The sixth flight test of the SpaceX Starship launched from Starbase on Tuesday, seeking to expand the envelope on ship and booster capabilities and get closer to bringing reuse of the entire system online.
The Super Heavy booster successfully lifted off at the start of the launch window, with all 33 Raptor engines powering it and Starship off the pad from Starbase. Following a nominal ascent and stage separation, the booster successfully transitioned to its boostback burn to begin the return to launch site. During this phase, automated health checks of critical hardware on the launch and catch tower triggered an abort of the catch attempt. The booster then executed a pre-planned divert maneuver, performing a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
Starship completed another successful ascent, placing it on the expected trajectory. The ship successfully reignited a single Raptor engine while in space, demonstrating the capabilities required to conduct a ship deorbit burn before starting fully orbital missions. With live views and telemetry being relayed by Starlink, the ship successfully made it through reentry and executed a flip, landing burn, and soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
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The first supersonic flight of the Dawn Aerospace Mk-II Aurora Spaceplane took place on November 12, making it one of the fastest privately-developed aircraft on the planet.
Aurora reached Mach 1.1 and climbed to an altitude of 82,500 feet, over twice as high as commercial aircraft. The flight also marks the first time a civil aircraft has flown supersonic since Concorde was retired in 2003. This achievement signifies a major step toward operational hypersonic travel and daily space access, establishing rocket-powered aircraft as a new class of ultra-high-performance vehicles.
The flight, conducted from New Zealand’s Glentanner Aerodrome exceeded its test target speeds and altitude of Mach 1.05 and 75,000 feet. The Aurora also set a record, becoming the fastest aircraft to climb from ground level to 20 km (66,000 feet), completing the ascent in just 118.6 seconds.
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Looking at a couple of market reports released this week, The Global Satellite Payloads Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2024 to 2030, according to a new report published by Verified Market Reports. The report reveals that the market, valued at $14.1 billion in 2023, is expected to reach $41.9 billion by the end of the forecast period.
The increasing need for high-resolution imaging and real-time data has significantly boosted the demand for satellite payloads. Various sectors, such as agriculture, environmental monitoring, and urban planning, rely on satellite-based data for precision, efficiency, and decision-making. The growing emphasis on providing internet access to remote and underserved regions is another major driver in the satellite payloads market.
Continuous innovation in satellite payload design, especially in miniaturization and cost efficiency, fuels market growth. But the satellite payloads market faces significant barriers due to high initial investment requirements and lengthy development periods. Designing, manufacturing, and launching satellite payloads involves complex engineering and precision, resulting in high costs that can deter new entrants.
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The Satellite Communications equipment market is projected to reach $41.51 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 11.3% from 2024 to 2029 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets.
The range of products and services encompasses antennas, transceivers, modems, power amplifiers, and integrated systems designed for different applications. SATCOM equipment provides military operations with secure communication and the real-time transmission of data, which helps improve situational awareness and operational effectiveness. Beyond defense, the market serves many civil and commercial sectors, such as telecommunications, broadcasting, maritime, aviation, and emergency services.
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Getting into space is loud. There’s no way around it, the controlled explosion that propels a spacecraft into orbit generates a LOT of noise. Anyone who has ever watched a launch in person knows how true that is.
But sound can have a very detrimental effect on the spacecraft riding on the rocket. Sound is nothing more than a vibration, after all, and shaking things often leads to breaking things. That’s why acoustic testing is such an important part of evaluating a spacecraft's fitness for flight.
This week on The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talked with Alessandra 'Alex' Carrella, Max Myers and Bradley Hope from MSI-DFAT about DFAN testing for spacecraft which was developed by the company.
The MSI-DFAT test method uses a large number of speakers that surround the test article to create the acoustic test field. The speakers are controlled in zones and provide more flexibility than in a traditional reverberant test chamber.
Bradley Hope is U.S. Business Development Manager for MI-DFAT. "We're essentially recreating the very harsh noise and vibration environment created by sound during rocket launch. That's a very violent environment, and it's part of an overall series of tests that they call 'environmental tests' that a spacecraft will go through prior to launch."
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