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Space

Rocket Lab’s Electron Rocket Reaches Orbit For First Time

By Marc Selinger

Monday, January 22nd, 2018

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Rocket Lab’s Electron Rocket Reaches Orbit For First Time

Rocket Lab's Electron rocket lifts off Jan. 21, 2018, in New Zealand. (Photo courtesy of Rocket Lab)

Rocket Lab, one of several firms vying for a share of the burgeoning small-satellite launcher business, reached orbit and unleashed small satellites for the first time with its Electron rocket Jan. 21.Minutes after its afternoon liftoff from New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula, the “Still Testing” Electron deployed a Planet Dove Pioneer satellite for Earth imaging and two Spire Lemur-2 satellites for weather and ship tracking.The launch “marks the beginning of a new era in commercial access to space,” said Peter Beck, Rocket…

Senators Push Navy Against Single Destroyer Request In FY ’27

The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the two senators from Maine last week pushed back on Navy officials for only requesting one Arleigh Burke-class destroyer (DDG-51) […]

Navy Looks To Eventually Assemble Battleship At HII Newport News; Faces More Dem Opposition

The Navy told lawmakers this week it found a dry dock at HII’s [HII] Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard it thinks can use for final assembly of the new Trump-class battleship […]

Navy Leaders Downplay Looking At Foreign Navy Shipbuilding Amid Lawmaker Objections

The Navy’s top leaders this week seemed to downplay and back down on the service potentially using foreign shipyards to build U.S. Navy ships or buying foreign designed warships overseas […]

Army

Senate Defense Appropriators See ‘Risk’ With Army’s Reconciliation Plan To Fund Munitions Increase

The Senate’s top defense appropriators cited concern this week with the Army’s request to fund the majority of its large increase to munitions procurement in fiscal year 2027 through the […]