Hello and welcome back to Max Q!
In this issue:
- Rocket Lab enters a new era with Virginia launch
- SpaceX moves closer to Starship’s first orbital flight test
- News from Quindar, AstroForge and more
Rocket Lab’s Electron lifts off from U.S. soil for the first time
Rocket Lab — and the United States — got a major win this week with the company’s first Electron rocket launch from Virginia. The mission, aptly titled “Virginia is for Launch Lovers,” provides a major boost for the company as it seeks to increase launch cadence and provide rapid, “on-demand” launch capabilities from either hemisphere.
It wasn’t an easy road. The mission experienced years of delays, mainly due to technical issues with a novel autonomous flight termination system developed by NASA. Once the technology was ready, Rocket Lab then...
