancing European liquid propulsion systems, with Rocket Factory Augsburg and The Exploration Company taking the lead.
– **BEST!** aims to create reusable rocket first stages or boosters, with ArianeGroup and Isar Aerospace steering the initiative.
Although Europe is advancing in reusable rocket technology, it remains unclear if a European reusable rocket will achieve orbit and return to Earth before the decade concludes.
### UK Startup Astron Systems Pursues Reusability
In the UK, **Astron Systems**, a startup launched in 2021, is developing a fully reusable two-stage rocket capable of transporting 360 kilograms to low-Earth orbit. The company is part of the **TechStars Space Accelerator** and has garnered over $600,000 in funding from private investors, Innovate UK, and ESA.
Astron Systems is focusing on methane-liquid oxygen propulsion, with aspirations to conduct a test launch by late 2027. While the timeline is bold, the company is optimistic about its contribution to the burgeoning in-orbit economy, increasingly dependent on small satellite constellations.
### Avio Set to Manufacture Rocket Motors for the US Military
**Avio USA**, a branch of Italy’s Avio, is preparing to construct its first solid rocket motor manufacturing facility in the United States. The company is currently assessing potential sites and expects to finalize a location by mid-2025. This decision comes amid growing demand for solid rocket motors, particularly for tactical propulsion systems utilized by the US military.
Avio’s entry into the US market symbolizes the increasing need for solid rocket motors, especially as conflicts like the war in Ukraine escalate the demand for missile technology.
### ULA Probes Fairing Concerns on Atlas V
**United Launch Alliance (ULA)** is continuing its inquiry into issues with the payload fairing on its **Atlas V** rocket, over a year after debris was observed falling from the fairing during a launch in September 2023. The company has implemented corrective measures and additional inspections to mitigate the issue, but the investigation remains active.
The debris poses a possible threat to delicate spacecraft components, and ULA is collaborating closely with its customers and suppliers to safeguard future launches.
### China Launches Shenzhou 19 Crew to Tiangong Space Station
China is making substantial progress in its human spaceflight initiatives, launching the **Shenzhou 19** mission aboard a **Long March 2F** rocket. This mission has transported three astronauts to the **Tiangong space station**, where they will engage in six months of experiments and spacewalks.
This marks the 33rd mission under China’s human spaceflight program, encompassing both crewed and uncrewed test flights, space station module launches, and cargo resupply missions. China aims to keep Tiangong operational for a minimum of ten years, further establishing its status as a significant entity in space exploration.
### Firefly Aerospace’s New CEO Aims to Expand Operations
**Firefly Aerospace** has appointed a new CEO, **Jason Kim**, who is dedicated to scaling the company and launching its **Medium Launch Vehicle (MLV)** by 2026. Firefly’s
