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Isar Aerospace has announced the completion of the final tests on its Spectrum rocket, paving the way for its inaugural flight. The company stated that the launch will take place “as soon as possible” following approval and licensing from the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority.

Spectrum is a two-stage rocket that is designed to be capable of carrying up to 1,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit. The rocket will initially be launched from the Andøya Spaceport in Norway, which was officially inaugurated in November 2024.

In a 21 February update, Isar revealed that it had completed a 30-second integrated static fire test of the rocket’s first stage on 14 February, qualifying the stage for Spectrum’s inaugural flight. The company also confirmed that the rocket’s second stage had been qualified for flight following a static fire test in the third quarter of 2023.

“We are almost ready for the test flight,” said Isar CEO Daniel Metzler. “All we need is the license.”

The launch window for Spectrum’s first test flight will be set as part of the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority’s licensing process, marking the final regulatory step before liftoff.

NASA announced Feb. 21 it awarded a task order through the NASA Launch Services II contract for the launch of the Near Earth Orbit (NEO) Surveyor spacecraft on a Falcon 9. That task order is valued at approximately $100 million, the agency stated.

NEO Surveyor will launch on a Falcon 9 from Florida as soon as September 2027. It will operate from the Earth-sun L-1 Lagrange point, 1.5 million kilometers from Earth in the direction of the sun.

The spacecraft will feature a telescope 50 centimeters in diameter equipped with infrared detectors. That instrument will allow NEO Surveyor to detect near Earth objects and determine both their orbits and their sizes. The mission has a goal of detecting two-thirds of the NEOs at least 140 meters across in five years, and a congressionally mandated goal of 90% of such objects in 10 to 12 years.

The launch contract came just after the $1.2 billion mission passed its critical design review Feb. 6. That allows NEO Surveyor to move into the next phases of assembly and testing. Part of the spacecraft, called the instrument enclosure, is undergoing environmental testing at the Johnson Space Center. Later this spring, that and other sections of the spacecraft will go to the Space Dynamics Lab in Utah to integrate other components and perform more testing.

B1067 will become the first booster to launch for the 26th time.

Starlink Group 12-14 launch out of SLC-40 in Florida is currently scheduled for 2025-02-21 15:19 UTC, or 2025-02-21 10:19 local time (EST). Booster 1076-21 to land on A Shortfall of Gravitas.

• SpaceX mission page
• NextSpaceflight page

Webcasts:

• Space Affairs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyY_Qmemo0Y
• Spaceflight Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilYBPUZCnjw
• NASASpaceflight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meWhAAe3lf4
• The Launch Pad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK7BshpDkeg
• SpaceX: https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1892956071658213674
• The Space Devs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrqVE3_kLvk

The German aerospace agency DLR has signed on to be an anchor customer for The Exploration Company’s microgravity research service aboard its Nyx spacecraft.

Nyx is a modular, reusable space capsule that will initially be used to transport cargo to and from low Earth orbit and to host in-orbit experiments. In May 2024, The Exploration Company was selected by the European Space Agency as one of two companies working toward a demonstration mission to deliver cargo to the International Space Station in 2028. The other company selected was Thales Alenia Space.

On 20 February, during its DLR TecDays in Bonn, the German aerospace agency announced that it had signed a contract with The Exploration Company and would serve as an anchor customer for its microgravity research service. The contract secures space for 160 kilograms of scientific payloads aboard the inaugural flight of the Nyx Earth capsule in 2028.

ATMOS is currently preparing for an initial test flight of its PHOENIX capsule, which is designed to host up to 100 kilograms of in-orbit experiments before returning them safely to Earth. The capsule relies on an inflatable heat shield to withstand the rigours of reentry. This initial test flight is expected to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than April 2025.

On 17 February, the company announced that it had secured €13.1 million in new funding from the EIC Accelerator Programme, comprising a non-refundable grant and an investment component. The company stated that the funding will be used to expand its engineering and testing capabilities and accelerate the development of its next-generation PHOENIX 2 capsule. In its official press release, ATMOS noted that as part of the award, it is required to complete “two PHOENIX 2 flights within a specified timeframe.”

Per Jonathan McDowell, a.k.a. "the orbital police":

The Falcon 9 second stage from the Starlink 11-4 launch failed to deorbit itself on Feb 2. It reentered over Northern Europe last night, with entry over the Irish Sea at 0343 UTC Feb 19 and the reentry track extending to Poland and Ukraine a couple of minutes later

Video of reentry captured by ‪@dutchspace.bsky.social

Starlink Group 10-12 launch out of SLC-40 in Florida is currently scheduled for 2025-02-18 23:21 UTC, or 2025-02-18 18:21 local time (EST). Booster 1080-16 to land on Just Read the Instructions.

• SpaceX mission page
• NextSpaceflight page

Webcasts:

• Space Affairs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LE4HC23Oi0
• Spaceflight Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FLOFY0Wjis
• NASASpaceflight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP3ieI_18Yk
• The Launch Pad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qprkw4DAkE
• SpaceX: https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1891986937839484977
• The Space Devs: https://www.youtube.com/@thespacedevs/videos

UK-based rocket builder Orbex has revealed that it is counting on a positive outcome from its European Launch Challenge bid to fund the development of its medium-lift rocket, Proxima, citing a “challenging investment climate.”

The European Space Agency initiated the European Launcher Challenge in November 2023 to support the development of sovereign launch capabilities and, ultimately, a successor to the Ariane 6. While the exact format of the challenge has not yet been confirmed, initial reports have indicated that it will include multiple awards of €150 million each.

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