A new launch pad is in the works at Cape Canaveral. Delta 45 Space Launch, the military unit that operates the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is exploring the potential development of a new rocket launch complex for the Naval Test Unit and US Army missions. This was reported by Florida Today. The new location, known as Launch Complex 51, will be located about 2 miles north of Port Canaveral, making it the spaceport’s closest site to public areas. LC-51 will cover an area of about 50 hectares.
Better real estate… The new platform will replace Launch Complex 46, which is located in the explosive clean zone of Blue Origin’s nearby Launch Complex 36. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded on that launch pad during a pre-flight test last month. The proximity of the LC-46 to the LC-36 means that two pads cannot operate simultaneously without failure. LC-46 has hosted several small satellite launches and hypersonic missile tests in recent years.
Changes in attitude in latitude. French launch startup Latitude has removed all mention of the Zephyr name from its website, now calling its rocket simply “Our Launcher.” This was reported by “European Spaceflight”.. The rocket, formerly known as Zephyr, will be 19 meters (62 feet) tall and is a two-stage launcher designed to deliver up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds) into low Earth orbit. The company is currently targeting the second half of 2027 for the rocket’s first flight.
Due diligence… Latitude did not explain the reason for the change, but one plausible explanation is trademark risk. The name Zephyr is already a trademark in the aerospace sector by Airbus subsidiary AALTO, which already bears the name of the solar-powered High Altitude Platform Station aircraft. The Zephyr trademark application filed by the European Union Intellectual Property Office in 2005 covers unmanned aerial vehicles, satellites, parts and fittings, and “launchers for the above goods”.
China’s Zhuque-2E broke up in orbit. The upper stage of a commercial Chinese rocket launched into space last week disintegrated in space, disintegrating in the heavily trafficked part of low-Earth orbit that is home to the International Space Station and a significant portion of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network. Ars reports. The rupture occurred shortly after the Juque-2E rocket reached orbit on June 9 with two satellites providing direct cellular communications, perhaps expected to burn to neutralize the upper stage. The US Space Force confirmed the crash in a post space-track.orga website used by the military to release orbital information to the public.
