Rocket Report: Rebuild begins at Blue Origin launch pad; Relativity targets Mars

Key Points:

• SpaceX’s next Starship test flight, Flight 13, could occur as soon as next month with a suborbital trajectory and ocean splashdown, while an orbital flight is postponed until Flight 14 due to engine restart issues on the last flight.
• Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket test flight has been delayed multiple times due to technical issues including fluid system anomalies, pressurization valve problems, and suspected leaks, despite the company’s strong financial backing.
• NASA’s Swift observatory rescue mission, developed in under a year by startup Katalyst Space Technologies, is set to launch no earlier than June 27 on a Pegasus XL rocket, marking a pioneering robotic satellite reboost effort.
• China’s Zhuque-2E rocket upper stage fragmented shortly after launch, creating 50 to 150 debris pieces in a congested low-Earth orbit region near the ISS and Starlink satellites, with atmospheric drag expected to clear debris within months to a year.
• Blue Origin has begun rebuilding its Launch Complex 36 in Florida after a New Glenn rocket explosion, aiming to resume launches by the end of 2024, while Amazon relies increasingly on Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket for deploying its large satellite constellation amid delays with other launch providers.