While the much delayed debut of Ariane 6 has yet to take place – it is now expected in 2024 at the earliest – the satellite firm Intelsat still has faith in it. It has made a launch order to Arianespace for its Intetlsat 45 (IS-45) communications satellite as a payload on a shared launch of an Ariane 6 rocket. The small Intelsat 45 satellite is being built by the Swiss company SWISSto12.and will eventually operate in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO).
Ariane 62 and 64 configurations now have tapered in booster cones. Courtesy: ESA
…but Bikini jumps ship to PSLV
There was bad news however for Arianespace and the Ariane 6 when it lost the launch contract for the Bikini spacecraft prototype for the reusable Nyx spacecraft being designed by The Exploration Company. Bikini apparently ‘jumped ship’ due to the lateness of the operational capability of the rocket. Instead, the Bikini mission will now be flown by India’s very much already operational PSLV. The Exploration Company firm has reportedly also signed a cargo delivery contract with Axiom Space for a single launch to the latter’s planned space station.
Firefly gets three launch bookings from L3 Harris…as ABL gets USSF ‘Task Order’
In a separate announcement in September, the launch vehicle start-up Firefly Aerospace has received three launch order for missions in 2026 from L3Harris Technologies. The three launches from Vandenberg, California, USA, will be performed by the Firefly Alpha launch vehicle in 2026. Three secret satellites are being built by L3Harris for the US DoD under a US$225 million contract.
ABL Space Systems has received a US$15 million ‘task order’ from the U.S. Space Force to demonstrate that its RS1 rocket can launch a payload on short notice from either Cape Canaveral, Florida or Kodiak Island in Alaska. The launch is part of a US$60 million launch agreement involving US$30 million being funded by the US Space Force being matched by the company.
