Lockheed Martin launched its record 12th Atlas vehicle of 1995 on 15 December, carrying the Hughes Galaxy 3R into geostationary transfer orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Atlas 2A was the 11th deep space launch of the year - matching Arianespace's 1995 launch rate. The 12th operation was a polar-orbital launch of a NOAA satellite on a refurbished Atlas missile from Vandenberg AFB, California.
Source: Flight International
Orbital launch pioneer SpaceX is being contracted by the American space agency NASA to develop a so-called “US Deorbit Vehicle” that can safely return the International Space Station to Earth via controlled re-entry.
BAE Systems has completed its acquisition of Ball Aerospace, with the move further strengthening its US business presence.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has retired its Mars helicopter Ingenuity after the craft suffered damage upon landing.
